19th Annual Banderas Bay Regatta Now in the History Books

Shortened to two days of racing because of the tsunami that hit Banderas Bay the Regatta was still a fun and very competitive event. Although minimal damage occurred in Banderas Bay due to the tsunami) that originated in Japan there was enough rapid current and sea level fluctuations to prompt the port authorities to close access and to the estuary at Nuevo Vallarta due to the appearance of a vortex / whirlpool near the entrance to the marinas.

Boat owners wishing get their vessels away from docks and into the open sea were allowed to leave. Reportedly on Friday night there were close to 150 boats anchored offshore of La Cruz. Because of schedules and personal commitment by many of the participants it was decided that the best course of action was to simply shorten the races to two days rather than the originally planned three. As planned the final race of the 2010 Banderas Ray Regatta was run Saturday. Boats raced moderately long courses and were blessed with some pretty brisk winds late in the afternoon. This led to some pretty spectacular spinnaker runs, treating those out on the bay watching the race, with a colorful visual treat.

Awards were given out at the Awards Dinner and Beach Party that was held at the Paradise Village Resort and Spa. The Awards and Party was attended by almost 400 people who danced to the music of Philo Hayward and his Mexican Shuffle Band, had a great dinner and cheered the race winners for their accomplishments.
The final day of racing didn’t bring many surprises as those boats showing dominance on Thursday also dominated on Saturday.
This year’s overall division winners (top 3 finishers) are:
Division A
Cirque - Louis Kruk, skipper
Blue - Cheryl and Ken Solis, skippers
Sirocco - Lee Pryor, skipper

Division B
Dream Chaser – Cam McConnell, skipper
Mood and Stars – Guadalupe Dip, skipper
Paradox – Carl Carlson, skipper

Division C
Tabatha – Fred Delaney, skipper
Adios – Craig Shaw, skipper
Di’s Dream – Roger Frizzle, skipper

Division D
J/World #4 – Wayne SITEL, skipper
J/World #5 - Wayne SITEL, skipper
J/World #2 – Wayne SITEL, skipper

Division E
Wave Goodbye – Pablo Garcia, skipper
Miss Teak – Chris Prather, skipper
Tallon – Palsy Verhoeven, skipper

Division F
Poco Loco Dos – Keith Sangster, skipper
Salty Feet – Francisco Coppel, skipper
Saber Vivir – Charles Naslund, skipper

Division G
Piko – Lauren Buchholz, skipper
Mita Pizza – Ralph Hemphill-Fernandez, skipper
Itchen – T. J. Edwards, skipper

The Banderas Bay Regatta would not be possible without the generous support of its sponsors including: Vallarta Yacht Club, Grupo Lloyd, Paradise Village Beach Resort and Spa, Vallarta Lifestyles Publishing Group, Mariners General Insurance Group, State of Nayarit / Rivera Nayarit, Philo’s Bar and Restaurant, PV Sailing, Vallarta Yachts, Vallarta Adventures, O & A Investment Funds, Marina Rivera Nayarit, Artist Federico Leon de La Vega and Chevron.