Successful 2018 WesMex International Regatta In The Riviera Nayarit
- Part of Sailing Week Mexico, these three days were filled with emotion, adrenaline, and competition during one of the most spectacular international regattas in the country.
The thirteenth edition of the 2018 WesMex International Small Boat Regatta took place at the Nuevo Vallarta Yacht Club from March 2-4 with the participation of 232 sailors. According to the organizers, this event beat all previous registration records, qualifying it as a complete success.
WesMex is part of Sailing Week Mexico, which is comprised of two important international regattas: the Porsche National Sailing Cup, which takes place from February 23-25 in Chapala, Jalisco, and the aforementioned event in the Riviera Nayarit.
In this talent incubator, boys and girls ages seven to 15 participated in the Optimist, Laser Radial and Standard, C420, Techno 293 and RS:X, and Hobie 16.
The event is also one of the four main regattas that comprise the Mexican Sailing Circuit, as well as being the classifying regatta for the selection of the Mexican team for different international championships, including the 2018 North American Optimist, the World Youth Laser, and the 2018 Central American and Caribbean Games.
The grand finale
The competition ended on Sunday, March 4th with an emotional closing ceremony at the Paradise Village hotel, also the site of the awards ceremony.
The event consisted of four days of intense sailing distributed over four tracks in the waters of the Bahía de Banderas, where the young participants gave it their all in a friendly but competitive first-class tournament.
“With Mexican Sailing week we’re looking to increase the tourism promotion of both of these heavenly destinations,” said Enrique Peterson, President of the Organizing Committee. “The money raised from these events will go to the sailing colleges in Jalisco and Nayarit.”
Alberto Dana, president of the Mexican Sailing Federation, commented that among the Federation’s objectives is the promotion of this discipline among children and teens throughout the domestic territories in all 98 ports—15 of them in landlocked bodies of water—and that they are free of charge, “because water and wind are the main elements of sailing.”
This year there were participants from several Mexican states, among them Nayarit, Jalisco, Yucatan, Nuevo Leon, Veracruz, Guerrero, and Baja California Sur, as well as the United States, Canada, Great Britain, Guatemala, and Argentina, plus the National Associations for the participating sailing classes, representatives from the Mexican Sailing Federation, and the participation and oversight of the Mexican Navy.
Tania Elías Calles, an elite athlete in this discipline for 10 consecutive years and the top female sailor, stood out among the special guests. She has ranked among the world’s top ten for eight consecutive years. Also present was Eric Mergenthaler, an elite athlete in this sport for 20 consecutive years, a winner and runner-up for the world’s Finn class, and a top Mexican Olympic representative.
The Riviera Nayarit is considered by experts as one of the top destinations for sport sailing. According to the organizers, its climate and wind were ideal to guarantee the success of the regatta, not to mention the fact any number of watersports can be enjoyed throughout the year.
The Winners:
Optimist
1.- Mateo Cortés Suarez, con 10 puntos en total.
2.- Alexandro Riquelme- Beckmann, con 27 puntos en total.
3.- Andreas Steinitz, con 44 puntos en total.
Optimist
1.- Mathieu De Limelette Chagra, con 14 puntos en total.
2.- Jocelin Toribio De La Cruz, con 19 puntos en total.
3.- Mateo Erick Beckmann, con 28 puntos en total.
Láser Radial:
1.- Elena Oetling Ramirez, con 10 puntos en total.
2.- Gerardo Benitez, con 13 puntos en total.
3.- Juan Pablo Rivas, con 28 puntos en total.
Láser Stándar:
1.- Yanic Gentry Torfer, con 9 puntos en total.
2.- Luke Ruitenberg, con 21 puntos en total.
3.- Marek Zaleski, con 24 puntos en total.
C420:
1.- Sebastián Riquelme, con 12 puntos en total.
2.- José Aguilera Palacios, con 18 puntos en total.
3.- Carlos Daniel Romero, con 22 puntos en total.
RS:X
1.- Cristobal Hagerman Haro, con 14 puntos en total.
2.- Marcelo Melgarejo, con 19 puntos en total.
3.-Cristina Ortiz Vivas, con 21 puntos en total.
Techno 293
1.- Santiago Stachowiak, con 13 puntos en total.
2.- Adriel Trejo Cervantes, con 16 puntos en total.
3.- Mariano Botello, con 22 puntos en total.
Hobie 16:
1.- Javier Cabildo, con 12 puntos en total.
2.- Armando Noriega, con 16 puntos en total.
3.- Ernesto Raeder, con 20 puntos en total.
For event results and updates click here:
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The 2018 WesMex International Small Boat Regatta has the support of the Riviera Nayarit Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) and the Bahía de Banderas Hotel and Motel Association, as well as the Government of the State of Nayarit via the Tourism Promotion Trust (Fiprotur) in order to promote the sport, generate an increase in the influx of tourists and the promotion of the event, and, of course, raise revenue that benefits the people of Nayarit.
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