SAN FELIPE LOSES 2007 BAJA 250 OFF-ROAD RACE

March 3, 2007, Title Company Bookstore, Catalina Meders, San Felipe, Baja California, Mexico:

Hola everyone from the windy city in the north of Baja.

I woke up this morning to howling winds and ran out to grab my laundry before it flew away across the sea.

It's beautifully sunny at San Felipe with a temperature on the balcony of 66 degrees and the humidity at 17 percent.

But the wind is throwing a curve ball into the Hobie Cat Regatta. Yesterday a few brave souls got out there and gave a good solid try but they were being tossed around quite a bit. Today so far nobody has ventured out.

Of course the main topic of conversation around San Felipe this week has been the Baja 250 off-road race debacle.

For the two or three people who don't know yet, the Baja 250 has been moved to Ensenada and will not involve San Felipe at all. This is official.

Most people at San Felipe are very distressed over the situation which will mean that the town will lose the approximately $5 million dollars it makes each year during this event.

Nobody seems to know the true story of just why this mess occurred. There are several rumors, some of them conflicting. El Dorado Ranch has released a statement on Sanfelipe.com.mx saying that they are in no way responsible or in agreement with the cancelation of the race here in San Felipe.

Many of our businesses, large and small, will be seriously hurt by this and the chance that S.C.O.R.E. will ever return is probably nil.

Let's hope the rest of the year is less depressing. Until next week, vaya con Dios from the bookstore by the bay.