Major Happenings in Banderas Bay

The warm waters and consistent winds of beautiful Banderas Bay in Mexico will be host to a full schedule of events from February through May in 2016. Sailors from all over the world will discover Puerto Vallarta and experience some of the best sailboat racing and apre-sail parties in the world.

WesMex International Small Boat Regatta – February 25-28
Now in its 11th year, WesMex brings together the best small boat sailors in Mexico and beyond. Approximately 250 competitors are expected for the 4-day event, including the small Optimist dinghy, the Olympic-Class Laser dinghy, the two-crew C420s, and two sailboard classes – the Olympic Class RS:X and the BIC Techno 293.
www.wesmexregatta.org

San Diego-Vallarta Race Finish – February 27 (approximately)
Some of the fastest racing boats and the best sailors in the world will be part of the 32nd running of the San Diego-Vallarta Race. The boats will start in San Diego on February 21 – their finish times depend on the weather conditions enroute. Two years ago, a 70 foot trimaran broke the 16 year-old record for the race by completing the 1000 mile course in 2 days and 8 hours. Will it happen again? At the date of this writing, 13 big boats had signed up for the event, ranging in size from 45 to 100 feet.
www.pvrace.com

MEXORC – February 28-March 5
Since the mid-70s, Mexican Ocean Racing Circuit (MEXORC) has been bringing some of the best big-boat sailors in the world to Banderas Bay for a week of sailboat racing at the highest levels. The boats that arrived from San Diego will be competing with boats from Acapulco and Banderas Bay. Over 200 of the best sailors in the world race short and long distance races all over the bay.
www.mexorc.net

Banderas Bay Regatta – March 9-13
The Regata Internacional Bahia de Banderas has been the premier cruising boat race in Banderas Bay for 24 years. Jokingly called “They had a party and a yacht race broke out”, the BBR is known for its laid back style and great parties every night. Between 30 to 50 boats of all sizes and shapes participate in this fun regatta, intended to give cruising boats an opportunity to shake out their sails before many of them begin their long trek to the South Pacific and points beyond.
www.banderasbayregatta.com

Laser World Championships – April 12-May 27
The schedule culminates in the biggest sailing regatta ever hosted in Banderas Bay. The Laser World Championships will include 4 separate sailing championships: Laser Radial Women’s, Laser Standard Men’s, Laser Radial Masters, and Laser Standard Masters. In total, over 650 of the world’s best will be competing in the Olympic-class Laser dinghy. Many competitors will be going on to the 2016 Olympics in Rio de Janeiro.
www.laserworlds2016.org