Being part of a regatta like the Copa Cummins on the Yucatan Coast of Mexico is a unique and memorable experience. The atmosphere was relaxed but the competition was hot. Racing in warm waters with consistent wind, time to socialise, a great clubhouse venue, quality race management and of course a good party too. Everything worked on time like clockwork but with ease, even I was relaxed!
A really good part of the regatta for Cam and I was seeing the Mini Cummins regatta. Watching young people enjoying sailing and seeing so many people on the beach cheering for them was just brilliant. Around 130 young sailors took part, there were three levels and it worked on a mentor structure with the older more experienced kids instructing the levels below. It was great to learn that many of the current competitors in the Hobie 16 fleet for the main event had begun just like this too.
Sailed in Hobie Wave sailboats, the Mini Cummins was the opening act and followed by the Copa Cummins raced in the Hobie 16. The young sailors were invited back on the final day of the main event to participate in the presentation ceremony, it was an opportunity to see the finals of the main competition, meet the older sailors and to stand on the same podium on the big stage.
I mentioned the Hobie 16 fleet was hot, well it was, the racing was close. There were 49 teams from eleven countries and the top ten was almost a mix of all nations. The pack included three world champion helms, multiple worlds podium place getters, olympians and many champions of their regions. I won’t name names, I’ll miss someone there’s too many, take a look at the results list for yourself. We were actually just thrilled to have the chance to sail in this pack and to catch up with everyone socially at a more relaxed event.
A fabulous accolade for the regatta was that it had been named as a qualifying event for the 2026 Central American and Caribbean Games with three places up for grabs for eligible teams and the competition for the multihull discipline will be sailed in the Hobie 16. We look forward to following our friends competing next year.
The consistent warm breeze was stronger on day one of the competition and five races were held. The races were a decent course length and duration, slightly hard work but loads of fun!
Jerome Le Gal and Andy Dinsdale (FRA) had a brilliant first day, holding on to three wins and a second, they took the lead overall. Followed by Cam Owen and I (AUS) with a string of second places, one of those to Jason Hess and Sofia Ponce (GUA) who quietly had a solid first session. This pair would remain the most consistent throughout the event.
Francisco Figueroa and Faith Payne (PUR) started day two with a win but it was Armando Noriega and Elena Noriega (MEX) who had found their groove and if not for another starting penalty they would have come away with a perfect scorecard for the four races held. Jason and Sofia had a similar day but managed a consistent run of seconds. Yamil Saba and Maria Orihuela (VEN) picked up two thirds in the middle races while Ben Brown and Casey Brown (USA) grabbed the other two. Regatta Director Alberto Ponce Snr sailing with his son Marcelo (MEX) found their grove in this session of four races and picked up two sixth place keepers.
There was excitement in the air on the final day with two races scheduled followed by a medal race final. All competitors would return to the beach after the first session for the announcement of the top ten.
For this third and final day, light to moderate winds, consistent direction and strength with waves presented, same as the previous day. It was a tough game of getting a clean start and finding a clean lane to concentrate on perfect boat speed. The local sailors achieved this with precision. Another great session for Armando and Elena but unfortunately they carried an OCS starting penalty. Superb sailing by Jason and Sofia with another win and a second and this would be enough to secure the championship. Congratulations team, very well sailed.
So good to see sailing as a popular sport to watch, there were many boats on the sidelines through the regatta and we counted at least thirty spectator boats after the medal race. An amazing atmosphere for the competitors. The medal race for the top ten boats was a great experience, not discardable and worth double points. A fun finish to one of the best regattas we have ever sailed.
To stand on the podium alongside your friends is always fun but it’s even better when you follow bunches of smiling kids who enjoyed their sailing in the Hobie Wave beginner, intermediate and advanced competitions and then sailors crowned champions in C and B division in the main event too. Regattas that share this experience, celebrate the fun and encourage participation are great for the sport.
We were thrilled to compete in the 26th edition of the Copa Cummins. Congratulations to Alberto Ponce Snr, the regatta organising team and all involved in creating this amazing event. When he announced at the presentation that we were welcome back again it was excellent news! It is inspiring and refreshing to see such good sportsmanship and passion for sailing happening in unique places such as the Yucatan Coast of Mexico.
