How a Whimsical Desire for a New Racing Venue Became the Miracle of Zihuatanejo Sailfest

You’ve all heard it. You go to the companionway to head below and fetch something when someone on deck says, “While you’re down there …” The Baja Ha-Ha Grand Poobah is suggesting the same to you, when you’re in Mexico. “While you’re down there, you should head to Sailfest in Zihuatanejo.”

The year was 2001, and after several seasons of fabulous cruising and racing Profligate on Banderas Bay, I suggested to Blair Grinols of Capricorn Cat and the other regulars that maybe we should add another spot to the mix.

“Let’s all go down to Zihuatanejo in February 2002,” I said, “hold a little regatta, and maybe we could raise $150 for some kind of charity in Z-town.” The other members of the core group were in.

The whole idea almost never took off because I was snowed under with work at Latitude in January and was thus balking at taking Profligate that far south. “Come on,” everybody egged me on, “if you, Profligate, and Latitude don’t come, nobody else will.”

Little did I know that by my caving in and showing up in Zihua, an event would be born that has subsequently resulted in three million pesos being raised, and 160 classrooms in the Zihua area being built.

Thanks to the efforts of many cruisers and other people — I was mostly just the idea guy and magnet — we raised $1,500 that first year. The money came from people paying to sail on boats, and other donations. It was the beginning of the town of Zihua really getting behind the idea.

We decided to give the proceeds to a woman named Maria who, under a tree, was teaching Indigenous Indian children to speak Spanish. If they couldn’t speak Spanish, they couldn’t attend Mexican schools. It would be nice, we thought, if she could have a real classroom.

By another stroke of very good fortune, Richard and Gloria Bellack of San Diego were in Z-town, and had already been providing some funds to help Maria. They very generously decided to match the $1,500 that Sailfest had raised.

The next year, the last I was able to attend, was even bigger. Tenuous that the event ever came to pass, it was still tenuous that it continued in the early years. But thanks to an unlikely succession of cruiser volunteers — Pamela Bendel was a major player for a number of years — and the continued matching funds from the Bellacks, Sailfest has blossomed.

How can so many classrooms have been built? In recent years the event has raised in excess of $160,000 annually, and it costs about $22,000 per classroom.

In addition to the 160 classrooms that have been built, there have also been 57 kitchens, bathrooms, playgrounds and multipurpose covered outdoor spaces built. And over 50,000 meals a year have been served to students!

Oddly enough, this post is not an appeal for more money or more volunteers — there is plenty of both of those. What’s really needed are more sailboats, which were/should be the heart and soul of the event. Without the sailboats, Sailfest would be like Fleet Week without the fleet.

Sailfest features a host of sailing events for participating vessels, including music cruises, sunset cruises, a “Rally Round the Rock” fun regatta, and a sail parade. Zihuatanejo Bay offers protected anchorage, on-beach dinghy security or panga pickup, wonderful bars and restaurants, sightseeing, shopping and cultural events. If you haven’t been to Z-town, you haven’t really cruised Mexico.

The two-week Sailfest in 2026 is February 15 to 28. I highly recommend it. It’s not only a great cause, it’s great fun along the “contented coast,” home of fabulous sunsets.

For details, visit www.zihuatanejo-sailfest.com.