La Manzanilla Regatta
The race once again went to the swift as Lew Leibowitz’s Hobie Cat sailed away with the coveted La Manzanilla Cup for the second year in a row. Despite a sportsmanlike late start and sailing parallel to shore while the other boats veered directly toward the course’s first mark, the Cat quickly overtook the competition. After rounding the second mark, it toyed with the contenders like a cat with mice before rocketing back to the finish line with a time of 71 minutes. Alberto Espinoza and Gerry Van Wesep crewed.
Six boats completed the 20-kilometer course around Tenacatita Bay in the Second Annual La Manzanilla Cup Regatta on February 9. In order of their return behind Leibowitz, they were: Ross Beckjord’s Laser in 76 minutes; Oso Amarillo’s Santana 21, crewed by Gavin “Opie” Brackett, in 77 minutes; Tom Oberg and Grant Corbin, sailing Joe Hostettler’s Cal 21, in 78 minutes; and Richard New’s Laser, which had been disqualified for not rounding one of the marks, in 78.5 seconds.
No time was recorded for Sandy MacKay’s 14.2 Capri. He and crew member David Motter were on ‘Mexico time’ and missed the starting gun. They ‘played the race anyway, just for the fun of it and to get the feel of the boat.’
Unpredictably shifting winds, cross traffic from departing craft, and an incredible show by whales breeching in the bay added to the excitement of this year’s race. The course was the same: from the starting gate off La Manzanilla’s beach to around the rock at Blue Bay, across the bay and around the rock at El Tamarindo, and back through the gate.
At the post-race cup presentation and celebration held at Restaurant Boca, some also-saileds were already talking about handicapping next year’s race. “Leibowitz and his crew have to drop anchor and swim around the rocks.”
A Nite at Porky’s
Usually, the goings on at Porky’s, La Manzanilla sports bar and, um, gentlemen’s club would be of no interest to me or the female readers of this column. A Valentine’s Day-eve “Ladies’ Night” with an all-male revue of, um, dancers from Guadalajara, on the other hand, got my attention. In the interest of well rounded (very well rounded, as it were) reporting, the Lois Lane of La Manzanilla thought it worth a look-see.
What an eye-full it was, and great entertainment. The evening was worth every drop of 50-peso “pony” beers required to keep one’s throat lubricated for continued whoops and hollers. The, um, dancers were young, buff, and gorgeous, and worked hard for the money generous patrons folded into their g-strings. When I could divert my attention from the stage, moreover, I found the audience almost equally as entertaining.
The crowd was split almost 50-50 between expats and locals. Most of the gringas were meek, mild-mannered, middle-aged grandmothers. Mexicanas were in the 20- or 30-something range. When the show started, however, there were no age or cultural differences: they all went nuts. They laughed, they screamed, they clapped, they smiled; some got to touch, and one or two may even have blushed. And they all had fun, which for some is a rare commodity.
Porky’s proprietor, delighted with the turn out for this first Ladies’ Night, said he’d like to hold one every month, depending on the dancers availability. He’ll put a smile on a lot of women’s faces if he can pull it off.
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