Annual Scout Regatta

While August is not Boy Scout month, there sure are a lot of activities this month having to do with this group. First of all, on the first weekend of August the Annual Regatta of the Scouts is held at the beach. The sailboats that participate in this event are made by the Scouts and consist of rubber tire tubes, wooden boards and planks and last but not least, the sails. Each boat carries a maximum crew of eight young men and women Scouts. It is quite a sight to see the boats as they sail along the coast.



The enthusiasm is contagious during this two day regatta that starts in Chabihau, about 50 miles from Progreso. On the first day, the goal is to reach San Bruno, the approximate halfway point. It is here that the sailors camp out under the stars, have dinner and make repairs on their boats. The next day, Sunday, they continue on to the Jacalon beach in Progreso. It is a long and quite strenuous trip.

The Scout leader says that "the importance of this event is that it helps the Scouts to learn and implement safety and security, work in teams and obligates them to have confidence in each other."

For this event to take place, some 250 people are involved on land and at sea.



The names of the boats that participate are Ninfas, Excalibur, Yum Kaax, Caputzihi, Espartanos, Mihicanos, Musas, Caballeros de Camelot, Vikingos, Walkririas, Itzaes, Hunab Ku, Muxal and Cama Master. The winner recently was Caballeros de Camelot, the sailboat with the bright yellow sail that was on our cover.




Another Scouts event is the Regional Campout for Leaders. Valladolid is the site of this get together for about 250 leaders from Veracruz, Chiapas, Campeche, Tabasco, Quintana Roo and Yucatán.