The Harbor Report: Catching up with some past cup racers

By Len Bose

September 5, 2013 | 1:57 p.m.

During the next two weeks all eyes will be focused on the San Francisco Bay Area and the Americas Cup. I was fortunate to receive a press pass and plan on attending races Sept. 7 and 8.

I decided to research and contact a number of Newport Beach residents who have competed in the Americas Cup. We have a large number of people who have competed in the trails but only six who have raced in the cup.

Most all of you have heard the name Bill Ficker, the skipper of Intrepid during the 1970s defense of the cup against Gretel II. Ficker is a long time Newport Beach resident and a long time member of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club and still might have a lapel button with " Ficker is Quicker" on it. Another crew member aboard Intrepid, also a Newport Beach resident and Harbor 20 sailor, is George Twist.

I asked Twist how he liked the new format of the 72-foot catamarans in the Americas Cup this year.

"I am positive about what they are doing this year, this is new stuff and its pretty exciting," he said with enthusiasm in his voice. "There is nothing like these AC 72s but I do hope that they change the boats for the next event. The boats are fast but they are not much for tactics or strategy."

When I asked Twist about the good times he had back in the summer of 1970 he was quick to say, "The competition was only on the water. In town we were all good friends and we had fun with our opponents."

He went on to tell me about the favorite meeting places in Newport, R.I. The Candy Store and the Black Pearl were two places that most of the crew would show up at after racing each day, he said.

It was "just a lot of fun doing this," Twist told me.

Twist plans on attending the Intrepid reunion during the cup and thought it best to watch the races on television.

My next call was to Dennis Durgan, who is now one of our area's prominent residential real estate agents. In 1980 Durgan was invited to join the Freedom campaign as Dennis Conners' tactician. They raced Australia, known for her flexible mast, and beat the competition 4-1 in the best-of-seven series.

When I asked Durgan about the new format he said, "I am keeping an open mind. I am not sure if taking these boats to the limits stays with the tradition of the cup and match racing."

Durgan is an easy person to talk to and we could have spent a couple of hours talking about sailing. When I asked him about some of the good times during that summer in 1980, he recalled being at a formal dinner in a tuxedo with the Australia crew members. Once the Aussies heard it was his 21st birthday they made sure he made it to the Candy Store where they had 21 shots lined up on the bar for him.

"During this time it was all about the camaraderie, no one was a professional. We got a Rolex if we qualified for the cup. We had 11 American citizens on the boat and the pressure felt bigger than competing in the Super Bowl," he said with pride in his voice.

Durgan said he was headed up to the Bay Area to watch the races this weekend.

I then gave Andy Rose a call. He also sailed on Australia, as tactician, in the 1977 Americas Cup and challenged Ted Tunner aboard Courageous.

When I asked Rose about the new format he replied, "I am a tactician and the shorten races are a very limited place for this type of sailing."

When I inquired about some of the good times he referenced the fact about camaraderie and how the teams used to stay at the large mansions in Newport, R.I. He told me a story about complaints coming from town that the crew was getting a little out of hand.

When Australia syndicate owner Alan Bond was told about this he gathered the crew and told them not to wear team shirts when they went into town at night. Andy is taking most of his crew from his boat, It's OK, to watch the races this week.

"God bless America"

The two other people from Newport Beach who raced in the cup are Jim Titus, who crewed aboard Intrepid, and L.J. Edgecomb, who sailed on Courageous. It's interesting to me that out of the six people from Newport Beach we had one helmsman and three tacticians.

This past week we also had two skippers in the Red Bull Youth Americas Cup. Michael Menninger and Charlie Buckingham sailed in AC 45s and both were racing for the USA on two different teams.

It makes me smile to look back at our past and dream about the future on what our harbor has done and what it can do.

Sea ya!

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

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The Harbor Report: The race through paradise

The crew of Linstar at this year's Long Point Race Week. (Joysailing / August 26, 2013

By Len Bose

August 26, 2013 | 3:30 p.m.

As summer comes to a close each year, one event on the calendar stands out: Long Point Race Week.

