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 News from Around Banderas Bay | March 2007 
J/24 World's Opens with a Bang
 Kathy Taylor - PVNN
The sky lit up with fireworks as Governor Ney Gonzales declared the J/24 UBS World Championship Vallarta officially open in front of a crowd of hundreds of international sailors, committee members, staff and volunteers last night in Nuevo Vallarta. The Paradise Village Amphitheatre erupted in cheers as each of the fifteen participant countries were announced.
Speeches were short, but the well wishing was huge. It was clearly an emotional moment for Committee Chairman Peter Weigandt who acknowledged the enormous effort and reward associated with bringing this event to Mexico.
Mexican Sailing Federation President Ralph Nelles declared that Banderas Bay was the "perfect place in Mexico for this event to take place," and thanked the State of Nayarit for their support and participation.
Governor Ney, who had spent the afternoon on the water watching the practice races, declared that J/24 sailing is a perfect model for global harmony; on each boat, everyone has a duty and does it well, but is willing to help when help is needed.
Short speeches meant plenty of time for entertainment. The rich culture of Nayarit and Mexico was celebrated with a folkloric ballet - swirling skirts and rapid fire footwork followed the beautifully narrated tableau of the Huichol people's spiritualism, and their connection to the earth and sea and sky. "We are Nayaritas, and we welcome you."
The J/24 UBS World Championship Vallarta 2007 begins today with the first race at 1:00 in front of the beach in Nuevo Vallarta. Guests are invited to visit the sponsor village in front of host Vallarta Yacht Club which is next to Paradise Village in Nuevo Vallarta to meet sailors, see the result board, and share the excitement.
Daily racing March 5th to 9th at 1:00 pm.
Click HERE to see the Opening Night photo gallery.
How to Watch "The Best Worlds Ever"
On the Internet: This World's competition is the first World's to use real time, on line, satellite regatta tracking system. Globalstar will provide transponders for each boat. Using their "bent pipe" technology and constellation of 40 Low Earth Orbiting (LEO) satellites, each race can be viewed online at http://www.j24mex.com/worlds2007.asp. Click on the Globalstar logo or go to www.globalstar.com.mx and click on the J/24.
From the Beach: The beaches of Nuevo Vallarta will provide excellent viewing of the daily races. To cheer for your favorites, check the competitors list at http://www.j24mex.com/worlds2007.asp. Each boat has a bow number, and each mainsail has a sail number.
The J/24 UBS Worlds is made possible with the generous support of its sponsors which include UBS, the State of Nayarit, Scappino, Globalstar, Paradise Village Hotel, Microsoft, CEO Club, American Express, Comex, Lincoln, North Sail, Kuehne+Nagel and Interlingua.
 Kathy Taylor is a world traveler, sailor, writer, and cook. Before coming to Vallarta, she lived and worked in the Arctic for CBC Radio Northern Service and was the editor of Churchill's weekly Taiga Times. For 11 years she was Captain Kate of High Boats Café fame in Vancouver, then went on to spend 5 years as owner/chef of Wild Thyme Catering. After that, she spent four years sailing the Pacific Northwest and the Mediterranean, writing about sailboats and her experiences, as well as editing Bluewater Cruising's monthly magazine, "Currents." Following her love of food, sailing and charitable causes, Kathy continues her writing career here in Vallarta as a valuable member of the BanderasNews Team. |
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