Puerto Vallarta, Mexico - Saturday's third race of the 2012 Vallarta Cup saw excellent sailing conditions, with thermal winds up to 15 knots under a beautiful Banderas Bay sky. For the first time, the Vallarta Cup fleet got a close up look at Puerto Vallarta's famed Capri 37 fleet, with the Capris sharing the starting line for the start of their own two-day series.

Saturday's race started close to the beach off the Marival Hotel, giving beach-lovers a great view of some beautiful yachts. The course took competitors south, for lots of reaching, ideal for boats to show off their spinnakers.

Race Officer Randy Hough and assistant Janet Coburn did double duty on the committee boat, running the Vallarta Cup and Capri 37 races at the same time. Club Manager Rodolfo Pineda had his first opportunity to help in race management, joining the elite club of BIMBOs - Brotherhood of International Mark Boat Operators.

After an exciting start, Kevin Reath's "Paladin" led the fleet for her second bullet of the series in the Performance Cruising class, with Ken and Cheryl Sears' "Blue" closely following them all the way around the 16 mile course. After correction, Blue took third place in the race, with Linda Sweet's "Olas Lindas" taking second, holding off last week's winner, Dorr Anderson's "Bright Star". Bright Star finished in fourth place.

In the Multihull Class, series leader "Profligate" opted to sail the longer course with the Performance Cruisers, her corrected average speed on the longer course gave her a third win. Jeff Parish's "Nina May" was second in yesterday's race, followed by first-time Vallarta Cup participant "Damiana", sailed by Roy Verdery.

In the Heavy Cruising class, another first for Merle McAssey's "Kenta Anae, giving her a hat trick and the series lead for the big cruising boats. "Maloose" took second, and Rush Faville's "Escape Velocity" was third, giving Rush third in the series.

For the fourth and final race of the series on January 28, we will be hosting a film crew from the new Canadian travel series "Paradise Hunter". The series host and crew will be aboard Profligate for the race and will be filming during the race and interviewing participants during an after-race cocktail party at Vallarta Yacht Club. We'll publish more details later in the week. Registrations are still open for anyone who wishes to participate in the Vallarta Cup.