Thirty eight boats signed up for this race to Long Point, Catalina, this year and were greeted with perfect weather, good friends and breathtaking scenery.

Friday night's party was at Newport Harbor Yacht Club's way station at Moonstone Cove. While sitting in one of the lounge chairs, near the entrance pathway into the station, I was enjoying the sunset and explaining my poor performance as tactician — the person who decided what course to take to the island — to the owner of the boat I sail on.

I could not help but overhear the comments of the crew members of different boats as they walked down the pathway. I heard "Oh wow" the most from people as they scanned the cove. My favorite conversation of the night went like this: "Honey, how come you have never taken me to this tropical paradise before?" with the reply, "Because you told me you would not spend the night on the boat with eight drunken sailors."

This event attracts most of the high-performance racing sailboats from Santa Barbara to San Diego. The fastest boat was Tom Holthus' 65 foot Reichel Pugh "Bad Pac" and the smallest Mark Wyland's J/105 "Lucky Star."

Seymour Beek was sailing with the Madigan family aboard the Schock 35 "Berserk." The Richley family was sailing well, as usual, aboard "Amante." This year's top overall local boats were "It's OK," finishing third overall and third in class, followed by "Katana," which finished fifth overall and fifth in class.

Where is that Lady?

Saturday's sail is without a doubt my favorite of the year. It typically starts from Long Point around Ship Rock, at the Isthmus, and ends up back at Ship Rock. Sailing up to Ship Rock always has its challenges, although the real fun does not start until we have rounded the rock and all the colorful spinnakers start to pop open like a late summer flower bloom.

Photo courtesy of sailsmile.com

The backdrop of the island and all the colorful spinnakers remind me of a quote, "Life is not measured by the moments of breath you take but by the breathtaking moments."

Saturday's fun party was kicked up a notch with live music and photos of the previous day's racing. Bronny Daniels, http://www.joysailing.com, has been shooting this event for a number of years, and this year she hit it out of the park. Her photos where projected onto a large screen, strategically placed right next to the bar.

Dude, I cannot get up!

Once the photos started, it was like feeding seagulls. The flock of sailors did not leave the screen until every photo was viewed at least three times and they were out of drink tickets. I had some great laughs with a lot of old friends before turning my attention back to the band and the dance floor.

What?

The feeling of being overserved was quickly approaching, and I still had not improved my performance on the race course, so I shifted to drinking water and walking down to the beach for another look at Whites Cove. I took in all the different boat lights, the stars and the music. My favorite part was hearing all the laughter across the water, which brings me back to my happy place each year.

It is always entertaining at Sunday's breakfast to see how many sailors can walk a straight line and engage in conversation. Fortunately, we had a good breeze for our return trip home and finished third in our class and ninth overall. Not our best Long Point Race Week results, but we still came home with sun burns and big smiles.

One of many vintage wines 

                                                                                                                          

Sea ya.

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

The Harbor Report: Harbor 20 championships still growing strong

Peter Haynes Chalk Talk at End of Summer Party

By Len Bose

August 22, 2013 | 9:34 a.m.

As the summer comes to its unwelcome end, the water temperature begins to rise as it always seems to this time of year.

This occurs not because of the sun, but rather the approach of the Harbor 20 Fleet 1 Championships on Sept. 28 and 29 in Newport Harbor. For me to obtain a better reading on this phenomena, I pulled aside class president Peter Haynes for a quick interview during Sunday's Caribbean Beach Party at the Lido Isle Yacht Club.

This is an end-of-summer party for Fleet 1, which is completing its 15th year of existence. Standing at the club, looking down onto the marina and seeing the 36 boats in attendance, one is amazed how this fleet continues to grow.

This is where Peter and his wife Debra Haynes enter the picture to the great fortune of the fleet back in June of 2006. Debra and Peter were considering the purchase of a sailboat and had gone out to view the boat on its mooring. At that same time, a number of Harbor 20s started to appear for an afternoon race.

