SOME 200 vintas will unfurl their sails for the Regatta de Zamboanga 2018 competition, an annual vinta race held in line with the Hermosa Festival every October.
The competition starts at 7 a.m., which will be held at the R.T. Lim Boulevard commonly known as the “Cawa-Cawa Boulevard.”
Mayor Maria Isabelle Climaco-Salazar said the race will feature the traditional vinta, each paddled by two individuals who will race for the top spots to win cash prizes and the honor of being the swiftest vinta.
Salazar said the first team to cross the finish line will receive P15,000.
Second place finishers will receive P12,000, to be followed by P10,000, P7,000, and P5,000 for the third, fourth, and fifth place winners, respectively.
Salazar said the Regatta de Zamboanga is one of the most popular events in the month-long Fiesta Pilar, drawing in not only local residents but also tourists from other cities in the nation.
Hundreds of residents are expected to flock to R.T. Lim Boulevard on October 7 at the crack of dawn to witness one of the most anticipated activities of the Hermosa Festival.
Salazar said the lively race will be followed by another crowd-pleaser activity, the Wow Sardinas boodle fight.
Tables covered with banana leaves and filled with canned sardine products from every major sardine manufacturer based in the city will line up the R.T. Lim Boulevard stretch as people will gather for a communal meal.
The Wow Sardinas emphasizes the city’s position as the Sardines Capital of the Philippines. (Bong Garcia/SunStar Philippines)