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 News from Around Banderas Bay | February 2006 
Racing the Wind
 Kathy Taylor - PVNN
Puerto Vallarta - Three of the premiere sailing events in Mexico take place in March right here in Puerto Vallarta. These internationally recognized races are part of the month-long Festival Nautico, sponsored by the states of Nayarit and Jalisco who share the shores of beautiful Banderas Bay.
Festival Nautico celebrates the diversity of the Bay, from the commercial panga fishing fleet to the graceful sailing vessels which race its steady breezes, and is dedicated to the preservation of its ecology.
March 1st sees the arrival of over 50 elite racing sailboats and approximately 500 crew members in the San Diego to Puerto Vallarta Yacht Race '06 co-sponsored by the San Diego Yacht Club and the Vallarta Yacht Club at Paradise Village.
Since 1953, the San Diego Yacht Club has hosted a race from the waters off Point Loma to a destination in Mexico. This year, competing yachts will sail 1000 nm to the finish located off Punta Mita, El Anclote, on the north end of Banderas Bay, with the 90 foot mega yacht Safari and the Mexican Navy standing by to receive them. This race is the San Diego Yacht Club's 26th biennial race to Mexico's west coast.
| The Puerto Vallarta sailing team, winners of the 2005 Regatta, will also be competing again this year at the Festival Nautico. They are the only all-girl team in the races.
Patrick Penman - Promovision |
Many of the Vallarta '06 entrants are regulars on the Big Boat series, and boast a number of famous sailors and boats in their numbers; one of the most recognized names is Dennis Conner, at the helm of Mongoose, a Santa Cruz 68.
Vallarta '06 positions the California boats for the biggest of the Big Boat series in Mexico, the MEXORC (Mexican Ocean Racing Circuit), which runs from March 5th till the 10th. Sanctioned by the Mexican Sailing Federation, this regatta consists of 8 races over 4 days, on a variety of courses that showcase natural features of the Bay. Results will be posted daily at Paradise Village Marina, Vallarta Yacht Club, Marina Vallarta, and Opequimar.
Nothing starts a party quite like a parade, and the official Festival Nautico kick off is the Governor's Boat Parade on March 4th. Decorated pangas, powerboats and mega yachts will form a flotilla that will cruise from in front of the Cruise Ship Terminal along the Malecon and Playa Los Muertos in Puerto Vallarta. Leading the parade will be the Governors of Jalisco and Nayarit aboard a Mexican Navy ship.
The Governor's Cup Yacht Race follows the parade, with participants from the San Diego race, MEXORC, and the local racing fleet. This race will start at 2 pm in front of the Westin Regina Resort Hotel, race out to La Cruz de Huanacaxtle, and finish off the breakwater at the Paradise Village Resort and Marina.
From Big Boats to Little Boats, Festival Nautico has something for everyone. The WesMex Optimist Regatta, staged from the Paradise Village Resort, will run on March 3rd, 4th, and 5th. The Mexican Optimist Association has sanctioned this one-design Mexican Qualifier Regatta. Competing will be young Mexican Optimist sailors aged 5 to 14 from Lake Chapala, M้xico City, Cancun, and Acapulco wishing to advance to the North American, European and World Championship Regattas.
This year's Festival Nautico promises to be a very exciting and entertaining time for yachtees and landlubbers alike, with a wide range of activities and opportunities to enjoy the best of what Banderas Bay has to offer. For more information, see Kathy's story, Festival Nautico - Who To Watch, Where To Watch, or see the Vallarta Festival Nautico '06 Schedule. |
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