2020 Harbor 20 Fleet One Championships Review

    Anne and Kurt Wiese 2020 Harbor 20 Fleet 1 Champions

                 

September 26 & 27 Newport Beach Five points area of the harbor. After over 100 races this season 31 participants attend the 23rd annual Harbor 20 Fleet 1 Championships. Racers were greeted by a light south-westerly breeze ranging from 4-8 knots with plenty of sunshine

Being the Fleet Championships there was an abundance of new “freshies” sails up and a lot more focus on the surrounding conditions. On Saturday we were faced with a tide change and spotty wind conditions which most everyone felt was rather challenging. It seemed the top contenders finished in the bottom half of the fleet at least once of the six races sailed that day. We started the day with two of our good friends Debra and Peter Haynes wishing one of our competitors good luck “Good luck guys, I hope you guys win!” Debra Haynes said to team Thompson/Conzelman. Jennifer and I replied “Hey! We heard that?” we caught Debra a little off guard in which Jennifer and I had a good laugh before the event started. Looking up the course I just could not come up with a clear game plan for the first beat and elected to start on the favored end of the line then look for a clear lane over to the right. As normal the first mark rounding was congested and the first race was won 2/3 of the way down the run when the wind shifted to the right and the inside boat was able to gybe first to the leeward gate. Gybing at the weather mark was not paying because of the current, or that’s what I was seeing. After the weather mark staying on the starboard parade was paying at first then the tide changed and the pressure in the middle of the course was non-existent. The quote on our boat was “You are really going to try the middle again?” tough day on the water yet it appeared everyone was challenged equally.

In A fleet Anne & Kurt Wiese sailing “Ping” stayed in the top 5 all six races and had a two-point lead on Diane and Bill Menninger aboard “Dart” at the end of day one. Followed by Team Thompson/Conzelman who struggled in races 2 & 3. 

  Team MacDonald 2020 Harbor 20 B Fleet Champion

Over in B fleet was a battle of HUGE proportion with three of the top five competitors new to the fleet, all taking wins throughout the season keeping anyone from moving up into A fleet. To move to A fleet, a competitor has to win a two-day race or two one day races. Team Allen/Helias aboard “Zephyr” at first appeared to have everything  going their way with three first’s. Yet, the father/son team MacDonald sailing” Arrowhead” stayed in reach with a 2,2,4 and kept their consistency in the spotty breeze. C fleet was started with B fleet and scored separately with Team Bubb/Vandervort sailing the most consistently in that division with Team Hurlimann/Fishbacher pushing them around the course while finishing in second.

Team Bubb/Vandervort 2020 Harbor 20 C Fleet Champions

Wrapping Saturday up, after 6 races in a light breeze with an overabundance of sun I was fried and a little discouraged. Team Wiese is docked next to us and their energy was contagious so Jennifer and I rallied and went to NHYC for the daily awards and after race party. Something that most people have avoided this year, on our arrival I was immediately excited and infused with the complementary Daou wines and sliders. I never realized how much I had missed the camaraderie of the fleet this year along with NHYC going the extra mile for us along with the hard work from John Whitney putting it all together. I do not know how Whitney does it and he sure does “A hard job well!” A strong attendance also showed up for Sunday Awards presentation with good times had by all attending.

Sundays racing was a little lighter yet more consistent with the breeze. Going into race 9 Team Weise had a 1 point lead on Team Menninger while Weise rounding last at the first weather mark caught half the fleet on the last lap of race 7 to finish is 6th place. Team Weise kept the pedal down on their yellow boat and never let up finishing with a strong 1,3 in the last two races. After Saturday’s races, most people were keeping out of the middle of the course and playing one side or the other while hoping for the best at the weather mark rounding or finish. The traffic played a big role and if you were unlucky with a Duffy, SUP, or someone new to boating one could easily lose a couple of places. After many years of finishing 2nd in three different classes, Lehman 12’s, Lido 14’s and Harbor 20 Team Weise are now Fleet 1 Harbor 20 Champions and never need to be concerned about staying qualified for A fleet any longer.  This win was LONG overdue and felt really good to see. In B fleet Jeff Gordon found all the JuJu in the first 3 races of the day with a 1,2,3 but stepped on his tiller extension in the last race finishing third in the regatta. Jon Novak had a strong finish with a 1,3 and grabbed 2nd place while team MacDonald staying in the top five the last four races and winning the last race gave him an invite into A fleet next season. This was long overdue for Team MacDonald because they were just crushing it in the seasons unofficial “Nuts Series” at the beginning of the year winning most of the days in A fleet.

