Anchored in La Cruz - Race two of the Vallarta Cup Races - 2014

Mid-January 2014 - La Cruz Anchorage in Banderas Bay Mexico

Start of race II.

Pam on the screechier line and the comettie boat.

 The last two Saturdays I went on a race called the Vallarta Cup Races and it was good fun but totally unorganized. They had been advertising the race on the morning net for quite some time so they had plenty of time to get it right. It was not however. The first Saturday buoys were missing, the colors wrong and then because of that they threw out the results. These are just for fun races but the lack of proper courses can cause discord in the cockpit. The second race we were all set for the start and they then delayed the start and moved the starting buoy to the other side of the committee boat, this with the lack of wind completely messed us up. Possibly the third time will be the charm for getting it right. I did not realize it was so hard to set the marks correctly?

Karen on s\v Katie G. A 46 Kelley Peterson CC and Erick of Eric and Pam on s\v Pied-a-Mer IIl.

 Each race cost $25.00 dollars for each non-yacht-club boat. There is a party of some sort after the race at Paradise Village. Of course the drinks and food are not free and they are priced typical of a gringo bar which is not in-expensive even if you are a member (by Mexico standards). Just saying this as for cruisers like us who are on a budget this is our consideration. 

Cat II Fold

It does not make any financial sense to join this or any yacht club as we looked into it. You can get a slip at Paradise Village Marina for a reduced rate for the night of the race and a little less for a club member. Some cruisers will take advantage of this to fill their water tanks as Paradise Village Marina has the only real drinking water of any of the marinas in Banderas Bay, wash the boat etc a. So each week you could do that and even stretch it out for another day to take advantages of other activates. For us though this is not what we want. We have a Spectra water maker which is running as I type this and we spent all summer in the marina and do not want to be back in a marina, at least till hurricane (summer) season. We have all the creature comforts we want and are pretty much self-sufficient and like being on the hook. But I said this to show that there are options for cruisers.

s\v Rhapsody.

 I will go again next Saturday as crippled crew (my hip) with Pam and Eric on S\V Pied-a-Mer III as they and the other crew member Karen are a fun group. Karen cannot make it next week as they are sailing south.

And we got another whale show!

OK whale pictures are kind never good but if you look close...:)

OK that's over.

I did bring my RainSong Guitar with me and played during some lull times of no wind. I was a smashing hit and … OK maybe not so smashing but Karren and Eric both took their turns with it. We talked music also which is always good.

Pam and Eric on S\V Pied-a-Mer III are practicing their skills for the Pacific Puddle Jump  and testing out the rig. They have had some work done by Morrelli Sails, a new sail maker here in La Cruz.

Debbie stayed on board our boat and it rained all day at that side of the bay. The bay is 26 miles wide. For the race we just had some scattered showers and not much wind. We got back about 6:00 PM and Pam and Eric and I dingyied over to our boat as Debbie had prepared a nice dinner. Debbie said she saw a beautiful rainbow!

Again this Saturday we got a whale watching show on the way to the start line at ParadiseVillage Marina channel at Nuevo Vallarta.