(Newport Beach, CA)- The annual Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race is a
125nm dash from the starting line off the Newport Beach breakwater down
to Ensenada, Mexico. It has been billed as the largest yacht race in
the world, with an emphasis on camaraderie as well as competition. It
has attracted fun-seeking novices and celebrities from around the world.
People such as movie producer Milton Bren, well-known actors Buddy
Ebsen and Humphrey Bogart, Walter Cronkite- anchorman for the CBS
Evening News, comedienne Vicki Lawrence and Pulitzer Prize-winning
cartoonist Paul Conrad have raced alongside world-class skippers like
America’s Cup winners Dennis Conner and Bill Ficker and multiple
one-design World Champion- Dave Ullman.With more than 20 classes, the race includes an enormous variety of boats ranging from ultra-light maxi-yachts to the non-spinnaker classes and even 60-70 foot ORMA and MOD trimarans capable of 40kts-plus speeds. While the race has seen entries north of 600 boats in the past, this year’s event will have 155 boats competing for dozens of trophies that are awarded for just about every imaginable performance.
The
weather promises to be epic, with winds starting in the 7-12 kts range
for the early starts and then building into the high teens or low 20s by
evening. The latest weather model runs (NAM, GFS, ECMWF) have moved
the breeze build-up earlier by several hours so maybe that trend will
continue and there will be lots of pressure earlier than currently
anticipated. As it stands the fastest boats should finish around 8pm if
they sail the best course possible. The breeze is forecast to stay up
all night and even the slowest boats should be in by mid-morning. The
sea state could be challenging for unprepared crews, but many boats will
revel in the conditions. Amongst those who’ve been dreaming about a forecast like this for years has to be Viggo Torbensen sailing the well-traveled J/125 TIME SHAVER. Both he and fellow J/125 owner Mark Surber on DERIVATIVE are going to be “stoked”, to say the least! Joining them in the fifteen boat PHRF A Class are also a proven offshore sled, Carolyn Parks J/145 RADIO FLYER and two J/160s- INNOCENT MERRIMENT (John Lyon) and INDIGO (Paul Margis). The lone “J” team in the PHRF B Class of eight boats is the
J/122 T.K.O. skippered by owner John Raymont.
The only known offshore keelboat one-design class sailing in the N2E is PHRF C, a fleet of six J/120s. The daunting part about this class is that every single boat has won some event in the J/120s in recent times. The boats that are participating read like a “who’s who” in this West Coast class, including ADIOS (Peter Bretschger), FEE EVENT (Chuck Wert), J-ALMIGHTY (Mike Hatch), JIM (John Snook/ Ron Masterson), POLE DANCER (Terri & Tom Manok), and SHENANIGANS (Gary Winton).
In the nine boat PHRF D Class is one of the more renowned West Coast “J” teams, Seth Hall’s beautiful navy blue J/124 MARISOL. Yes, this is the same boat that has supported the youth/ junior yacht club programs on their weekly “beer can” races, where an entire crew of kids under 18 race the boat every week. How cool is that!?
The N2E marks the offshore debut of the J/88 in the twelve boat PHRF E Division. Called CRAZY EIGHTS, her new owner is the famous nationally syndicated radio talk-show host- Dr. Laura Schlessinger- from Santa Barbara, California. Her experienced offshore team will be up against two of the best J/109s on the West Coast, John Shulze’s LINSTAR and PATRIOT (sailed by the duo of Jon Turner & Don Albrecht).
Two veteran J/35s will be competing for line and handicap honors in the seven boat PHRF F class, including BACKDRAFT skippered by Steve Worchester and RIVAL helmed by Brian McKenna.
Finally, the seven boat PHRF G class will also see another “J” match-race scenario with two J/105s in the hunt for some silver; they are Tom Bollay’s ARMIDA and Juan Lois’s ROCINANTE.
Watch this space closely starting Friday afternoon Pacific time as there is a good chance that race records may be broken and that many J/Teams may be on the leaderboard when it’s all said and done by Saturday noon. For more Newport to Ensenada sailing information
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