A couple of things to notice and acknowledge is how lucky the fleet has been this year being able to compete while most of all other sailing events had been canceled due to the virus. It goes without saying while reviewing the results 13 out of 30 participants were either 

husband-wife teams or father-son teams. I would not be surprised to see a couple of

mother-daughter teams soon?

Can’t tell you how lucky we all are and thank you for coming out and playing in this difficult year!

Sea Ya

All photos courtesy of Tom Walker

A Division 

B Divison 

C Divison

2020 A Divison Champions Anne & Kurt Weise

B Division Champions Peter & Tyler Macdonald

 

By LEN BOSE

“WHOW!” A lot is happening on the harbor over the next several weeks. For me, it is the 23rd Harbor 20 Fleet 1 Championships this Saturday and Sunday. On October 1-4, it is the War Heroes on the Water veterans reunion event – “WHOW” – and in between all this I was able to get 20 minutes with the city’s Harbormaster Kurt Borsting regarding the Day-Use Mooring Sub-Permit Trial.

I left off a couple of weeks ago that I would touch base with Newport Beach Harbormaster regarding the proposed “Day-Use Mooring Sub-Permit Trial.” Let’s say it is a perfect day to take your boat out and you would like to spend some time peaceably on the harbor. Rather than heading over to our only anchorage area, that you already know is full of extraordinarily loud sound systems, you can now call the city harbor department and request a mooring in the field of your choosing anywhere it is available.

Borsting referred to the day moorings as “a pressure relief valve.” A boat owner only needs to register with the city beforehand by providing boat documentation or a DMV registration along with proof of insurance and credit card information. For six hours at roughly .30 a foot, you will be assigned a mooring for six hours, and the availability will range from 8:30 a.m. to sunset. This is a fantastic idea that will promote boating activity while keeping proper social distancing. The size of your vessel will not matter as long as there is a mooring available that fits your boat. You will need your own mooring gear, therefore if you are over 25’ the odds are good you will need at least two lines. I would recommend going over to West Marine and asking the rigging department to splice carabiners to your mooring lines and the next time you are out on the harbor start looking for mooring fields that would work best for you. Borsting has targeted mid-October as a starting date. To learn more about availability and reservations, contact the harbor department at 949.270.8159, or email dockmaster@newportbeachca.gov. By the way, if you have not made your Marina Park slip reservations for the Christmas Boat Parade by now you could be too late. I just got off the phone with David Beek and he said: “It is 100 percent on!”

Next up is the Harbor 20 Fleet 1 Championships this weekend. After 100 races this season, we are down to our last eight to 10 races for the season title. Over the last 10 years, I have yet to reach my goal of finishing in the upper half of the fleet. Confidence is high this year with my wife Jennifer crewing that we will obtain our goal. As always, Newport Harbor Yacht Club is hosting the event on the water and is providing us with their best race management team. At this point, it appears we will have close to 30 entries and we will be in the Five Points area of the harbor between 1-4 p.m. both days. In C fleet the favorite appears to be Team Hurlimann/Fischbacher aboard Whatever. They have been the most active in this division all summer. In B Fleet, there are 12 entries at this time with more than half of these entries having a chance to win. Based on the entries at this time, the top five could end up being Team MacDonald, who was on fire early this season, Team Haynes because they always sail well in the championships, and Team Kimball can easily show up with blistering speed along with Team Gordon. Team Novak has been putting in the extra effort and will also be in the hunt. B fleet has been extraordinarily competitive this season and I have to wonder if there will still be five more top competitors signing up still. At this time, I have to go with Team MacDonald; knowing Peter, he will bring some extra effort and lovin’ to the boat this week. In A fleet, you always have to look at Team Menninger to take away the big pickle dish, yet it will not be that easy for them this season. Odds are good that Teams Thompson, Campbell and Wiese will be nipping at his heels throughout the weekend. I’m going to go out on a flyer here and place my bet on Team Campbell. They have been the bridesmaid the last couple of years and Argyle has not smiled in the last two events, so he appears to have his game face on. Jennifer and I plan on being at one with the harbor, which means I promised not to stomp my feet should I blunder this weekend. Wish us luck!

