Local sailors head to regatta in Mexico

An all-Montana team is bound for a prestigious sailing regatta in Mexico for the second time.

The Bound 4 Glory team, led by Kalispell financial adviser Peter Sauer, will represent the Pacific Northwest in the Regata Copa Mexico in Puerto Vallerta’s Banderas Bay starting Friday.

“It should be a good regatta,” Sauer said, noting that in 2010 his team placed 14th out 54 boats. “Most of the boats above us, and it’s typically that way, are full-time professional sailors.”

The Montana team will be one of only about seven U.S. teams at the event for J-24 boats, competing in the regatta’s “elite” class.

“We’re chartering a boat and that boat is being provided for us is the same boat we used in 2010,” Sauer said..

The Montana crew is made up of Bill Corwin of Lakeside, Scott Galbreath of Somers, Tim Sauer of Billings and Ginjer Yachechak of Kalispell.

Sauer said team members got their start sailing on Flathead Lake and are regular participants in the Montana Cup, but they now travel to about a half dozen regattas a year in North America.

Sauer is hosting a Pacific Northwest regional regatta on Flathead Lake July 6-8. About 25 boats are expected for the event.

Sauer said the J-24 regatta in Mexico is actually the start of a series of regattas featuring different types of boats that will be held in Banderas Bay over the next month.

“Banderas Bay, I think, is a bit overlooked in sailing circles. Banderas Bay is one of the premier sailing venues in the world,” said Sauer, who added that the Mexican government and the Mexican Sailing Federations have gone to great lengths to promote the venue and its events.