Peter looked at Debra and said, "That's what we should be doing." One month later, they purchased Spirit, boat number 201. The following year, Peter was asked to join Fleet 1's board of directors for which he subsequently became fleet captain and is now the class president.

In the early years of the fleet, people were into enjoying the boats and weren't paying close attention to the sailing rules. As the fleet grew, it became obvious to Peter that playing "bumper boats," when boats run into each other, was not that much fun and it was expensive to repair the boats.

Peter then came up with an idea to improve the behavior and the skills of the fleet by holding the following seminars: "Understanding the racing rules of sailing," "boat handling and sail trim," and "racing tactics."

"Over the last five years, we have completed 23 seminars with 540 people attending," he said.

At this point, there are 140 Harbor 20s in Newport Harbor with about 45 active racing members. I asked Peter how the fleet has continued to grow.

"The fleet has started C-class for beginning sailors to compete and learn how to race. We have a time-consuming points system, monitored by our web editor Nik Froehlich, that allows members to qualify to race in A fleet."

To stay in A fleet, members must win a trophy in one of the high point series within a year. In my opinion the well-attended B fleet is one of the biggest factors in keeping the class strong. Peter explained the other contributing factors.

"The quality of racing has improved, many A sailors will mentor and ride along with beginning sailors, the continued close attention to the class rules so that boat owners can't outspend each other on improvements to their boats, and that it has become the only one-design class in town that is still racing over 100 races a year."

I then asked Peter what has been his biggest achievement during his tenure as fleet captain and class president. This was not an easy question for him to answer, because he is not the type to pat himself on the back.

"My biggest sense of accomplishment is getting the sense of orderliness on the race course," he said.

I have cornered Peter in the bar after racing at least three times this year for rule definition and interpretation. This has improved my sailing skills and fun factor tremendously this season, even when he has informed me that my interpretation of the rules was incorrect.

Special thanks must always be given to the fleet's founding fathers for coming up with the concept of the perfect boat to race in our harbor. This is a story that I will need to write about in the near future.

I would also like to give a shout out to John Whitney for all the hard work he has done for the fleet over the past few years. Its always refreshing to work and participate with a group of people whose main goal is to improve our sport of sailing.

To join the fleet go to harbor20.org and click on the "join" link. There are a number of different ways to charter a boat, or just start asking people if you can crew for them. I have seen many people get picked up for crew during the day of an event. Another way to meet many of our fleet members is to attend the "Understanding the Racing Rules of Sailing" seminar this Sept. 8 at Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club.

Sea ya.

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

Flashback from 2011/ Bringing sailing to the forefront

I was granted an interview this week with Craig Thompson, chief executive of the America's Cup Event Authority (ACEA), which is overseeing the 34th America's Cup, to be sailed in San Francisco Bay in August 2013.

Thompson, a Newport Beach resident, was born in Pasadena in 1949. He has worked his way up the sports marketing ladder. He was director of volleyball for the 1984 Los Angeles Olympics and launched the first World Beach Volleyball championships in Rio de Janeiro in 1986.

He has also worked in Switzerland for the International Equestrian Federation, and then spent four years with the track and field division of the International Assn. of Athletics Federations, where he contributed to the marketing strategy, TV and sponsorship sales, as well as management of all major IAAF events worldwide. Thompson is best known for his marketing campaigns for the UEFA Champions League.

ACEA's chief executive is responsible for branding, venues, facilities, sponsorships and commercial partners, and the television programming.

Here's my interview with Thompson:

Question: Welcome to town. I noticed you moved in a little more than a year ago. How did you come about selecting Newport Beach as your primary residence?

Answer: I grew up in Santa Ana and then moved to Newport Beach after I graduated [from] UCLA, so I already had the pleasure of living in the area. Then after 25 years living and working in Europe, my wife and I decided to move back to Newport Beach, where our extended families now live.

Q: Do you have time to use our harbor?

A: I have a great love and respect for the water, so one of my focuses for the 34th America's Cup has been the creation of a comprehensive sustainability program that can benefit all of the world's oceans, not just bodies of water near our host cities. I'm excited to engage people around the world in ocean conservation and share how we can all make a positive impact so our oceans and marine life flourish once again.