• • •

Let’s get back to the “WHOW” War Heroes on the Water starting at 1630 (4:30 p.m.) on Thursday, Oct. 1 with a patriotic boat parade. The inaugural parade will be traveling the same route as the Christmas Boat Parade. Go here for the parade route: https://prn.to/2GjPoei.

This is their 3rd annual sportfishing event, and I cannot think of a better time or way to show your Newport lovin’ to our veterans and share our collective appreciation for their dedication, sacrifice and service. The tournament takes place through October 4. All the information regarding this reunion event can be found at https://warheroesonwater.com/about/. I picture coming on the water dipping the ensign and yelling out, “I love ya man” as a sign of victory over the virus, similar to raising the flag on Mount Suribachi (Iwo Jima).

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.

Video of "FOLLOWING SEA" 56 Bertram

Specifications on Following Sea

After 32 years as a yacht broker I now understand what perfection looks like.  

On the Harbor: Focusing on the Harbor Commission’s objectives for 2020-21

                                                                                                                Photo by Don Logan
 By LEN BOSE

I attended this month’s Harbor Commission meeting via Zoom this week. Of course, I missed the small print on the agenda indicating it was a Zoom meeting and drove to the council chambers beforehand. Fortunately for me, the Harbor Commission had a study session before the meeting that ran late and I was able to sign into the meeting just as the Pledge of Allegiance was being said.

Just in case you’ve lost track, our Harbor Commissioners are Bill Kenney chairman, Scott Cunningham vice-chair, Ira Beer, Gary Williams, Don Yahn, Marie Marston and Steve Scully. Simply put, the Harbor Commission is in place to advise the City Council on harbor-related matters. Each year, the Commission submits its objectives to the council for their approval.

The following objectives, 2020/2021, are intended to support the mission of the Harbor Area Management Plan and the two most essential responsibilities of the Harbor Commission: 1. Ensuring the long‐term welfare of Newport Harbor for all residential, recreational, and commercial users; 2. Promoting Newport Harbor as a preferred and welcoming destination for visitors and residents alike.

Functional Area No. 1 Harbor Operations chaired by Bill Kenney regarding matters about the Management, Policies, Codes, Regulations and Enforcement.

The objectives of this function are:

1. Complete the current version of Title 17 while maintaining suggestions for future revisions. (Commissioner Yahn is tasked with the chair on this objective.)

2. Study and make recommendations for changes on Marine Activities permits. Identify all stakeholders within the Harbor who will require a Marine Activities permit. (Williams, Yahn) 

3. Help identify derelict vessels in the harbor including recommendations for limiting the inflow of derelict vessels into the harbor. (Beer) 

4. Study and provide recommendations for shore moorings including transfer permit policy. (Beer, Cunningham)

Functional Area No. 2 Harbor Viability chaired by Beer regarding matters about Assets, Amenities and Access.

The objectives of this function are:

1. Evaluate potential enhancements to city amenities provided to mooring permittees, residents and visitors. (Scully)

2. Support Staff with a permanent anchorage at the west end of Lido Island. (Williams) 

3. Evaluate options to consolidate and reduce the footprint of the mooring fields. (Yahn) 

4. Continue pursuit of a second public launch ramp. (Kenney) 

5. Complete evaluation for establishing day moorings off Big Corona beach. (Williams)

Functional Area No. 3 Harbor Infrastructure regarding matters pertaining to Sea Walls, Sea Level Rise, Dredging, Docks and Beaches.

