With less than 50 days until sailors push off the docks of San Diego Yacht Club and head south for the sunny skies of Puerto Vallarta, SDYC is putting the finishing touches on what is sure to be an exciting multi-day offshore race of the 2026 season. 26 boats from across the United States, including California, Nevada, Nebraska, Wyoming, and Washington, as well as Australia are registered to compete in the biennial regatta which starts February 26.

Given the margaritas, mariachi bands, and warm welcome of Mainland Mexico waiting for sailors at the end of the race, the 2026 Puerto Vallarta Race tends to be a favorite for many offshore racers from across the country. SDYC’s Commodore Alli Bell echoes this sentiment stating, “This biennial race is a favorite for good reason; 1,000 miles of champagne sailing to arrive to a warm welcome down in PV. It’s always a privilege to work with our friends in Mexico to put on a great party for arriving sailors. I look forward to seeing many of you down there!” 

With 100 days left until the 38th biennial San Diego to Puerto Vallarta International Yacht Race, sailors from across the United States are starting to dust off their passports and foul weather gear for the exciting 1000nm offshore trek from Southern California to Mainland Mexico February 26 - March 6, 2026.

17 boats from 4 different states, including California, Louisiana, Nevada, and Wyoming, are currently registered for the 2026 PV Race with a handful more expected to sign up in the upcoming weeks. For those considering signing up for the PV Race, the deadline to register with the standard entry fee is January 9, 2026. Late registration and the applicable fees are available through February 6, 2026.

After the finish and awards for the PV Race, competitors are invited to stay for MEXORC, which will be a part of the larger Nayarit Sailing Week. Nayarit Sailing Week will bring together the finest sailing talents in an unprecedented event in Mexico, with the participation of over 600 athletes and 280 boats across classes such as Optimist , ILCA, iQFoil, J70, and Oceanic. The event blends top-level competition with unique social experiences in the privileged setting of the Mexican Pacific, a true celebration of sport, the nautical community, and the beauty of Nayarit, taking place from March 7 to 11 in Riviera Nayarit, Mexico.

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San Diego Yacht Club is proud to host the 2026 Puerto Vallarta Race, featuring the iconic 1,050 nm offshore course from San Diego, California to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. This long-standing tradition, first held in 1953, continues to celebrate the spirit of offshore racing and the deep connection between the West Coast and the Mexican mainland sailing communities. The Puerto Vallarta Race, known for its challenging course, strategic sailing conditions, and strong international camaraderie, will take place February 26th - March 6th, 2026.

A lot of sailors would suggest that it’s ‘when’ you start that matters, the earlier the better. Others would insist that it’s the weather on your start day that matters most, the windier the better. Both are logical and have been true separately and combined. But what if NEITHER mattered?

Not many (any?) spectators on Shelter Island watching the Saturday starters for the the 2024 San Diego to Puerto Vallarta International Yacht Race would have speculated that seven of the boats floating in the windless bay that afternoon would fill the top seven overall finishing positions! They were already 48 hours behind the two Thursday starters blasting down the course in a fresh westerly wind. But after a week of many sail changes, cursing grib files, running weather models, and pressing the boat when the ‘park up’ (sitting ‘parked’ in becalmed windless conditions) was over, that is exactly what the results reflect.

Looking ahead to Wednesday night’s racing, it appears as if the wind will hold up overnight and allow the fleet to press to finish: the way it should be. There is traditionally a day or two of light winds in this race. This year, they came at the beginning of the race. Fortunately, ideal downwind race conditions have turned the race around for the 20 boats still on the course.

Pyewacket looms as the projected corrected-time leader despite the majority of the fleet sailing out ahead of them, leaving little room for error for those vying for the title. Two weeks ago, BadPak sailed an impeccable Islands Race, winning with Pyewacket 2nd overall. This week, Pyewacket looks to pay it back and will have the final 200 miles to set the pace. Also in contention is Rio100 with their Wednesday morning finish establishing the time to beat. Vitesse and Peligroso also rank in the top 5 and will have a chance at the overall win.

Rio100 used a strong last 24 hours to be first to finish in the 2024 PV Race, crossing the line at 07:36:25 Wednesday morning for an elapsed time of 3 days, 19 hours, 16 minutes, 25 seconds. In addition to their first to finish result, Rio100 has set the corrected time to beat. Based on predictions from recent progress on the course this time has a chance to be competitive against the rest of the fleet who still have a day of racing + to go. Rio100 has raced to PV 3 previous times, in 2016 (16th overall), 2018 (9th overall), and 2022 (9th overall). Could this be the year where the accolades include corrected time success in addition to elapsed time elite preformance?

Daily 0800 Projected Standings

Projected contenders this morning include Lucky Duck, Peligroso, BadPak and Pyewacket with estimated corrected times right around Rio's mark. BadPak and Peligroso remain within a few miles of each other and will likely eat up the miles between them and Lucky Duck 40+ miles ahead on the last leg of the race. While Pyewacket will sail in different conditions 60+ miles behind the other top contenders leaving lots of room for gains or losses along the way meaning this race is up for grabs and should have an exciting finish.

Competitors in the 2024 San Diego to Puerto Vallarta International Yacht Race are approaching a classic tactical waypoint while negotiating the Baja Peninsula. Boats will gamble on sailing fewer miles by hugging the Baja coast or bearing away to the south, hoping to avoid getting stuck in the lee of Cabo San Lucas and the surrounding Baja headlands. 

Rio100 finally powered up, showing teens on the speedo at sunrise on Tuesday morning. And as the first to reach the Cabo milestone at 1000 PST, Rio100 consistently sailed 18-20 kts throughout the day Tuesday, swinging just 14 miles offshore from Cabo and then gybing south nearly 60 miles. With the speed boost, Rio put 70 miles on their nearest competitor Blackwing, who passed 26 miles off of Cabo 7 hours later on Tuesday afternoon.