SINGAPORE - The Philippines maintained their perfect winning record at the DBS Marina Bay Cup when they beat Finland 2-0 in the final on Sunday (Sept 17).

The Sept 14-17 event, a match-racing sailing competition that is into its third edition, featured eight teams including hosts Singapore in a round-robin format.

But the Philippines' reign as champions were under threat before the final. In the best-of three semi-finals, they came from a point down to beat Hungary 2-1, while Finland beat Japan 2-0.

"After the round robin stage, we knew we were up against really good competition this year," said Filipino captain Ridgely Balladares, who was part of the team that won his country's first SEA Games sailing gold in 10 years at the 2015 Games held in Singapore.

"For sure, we will be looking to win the title for a fourth time next year."