By LEN BOSE
2021, the year of “All of our agents are busy at this time. Your call is very important to us. Please stay on the line and your call will be answered in the order it was received. Click…” Yes, it feels like the 2021 racing season is on hold, which is a lot better than last year’s recording – “We’re Sorry, You Have Reached a Number That Has Been Disconnected or Is No Longer in Service.”
Newport Beach has a long history with Offshore Sailboat Racing such as the Newport to Cabo Race, Ensenada Race and the Transpac Race to Hawaii. On odd years, these three races all line up between March and July. The Cabo race runs between March 19-25 with the Newport Harbor Yacht Club doing their best to keep the race from being canceled. With 24 boats entered at this time, the expectations of reaching 35 entries is very possible. There are six boats entered from our harbor with the Andrews 77-foot Compadres sailing out of BYC/NHYC. I am not clear on the whole story of this boat, but it’s my understanding that there are many parents sailing with their kids together, which is a dream of mine. John Raymont is sailing his Ker 51 Fast Exit II, which is the newest boat to our area with an abundance of potential once she is pointed in the right direction and let loose. Craig Reynolds’ Bolt, a Nelson Marek 68, has updated its keel and rudder and has brought the band/crew back together that will push the boat harder than most of its competitors. Bolt, sailing under the Balboa Yacht Club burgee, will be competing in the 70’s class, which will include Dave Clark’s Santa Cruz 70 Grand Illusion. Over the years, Grand Illusion, sailing under the Newport Harbor Yacht Club burgee, is best known for its consistency with no mistakes in preparation and performance on the racecourse, and this year will be no different. Next, sailing out of the Balboa Yacht Club, is John Shulze’s Santa Cruz 50 Horizon. Similar to Grand Illusion, she is also known for consistency with no mistakes in preparation and performance on the racecourse. Horizon has held a speed advantage over its class for more than 10 years, and has brought on board Peter Heck as captain to take the boat to the next level.
Next up will be the Ensenada Race held April 23-25 with 36 boats entered at this time. This race is on with three individual races scheduled to start on the same day: Newport to Ensenada, Newport to San Diego and Newport to Dana Point. Both the Cabo and the Ensenada races are facing a high hurdle on how the crew of these boats can get home after the race with the laws for international travel changing daily. Therefore, the odds of the Ensenada Race being shortened to around the Coronado Islands then finishing in San Diego is a very strong possibility at this time. My gut tells me that people are ready to grab their sea bags and go sailing. Most of if not all of the skippers will have their crew tested before coming aboard and will turn and burn home once their feet land on the dock. What sailor does not want to have a beverage or four after finishing a race, but that will probably have to wait until late 2021 before we can belly up to the bar again. Keep this race on your calendars, because I know you want to go sailing; if you don’t go it will be a windy year and life is too short to miss a windy Ensenada race.
The race to Hawaii, Transpac – the Big Kahuna for offshore racing on the west coast of the United States – is being held July 13-30. All the Newport Beach boats that have entered the Cabo race have also entered this year’s Transpac. Two additional boats are Manouch Moshayedi sailing Rio100 for the St. Francis Yacht Club, and odds are pretty good at this time Rio100 will be the first boat to finish with Moshayedi hiring some of the world’s best sailors on as crew. I am sure they will have to keep the boat together and keep an eye out for Roy Disney’s Pyewacket 70. This will be an interesting race to watch. Steve Sellinger will be sailing his Santa Cruz 52 Triumph under the Newport Harbor Yacht Club burgee. Triumph is always a force to be reckoned with. I am sure Triumph will be in the top four of the Santa Cruz 52/50 fleet, which again will be one of the tightest most competitive fleets in the Transpac this year.
Seems like people are ready to head back out to sea! Let’s hope we all have enough patience to stay on the line and return to bigger and better sailing events by the end of 2021.
Sea ya.
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Len Bose is a yachting enthusiast, yacht broker and harbor columnist for Stu News Newport.
