15th Zihua SailFest Revs Up

One of the most admirable aspects of the Mexico cruising community is that its members often combine fun-filled sailing events with heartfelt philanthropy. The best example of this is the annual Zihuatanejo SailFest, which will celebrate its 15th anniversary next week (February 8-14), as it generates more funds for charity than any other cruiser-funded event in Mexico.

Z-Fest’s full palette of activities includes a parade of sail and a pursuit race as well as all sorts of shoreside activities including a chili cookoff, a street fair, both live and silent auctions, and musical performances. But as organizers put it, "Although the tone of the event is light-hearted, the cruisers’ goals are serious – to raise funds for the education of Zihuatanejo’s poorest children."

Many of them live in the hillside communities surrounding Zihua; indigenous kids who speak only native dialects, rather than Spanish, and this fact disqualifies them from attending government-funded public schools. Monies generated by Z-Fest fund the construction of schools for these disadvantaged kids, and offer them ongoing support through the nonprofit Por Los Ninos.

If you’re cruising Mexico’s Pacific coast, we’d highly recommend that you join the fun and help SailFest’s dedicated team of volunteers continue to make dramatic improvements in the lives of these young kids. We hope to bring you a post-Festival report here and/or in the pages of Latitude 38 magazine.