Q: I understand [billionaire Larry] Ellison has set a mandate to bring younger people to the sport of sailing. Will we see members of the America's Cup Teams visit our junior programs or possibly receive local media attention? For example, the NFL reporting on junior football programs from around the country?

A: Youth are the future of our sport, so you will see a number of different ways we'll be interacting with children. For example, we plan to introduce a Youth America's Cup to create a clear career pathway to sailing in the America's Cup. We are working on finalizing the details now for a 2012 introduction, but the concept is to utilize the AC45 boats working with countries around the globe.

Q: How do you plan to obtain the attention of the non-sailor during the next few years?

A: Great question. One of main goals is broadening our audience. There are a number of things that we're changing to make the America's Cup and sailing itself more accessible. We'll have new boats, new courses, new rules, new formats that can be more readily packaged for TV, plus more racing through our America's Cup World Series. And we're transforming the viewing experience through our onboard cameras, an interactive website and a whole new social media experience. I believe viewers will get to see that these sailors aren't just the top sailors, but the true athletes that they are.

Q: I still purchase Bud Light because of the "Bud Cam" on Stars and Stripes sailing in Fremantle, [Australia]. Can you tell us about some of the new innovations or camera angles we will see onboard in this America's Cup?

A: For the first time, we'll have cameramen onboard, so fans will get to see the racing close-up for the first time. You will get to see the quick decisions as they are made, the extreme athleticism needed to handle these boats. You will feel like you are right there with them.

Q: In 1977, it was Ted Turner and his locomotive cap, 1983 […] Australia's wing keel, 1987 […] The Fremantle Doctor, and in 2010 it was Attorneys and a Wing Sail. What will 2013 be remembered for?

A: I think the 34th America's Cup will be remembered for a number of things, but one thing in particular will be some pretty extreme racing, and I don't mean just a drag race. To create a race that puts a premium on tactics, crew work and maneuvering, the America's Cup Race Management team has taken two steps. First, they've instituted a design rule that helps ensure all of the boats are about the same speed. This means that no boat can win just by speed alone. Second, they are introducing boundaries on the course to prevent large separations between boats. This move will force boats to engage with each other, creating really close racing situations. Multi-hulls are very fast boats and will therefore reach the course boundaries sooner, so races will become a true test of skill and strategy, not just speed.

Q: What can the club sailor do to help you popularize our sport?

A: One of the greatest things about sailing is that you participate in the sport whether you are 8 or 80. With the focus we're placing on the fan experience, I think the next America's Cup will open the eyes of many more people to sailing. What we can all do is to welcome our non-sailing friends to the sport — get them out onto the Bay and allow them to experience the wonder of cutting through the wind and waves. Give children the access to sailing — invite them to crew or take a turn at the helm. And, most importantly, we all need to work together to protect our oceans so we can all continue to enjoy them for generations to come.

Sea ya.

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

Craig Thompson was asked to step down 6 months after this interview.

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The Harbor Report: A few words en route to Catalina

Dan Rossen and Len Bose sail in the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club Championships. (Joysailing / August 8, 2013)

By Len Bose

August 8, 2013 | 8:44 a.m.

I need to keep this harbor report a little short this week, as the family is loading up Linstar for a midweek Catalina vacation.

Last weekend was as busy as it gets on the harbor. Saturday was the South Shore Yacht Club's raft-up in the five points anchorage just off the tip of Lido Isle. I have never made it out for this event, and this one was a little quieter than previous years. Gary Hill had a band set up on the aft deck of the William B and about six to eight boats side tied to one another. One of our harbor regulars reports that it was a good time and he had his boat back into his slip by eight. I have to mark my calendar for next year and do my best to make it out to the anchorage and support this event.

