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| The Crew of Horizon: Top Left Justin Law, Greg Helis, Owner John Shulze, Richard Parlette, Alex Steele Bottom: Len Bose, Buddy Richley |
By LEN BOSE
All of your well wishes seemed to have paid off for us aboard the Santa Cruz 50 Horizon in the Newport Beach to Cabo race earlier this month. Out of the 22 boats that started we were one of six that finished the race.
With the lack of wind at the start, fog and the cold weather it was quite enticing to drop out being abeam of Ensenada 48 hours into the race.
The way I saw it, once Roy Disney’s boat, Pyewacket, dropped out of the race, the herd just followed them in. Talking to the other crews, many boats did not have enough water, food, fuel or patience to finish the race.
Aboard Horizon we had all the above and decided to push on, 21 knots of breeze showed up our last day on the water. The whole crew was pleased to have completed the race and took it as valuable time on the water with our team in preparation for this years Trans Pac race to Hawaii.
Newport Harbor Yacht Club (NHYC) did an outstanding job in greeting us at the dock on our arrival at 3 a.m., with more than 10 NHYC volunteers providing warm welcomes and cold beverages.
Mindy and Nik Froehlich rallied the troops and our crew, then took us straight into the Awards/Trophy Presentation in the Baja Cantina.
The Santa Cruz 70’s Grand Illusion and Holua finished 1st and 2nd in class and overall. We finished third overall and 1st in our class. The Reichel/Pugh 77 Zephyrus finished 1st in class and fourth overall.
A huge well done has to be given to the NHYC Commodore Dwight Belden, who was the PRO and the Froehlichs for keeping the energy level so high and competitors well taken care of.
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| NHYC Baldwin Cup |
NHYC is not stopping after Cabo, they are moving straight into our harbor’s flagship regatta, the Baldwin Cup April 6th, 7th and 8th. This is the 10th year that NHYC has been using Harbor 20’s in a team race 4v4 format.
The Royal Thames Yacht Club from London, UK, will be traveling the farthest to attend this year’s event, along with the New York Yacht Club, Larchmont Yacht Club and Seawanhaka Yacht club, all from New York.
The raining three-year champions are from the NHYC Team Thunder. Most of the teams will be returning with Justin Law, Jeff Gordon, Caleb Silsby, Kayla McComb, Brian Bissell, Perry Bissell, Jon Pinckney and Gale Pinckney.
Missing from last year’s team is Michael Menninger who now lives up in the Bay Area. It has been said that Menninger was strong-armed by the St. Francis Yacht Club to jump ship from NHYC Team Thunder for this year’s event.
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| 2016 NHYC Team Thunder |
Justin “Lawman” Law, the team captain of NHYC Team Thunder, said, “Menninger’s leaving is understandable and with Caleb Silsby rejoining the team we got it covered. There is going to be some very tight racing this year! We are ready, I am ready to go sailing.”
Watching the Baldwin Cup marks the start of the sailing season and the migration of the local sailors to NHYC for the 25-cent beers and spectator seating in front of the club on the main dock. Not sure how NHYC is going to pull it off without a clubhouse this year, but from watching Commodore Belden’s team provide outstanding hospitality at the Cabo race, something tells me this year’s Baldwin Cup will be one for the history books.
The Harbor 20 fleet is always busy this time of year and over the last three weeks we started BCYC Weiss Series, then completed the NHYC Spring Gold Cup and Earl Corkett regattas.
This Sunday Weiss series, number 2, will be sailed in the five-point area of the harbor. Cole Pomery sailing A Salt & Battery has a big lead in C fleet after the first race of the series. Deb and Peter Haynes will have to keep Jessica Newman behind them to hold on to their lead in B fleet. In A fleet, Walter Johnson aboard Fortunate-Lee has Bill Menninger two points behind him.
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| 58' Duffield Motor Yacht |
While walking around the harbor this week I stopped suddenly and almost raised both of my arms in the air like an NFL referee signaling a touchdown while walking into the Duffy shipyard.
I glanced up onto the water and first noticed the new, dark blue hull, 58’ Duffield semi-planning motor yacht designed by Zurn Yacht Design and built by Duffield Yachts. It was love at first sight and as I approached, my heart pounded harder. With quick glances at the stainless steel wing door hinges, the welds in the railing, along with the overall fit and finish of the yacht – it left me in awe.
You will be able to see her at the Newport Boat Show the end of this month at Lido Village. She alone is worth the price of admission.
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Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for StuNewsNewport.
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