A visit by El Presidente

The marina has been full of activity. The COPA races began March 4, including over 60 J-24s plus windsurfers and kite boarders. These races are Olympic qualifiers and countries competing include Mexico, US, Canada, Chile, Brazil, Germany and France. Friday, the boats racing in the San Diego to Banderas Bay race started to arrive. There are many Transpac 52s as well as one large race boat with an 18 foot keel that must anchor out in the bay since it is too shallow in the marina. Today the week long Banderas bay regatta started.

Along with the race boats, sailors, additional structures for the press, race committee, beer tents, etc comes security. There are all flavors here in attendance from the turistica police, transit police, navy in dress whites, navy in full camouflage gear, flak jackets, helmets, weapons and assault rifles. The Mexican secret service and the bomb squad are also in attendance. I am not sure if I feel safer that they are here or more of a target, but they are all nice and police and low profile, if you can say that with someone under every palm tree holding a gun.

Today Presidente Felipe Calderon arrived to start the regatta. We walked to the Sunday Market as normal but we needed to go through metal detectors similar to the airports on our way back to the boat. We watched the helicopters arrive and the Presidente walk to the yacht waiting to take him out into the bay. Standing on the aft deck of Windarra I was able to get a picture of him as he passed.

Here are a few pictures.

Under a tree with an assault rifle

The Mexican Navy is prepared with automatic weapons

Helicopters arriving

The crowd watching El Presidente walk across

El Presidente arriving on the yacht

El Presidente Felipe Calderon as the yacht motors passed Windarra's stern

In case you can't tell, he is the man in the center wearing a white shirt. It is not every day you get to see a president.

I hope that La Cruz will return to being a sleepy little town soon.