Z-Fest Generates Funds and Fun

The annual Zihuatanejo SailFest drew to a close yesterday afternoon, just in time for some members of the 60-boat fleet to slip off and watch the Super Bowl. By all accounts the six-day event was a grand success, having accomplished its two primary goals: to show visiting cruisers a rollicking good time and raise a boatload of money for local schools. The final tally is not in yet, but it will easily be enough to make a substantial impact on the educational opportunities for disadvantaged kids who live in hillside communities surrounding Zihua Bay.

While many cruisers couldn’t be convinced to raise anchor and race their heavily laden boats around Friday’s 10-mile course, those who did gave it their all. The real challenge was to race to their rating in the light air, as the contest was set up as a pursuit race. As anticipated, Chuck VanderBoom’s Lake Havasu-based F-31 Boomerang smoked the fleet, with Tom and Wendy Hoffman’s well-named  Persistence, a Kelly Peterson 44 based in San Francisco, bringing up the rear, a full three hours later.

The big event Saturday was a Parade of Sail in which 24 cruising boats made a promenade around Zihua and Ixtapa Bays, with paying tourists and expats aboard. All funds, of course, went into the school fund administered by the non-profit Por Los Ninos. Notably, 100% of these funds go directly to help the kids, with all administration done by volunteers.