Over at the Balboa Angling Club, the Helen Smith Offshore Tournament, 30-pound line, was taking place last Friday and Saturday. Alan Baron crewed aboard Eric Noyes' good-looking Mikelson 50 Reel Noyes and caught the largest dorado at 19.94 pounds. It was heard around the docks they caught a "boat load" of fish, and that's a big boat. The vessel Shadow had Brett Reichert aboard and brought in the largest tuna at 47.27 pounds. Ryan Marshall found the largest yellowtail at 25.40 pounds. The club seems to be one of our harbor's hot spots, with membership continuing to grow. Next tournament is the Newport Harbor Bass Bay Open on Aug. 24.

This weekend is one of the year's biggest events for me at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. It's time again for the club championships, with Saturday being the family championships and Sunday the club championships. Sailed in Harbor 20s, the family event already has 12 teams signed up, and club championships has 10. I would think we will have about five more entries in each event by the time you are reading this.

The family event is very relaxed, more for the photo ops and a chance to invite family members out on the race course with you. There must be a club member at the helm and two immediate family members as crew in each boat. With my small family and my wife having to work Saturday, I called my first cousins. I will have two adults and three teenagers aboard, and I'm hoping that it's a windy day so I can look for the photo boat to do circles around. I know, I am such a poser, but someone's got to do it.

Sunday, things get a lot more serious, and I am bringing my good friend Dan Rossen as my crew. This year, the club championships has been renamed the Doug Mills Memorial Trophy, and the entry list is more competitive than the Harbor 20 class championships. Last year's winners, Mark Gaudio and Patrick Kincaid, have not signed up yet, but something tells me they will. Chris Raab also joined BCYC this year, and if Mike Pinckney, Erik Shampain and Eric Mayol are in town, the entry list starts to get heavy. Right now, David Levy is the favorite, and he has the skill level to beat the above names if they show up. It's not like myself, Peter Haynes, Guy Doran and the other entrants are not going to have our game faces on.

The mark roundings will be close, and I am sure we will have short discussions at each one. But at the end of the day, I am sure we will all applaud the winner. All BCYC members and friends are welcome to come aboard the spectator boats and join in the fun. Last year, we had a rather large fleet of spectator boats, and it was energizing to hear everyone cheer you on.

The phone just rang and my list of to-do's just grew by five. Whites Cove in Catalina is my happy place, so I have to run!

Good Times in Catalina

Sea ya.

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

The Harbor Report: In touch with the young generation

Kelly Blake working at Duffy Boat rentals

By Len Bose

August 1, 2013 | 2:31 p.m.

This week, I headed out onto the harbor with the idea of interviewing two people with interesting summer jobs.

My first stop was easy, I stopped by Duffy Electric Boat Rentals at 2001 W. Coast Hwy. to interview Kelly Blake, the son of one of my best friends. Kelly is 19 and has been attending Orange Coast College. Like any 19-year-old male working on our harbor, Kelly's passion is chasing waves, females and skating. His job entails checking in and out Duffy boat rentals, detailing, and instructing people how to operate and navigate the boats around our harbor.

When I asked him if he liked the job, he replied, "I love it. It's fast-paced, we have a great crew and we are always busy." I was surprised to learn that on a busy summer day, there can be as many as 70 charters going out with a fleet of 25 boats. "We take about 15 minutes to detail the boats between charters before sending them back out," Kelly said. I inquired if he had a favorite Duffy model boat. "Yeah, totally, the 21-foot Suncruiser has a back patio on it that is pretty cool. Whenever I go out on them, I just like to chill outside."

So what types of parties have the most fun on the boats? "It depends," Kelly said. "Some people appreciate it differently. There are a lot of grandparents taking their grandchildren out and taking family reunion cruises. College kids always seem to have a great time, it just comes down to who appreciates it the most. Grandparents always seem to come back with the biggest smiles on their faces."

With the summer winding down, Kelly's focus is turning toward his studies. "I have to pass school," he explained with determination inflicted into his voice. "I am bummed I'm going to have to leave this place."

For my next stop, I hopped into my dinghy and headed out to meet Cameron Pizzica on the bait barge. Cameron is 21, lives in Huntington Beach and will be attending Cal State Long Beach this fall. On his down time, he heads to the beach and runs track.

