The Harbor Report: Fishing lines ready for Offshore Tournament

Participants in the 2013 Balboa Angling Club Junior Program. (Courtesy Balboa Angling Club / July 18, 2013)

By Len Bose

July 18, 2013 | 3:25 p.m.

My first stop this week was with Amy Elliott at the Balboa Angling Club. She was enthusiastic to report, "The first dorado of the season was weighed in at the Balboa Angling Club on Friday, July 12. Clarke Smith is a longtime member of the BAC and, as such, the first dorado of the season earns him the First Dorado Flag. And, it's just in time for our Helen Smith Offshore Tournament scheduled for Aug. 2 and 3.

Clarke Smith 1st Dorado

"The Helen Smith Offshore Tournament was named for the longtime Balboa Angling Club secretary, Helen Smith, who served the club from 1963 to 1999. Helen had a love for fishing and the club, and when she passed away in 2000, the Offshore Tournament was named in her honor. Dorado, tuna, yellowtail and albacore are the species to catch for this tournament, using up to 30# Line Class Maximum. The line will be tested at the Balboa Angling Club; you may test your line before the tournament or after. Anglers will be fishing from 12:01 a.m. Aug. 2 to 4 p.m. Aug. 3, with weigh slips due at the club by closing (5 p.m.) Aug. 4.

"First-place trophies will be awarded in each of the categories — Tuna (includes Yellow Fin, Blue Fin and Big Eye), Albacore, Dorado and Yellowtail. The awards party will be held at 5:30 p.m. Aug. 22 at the BAC.

"We're starting all the fun with a kick-off party to be held at 5:30 p.m. July 31 at the Balboa Angling Club. It's a potluck and everyone is welcome. Bring a friend and join the fun.

"Our Junior Tournament runs from June 15 to Aug. 11, with our Awards BBQ at noon Aug. 25."

Speaking of juniors, I took the time to walk through our different yacht clubs, scouts and city junior sailing programs this week. The first thing I thought to myself is how quickly our kids grow up and how much I enjoyed this time with my son. The faces all change, although the last names stay constant. It's fun to observe the kids as they de-rig their sabots. One little girl was just bubbling over with excitement as she told her best friend she would be moving up from C-2s to C-1s. Each sailor can move up in class by doing well in the different races throughout the summer. The little girl's friend's reply was, "You can't go without me," and she replied, "I'm sorry."

Last week, the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club sponsored the Leukemia Cup Regatta, which is part of the Newport High Point Series. The J 133 Tango, last year's winner, was a no-show and allowed Amante to take a commanding lead in the series. The winner of the day was BCYC member Rhonda Tolar aboard her Farr 40 Wild Thing, followed closely by my team aboard the J 109 Linstar. Amante will still need to attend the 14-Mile Bank Race on Oct. 5, which is the last race of the series. Tango or Cirrus still have a chance to catch her, and we cannot leave out Exigent, who can sail this type of random leg course as good as anyone. For the complete series scoreboard, go to lenboseyachts.blogspot.com.

Santa Cruz 50 Horizon 1st in Div 6

This last week, three Newport Beach boats have been participating in the Transpac sailboat race to Hawaii. David Team's Santa Cruz 70 Retro, Ross Pearlman's Jeanneau 52 Between the Sheets and Chris Hemans' Rogers 46 Varuna are approaching Hawaii as you read this. This race has not been a record-beater, but at the same time, it has not been a drifter. Many of the boats have reported near-misses with floating debris, due to the aftermath of the Japanese tsunami. As the sailors approach the islands, they will have to be on their A game because the Molokai Channel lies between them and the finish line. Most have been pacified from the light trade winds of the mid-Pacific and have been baked by the sun. Pending on their arrival time, they could easily find themselves 100 miles out and watch the wind speed jump from 15 to 35 knots. But hey, that's how the best Transpac stories are made!

Sea ya.

LEN BOSE is an experienced boater, yacht broker and boating columnist.