The objectives of this function are:

1. Secure timely closure of RGP54 permit renewal with emphasis on a more streamlined process.

2. Establish a sustainable program that consistently re-nourishes our harbor beaches. (Marston)

3. Support Staff to obtain funding and approval to dredge the federal navigational channels to its authorized design depth.

4. Study various dredging methodologies that provide consistent maintenance dredging and could help combat sea-level rise and coastal erosion. (Marston)

Functional Area No. 4 Harbor Stakeholders regarding matters pertaining to Residential, Recreational and Commercial Users.

The objectives of this function are:

1. Develop a plan to communicate and assist Stakeholders required to complete and meet the newly defined Marine Activities Permit program. (Marston/Scully) 

2. Assist Staff in developing a communication outreach to the stakeholders similar to the program in place with the Mooring Association. (Marston/Scully) 

3. Continue dialogue with representatives of the Harbor Charter Fleet industry, other commercial vessel operators, and rental concessionaires to promote best practices for charter, and commercial boat operations in Newport Harbor with particular attention to vessel specifications, noise and pollution control/compliance and long-range plans for berthing. (Williams) 

4. Support Staff in the Harbor Attendance Study. (Yahn) 

Functional Area No. 5 Harbor Vision regarding matters pertaining to Community Outreach and the General Plan update.

The objectives of this function are:

1. Draft a Harbor Plan that can be used independently or in conjunction with an update to the General Plan. Special attention should be made to the preservation of marine-related activities and businesses in Newport Harbor. (Williams) 

2. Evaluate and make recommendations for Lower Castaways. (Marston) 

This is all pretty boring information, right? Yet this format works and produces results, and was introduced years ago by then Harbor Commissioner Doug West. So why do I bore you with this information? Because should any of these topics concern you, these are the commissioners you need to reach out to who can lend a hand. Don’t just complain on the sidelines: Step up and “Show your Newport Lov’n.”

Now for some fantastic news! Back on April 5th, I sent an email to two City Councilmembers and three Harbor Commissioners. I wrote: “If there was ever a time to push for a second anchorage, the time is now, or take a closer look at the idea of day moorings in Big Corona. Another idea would be to allow local boaters to just go and tie up to an open mooring for the day. This will spread out everyone interested throughout the harbor. To me, this is an easy answer to giving something back to our local boaters.” Well, I guess there was more than just me with this idea because last night the city Harbormaster Kurt Borsting proposed a six-month “Day-Use Mooring Sub-Permit Trial” which will allow boaters to tie up to an empty mooring for six hours for little to no cost. This will allow boaters to find their own spot in the harbor, away from their slips, and just chill. No pun intended, If we are lucky, this idea will be up and running sometime between the end of the month to mid-October. We are moving forward so more to come on this topic after I have a chance to talk to our harbormaster and update you on the process to sign up for a Day-Use Mooring. Send your ideas in to improve the harbor and who knows...one might just float to the surface.

Sea ya.

~~~~~~~~

Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.

JUST LISTED: 56' Bertram "Following Sea" ASKING $ 459,000

Below is a link to the vessel "Following Sea"

JUST LISTED 56' Bertram "Following Sea"

The boat has been berthed in Newport Beach, CA for the last Twenty-Five years. It is owned by the local inventor of the Duffy Electric Boat. He is an avid yachtsman both in racing offshore sailboats, fishing for Tuna and Marlin in local waters. As a builder of custom yachts and the largest maker of electric boats in the world Marshall "Duffy" Duffield has the-worked and re-placed every piece of this yacht using his talented boatbuilding experts of wood, metal, glass, electrical, mechanical, and canvas. "The boat is sound in every category and ready for immediate cruising and fishing. The boat is a perfect example of the genius of the designer Ray Hunt. The original "Moppy" 31 footer because the most famous advancements in hull shape in my lifetime. There is nothing like being on a Bertram going straight into a sea. The ride is very comfortable and extraordinarily dry. 

This is a one of a kind vessel, built for the discriminating yachtsman.