(Bahia de Banderas, Puerto Vallarta, Mexico)- The 23rd Annual Banderas
Bay Regatta is scheduled to take place March 3rd to 7th, 2015. A
well-rounded fleet of twenty-five boats ranging in size from 24 feet to
50+ feet is looking forward to a fun-filled week of music, good food,
great camaraderie, and great racing.This regatta is the one of the biggest cruiser regattas in the world and is the largest and oldest on Mexico’s west coast. For the past 22 years, the event has brought together cruisers as well as serious racers for a week of parties and yacht racing. Handicaps are calculated based on the fact that most competitors are loaded with gear; a dinghy or two, extra anchors, a complete sail inventory, and most likely lots provisions (refreshments, too). The idea is to have four days of fun and three days of racing on a body of water that is considered one of the greatest sailing venues in the world.
Richard
Williams, the Rear Commodore of Vallarta Yacht Club and Chairperson of
the 2015 Banderas Bay Regatta said, “If you are planning on cruising to
Mexico’s west coast (or beyond), please consider joining us. Entry fees
are about $77 USD and include 2 tickets to the Awards Banquet to be held
on the beach at Paradise Village Resort in Nuevo Vallarta!” The VYC
truly enjoys rolling out the red carpet for visiting yachtsmen in their
special corner of the world. The Banderas Bay Regatta has enjoyed a proud history of providing competitive FUN for all classes of cruising and race boats in the tropical paradise of Vallarta, México. The balmy weather and consistent
March winds make the protected Bahía de Banderas the ideal sailing venue on the Mexican Pacific coast.The Regatta is a non-profit event hosted by the Vallarta Yacht Club, host to international regattas for serious racers, mega-yachts, and cruisers alike including such prominent events like the 2011 Pan American Games, J/24 World Championship & Mexican Nationals, and Opti Nationals & North Americans.
Why is the sailing area called “Bahia de Banderas” (the Bay of Flags)?? Apparently, in 1524 Spanish conquistador Francisco Cortés de Buenaventura arrived on the coast of this beautiful bay. Legends say that 20,000 warriors came down from the mountains above and assembled in the lush valley, into his path. Their bows, decorated with banners in a rainbow of colors, were so impressive that the Bay became known as the “Bay of Flags,” or Bahía de Banderas. Today the bay is sanctuary to sea life including giant manta rays, sea bass, red snapper, sailfish, marlin, dorado, dolphins and more. Humpback whales come each winter to birth their young, and Olive Ridley sea turtles return each year to the nesting grounds along its shores.
Several
J/Teams are participating. In particular, the J/130 ITAJIME (seen
here). According to her owner Alan Robin, “last June, Aline (my wife),
Millie (our dog), left from San Francisco, and we sailed out the Golden
Gate and headed south. We just left the Sea of Cortez and are headed to
mainland Mexico before crossing to the Marquesas in April. This is our
first race ever and we are really in it just for fun and to meet other
cruisers who really sail their boats. We would love to sail in one of
the crewed categories, but we have no additional crew and will not be
arriving in Banderas Bay until Tuesday evening. If you or anyone you
know want to crew with us on our J/130, please drop us a short email at
our SailMail account wdh5114@sailmail[dot]com!Also participating is the J/109 JOYRIDE skippered by James Vickers from Encinal Yacht Club and San Jose, CA- another refugee from San Francisco Bay! Joining them will be the J/24 JUGGS skippered by Ken Yachehcak from North Flathead YC on Flathead Lake, Montana (easily the long-distance travel award winner!) and also the J/80 SHIVA sailed by Rush Faville, a local sailor from Vallarta YC and Nuevo Vallarta, Mexico. For more Regata Internacional Banderas Bay Regatta sailing information
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