When Do Cruisers Become Racers?

It’s a fact that most cruising sailors never race. That’s partly because they feel they’d be ‘sailing their house’, which is too heavily laden to be competitive, and partly because many of them have little or no previous racing experience. 

But not all cruisers think this way, as evidenced by this note from Robin Weber: "When we read about the Banderas Bay Regatta in Latitude 38, it sounded like a great event for cruisers. So when we decided to sail Agave Azul in the 2013 Ha-Ha, BBR became a must-do addition to our calendar. This past week, thirty-one boats came to the starting line. Baja Ha-Ha alumni were very well represented."

"The Vallarta Yacht Club did a great job organizing the event," adds Robin. "The competition was relaxed and friendly, and the weather cooperated with sunny skies and wind from 6 to 20 knots." You can’t ask for a much better combination than that. Look for more detailed reporting on the event here and in the April edition of Latitude 38.