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Big Fun on Banderas Bay

By Andy Turpin | March 19, 2014 | Nayarit, Mexico |
Can anybody play? Yeah, pretty much. The long-established Banderas Bay Regatta is fun for boats of all shapes and sizes. That’s Miss Kitty in the foreground, sailed to a third in class by Randy Hough and crewman Norm who note that their ages (62 and 65) add up to a higher number than their handicap.

© 2014 Harry Hazzard

Among veteran cruisers there’s a long-standing consensus that Banderas Bay — which fronts Puerto Vallarta — offers the most consistent sailing winds in Mexico. So it’s only fitting that the country’s most popular cruiser regatta has been staged there for more than two decades. 

Who says you can’t have fun sailing your house? Robert and Nancy Novak’s Oyster 485 Shindig won the non-spinnaker cruising division with the help of Mark and Patty Thompson, Dan Adams, and Max Shaw.

© 2014 Jerry Shull

Hosted by the Nuevo Vallarta’s Vallarta YC, the 22nd edition of the Banderas Bay Regatta (March 12-14) drew 31 entries in six spin and non-spin divisions. A wide range of boat types was represented, from heavily laden cruising boats ("sailing the house") to go-fast race boats and even a Hobie Cat. True to it’s original concept, the emphasis was on not-too-serious fun. Look for info on the BBR in the April edition of Latitude 38. In the meantime, you can check results at the club’s website. If you plan to be cruising in Mexico next year, this is one event you won’t want to miss. 

No sooner had the dust settled from the BBR than a whole series of other events kicked into high gear. This week various events of the multi-faceted Copa Mexico take place on Banderas Bay, and the San Diego-to-Vallarta racers are finishing now. The weeklong MEXORC, the country’s premier serious regatta, begins March 23. Sounds like big fun to us. 

 

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