Copa Cummins - Hobie Cat in Mexico

Puerto Progreso is the wind capital of the world for sailors. And the Cummins Cup is the regatta that Hobie Cat 16 sailors await every year. Now an international event and celebrating its 12th anniversary in 2009, the Cummins Cup is an important sailing event for not only local sailing enthusiasts, but also important international competitors.

July 10th 2009 is the first day of this important, fun, 3-day  sailing event that will take place in the waters of Chicxulub Puerto.

Since its founding in 1997, the Bepensa Group has played an important roll in the development of this yearly regatta where Hobie Cat 16’s compete against each other. Hobie Cats are catamaran type sailboats sailed by two people – a captain and crew of one. The sailors that participate in this regatta are sailing for points and trying to qualify for the Central American and Pan American Games, the maximum category for Hobie Cats. There is no Hobie Cat category in the Olympic Games.

The Cummins Cup is a yearly event that was interrupted just one year – the year that Bepensa hosted the Hobie Cat World Championship in 2004 in Playa del Carmen. This particular event is still talked about in Hobie circles for the great event that was put on in the spectacular setting with fantastically consistent winds.  Since the beginning the number of participants grows each year with present inscriptions reaching up to 40 boats with 80 sailors.

At the same time, the number of competitors from different countries has also increased and now includes sailors from Guatemala, Puerto Rico, Argentina, Venezuela, United States, Brazil, England, Chile and New Caledonia. The Puerto Rican team even brings a container with their sailboats!

The competitive level, the internationalization of the event, the consistently good winds in this area and the impeccable support offered by Marina Silcer (owned by Olympic competitor in windsurf Seoul 1988) are the ingredients that make the Cummins Cup the great event it is today – one of the most important  for Hobie Cat 16 in all of Mexico. To participate in the Cummins Cup is to prepare for the Pan American Games, the Central American Games, the North American Championship and the Hobie Cat World Championship.

On the weekend of this event, the ambiance at Marina Silcer is going to be one of a good family oriented beach party! The colorful Hobie Cat sails, the windsurfers, and the kiteboarders will be enjoying the winds while some 50 – 75 pleasure boats and power and sail yachts will be anchored out watching the regatta.

Marina Silcer is a beach club right on the beach and boasts and semi-olympic pool, a restaurant, lounge chairs, some hammocks, bathrooms, showers and lockers – all the installations you need to be comfortable while you hang out enjoying the regattas and energy of the event. Marina Silcer is also the sailing school that has seen many important sailors pass through its waters. Students have gone on to participate in the Olympics and other important international events.

In the world of sailing there are some important names and many of these names participate in the Cummins Cup:

- Yamil Saba and Gonzalo Cendra from Venezuela were the silver medalistas in the Panamerican Games in Brazil 2007 and winners of the 2007 Cummins Cup. In 2008 they won for the 3rd consecutive time which means they took the Cup home with them to Venezuela.
- Jerome Le Gal from New Caledonia 2007 European Champion.
- Juan Maegli from Guatemala with partiipation in Olympic Games.
- Juan Maegli Jr. of Guatemala, who placed 4th in the World Championship and was the winner of the 2006 edition of the Cummins Cup.
- Francisco Figueroa and Jolliam Berrios, 2008 Nortamerican Champions
- Pedrín Colón of Puerto Rico, who has participated in the Olympics.
- Wally Myers, 4 times champion in the EEUU.
- Armando Noriega, Jr. and Rodrigo Achach of México, silver metal in the Pan American Games, gold metal in the North American Championship and the first person (Noriega) to win the Cummins Cup three times.
- Pamela Noriega y Andrea Mier y Teran  1st place in Women's in the Australia Championship,  3º place (bronce) in Women's in the Hobie World Championship South Africa 2005 and Fiji 2007.

Plan on a visiting the Cummins Cup regatta on the weekend of Friday July 10th, Saturday 11th and Sunday 12th, 2009.  

Sail Fast! Live Slow!

Visit www.hobiemex.com for more information.