While working on the bait barge, he pulls 24-hour shifts and wakes up at 5 a.m. to get ready for his customers. "I am part salesman and security guard," he said.

Cameron Pizzica working the bait barge

Cameron's duties are to wash down the barge twice a day and monitor the barge's fuel levels. He has been employed by the San Pedro Bait Company for the past four years and has only worked the Newport Bait Barge. "I started working one day a week and have worked my way up to three days now," he explained with great pride in his voice. Four people work the barge, and most have their own dogs with them. Unfortunately, I did not get the name of Cameron's dog, but I could tell this was his home. The dogs keep the birds and sea lions away along with any uninvited late-night guests.

I talked to Cameron about his product. "We have squid, anchovies and sardines," he said. "The Pamela Rose drops off fresh bait about three times a week." When I asked him about the water quality since the dredging has been completed, he felt that there has been a huge difference. "In years past, I could not see the bait because the water was so cloudy," Cameron said. "Now I can easily see the condition of the bait. We have lots of dolphin swimming by, and of course, we have lots of sea lions because the barge is like a floating buffet for them. Another thing I have noticed is how much stronger the current has gotten."

Being at the doorway of the harbor, I had to ask what are some of the strangest things he has seen. "It's always interesting to watch the Harbor Patrol speed out of the harbor," Cameron said. "I had some kids stop by at 1 in the morning in their electric boat wondering what the barge was for. I also noticed a large whale swim right in front of the harbor entrance this year. Other than that, it's rather peaceful out here."

As I was wrapping up my interview, a local charter boat pulled up for bait and a very cute girl cruised by in her dinghy and said, "Hello, Cameron, do you remember me?" He quickly replied, "Yes," and the crew of the charter boat chimed back humorously, "Hello, Cameron, do you remember me?" Life's good on the harbor this week.

Sea ya.

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

The Harbor Report: Sleeping Beauty's owner a true prince

Judy and Mike Inmon's boat "Sleeping Beauty." (Joysailing / July 25, 2013)

By Len Bose

July 25, 2013 | 4:51 p.m.

When you're on the harbor sailing every week, one of the first things you notice is, people who sail more than you. One such sailor is Mike Inmon, in his light blue Venture 23, Sleeping Beauty.

I am sure you have noticed Sleeping Beauty over the last four years. It's hard to miss with its huge square top main and bowsprit. Mike first purchased a similar boat back in 1979 when he was a boat dealer for MacGregor in New Orleans. He only owned the boat for six months before he sold it and purchased a larger MacGregor. The years passed, and Mike and his wife Judy moved to Marina del Rey to run the MacGregor dealership. One day, Judy was looking for a Venture 23 and found one that had been kept in a shed in Arizona and had not seen daylight in 30 years. "It had original upholstery and looked like it was brand new, other than the trailer and outboard," Mike told me.

He purchased new sails, cleaned up the bottom and rigging, then went sailing. Mike sails Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday nights throughout the summer and our harbor winter series, about 100 races a year. When I asked him if he had any secrets when sailing the harbor, he said, "I try to get on the race course an hour early and look at the wind and tide. I go to certain parts of the bay and check out the racing marks and come up with a plan on how I will round that mark." During the summer, he has the bottom of the boat cleaned once a week and races with a different number of crew, depending on which night he is racing.

I asked Mike if he had a favorite night. "I enjoy them all for different reasons," he said. "Monday nights, American Legion Sundowner Series, are fun because most of the time, we have an upwind leg and we are racing similar boats our size. BCYC Taco Tuesdays are well-run races with a good turnout. I enjoy South Shore Yacht Club's Wednesday nights, because that's the club we belong to and most all the boats are the same size as my boat — plus, the food is good after the racing. Thursday nights are fun because we get to race with the big boats in the harbor."

For the past 34 years, Mike has been selling new boats, and has always sold MacGregor Yachts. Today, he is involved with selling the new MacGregor 70s and plans on racing the new boat next April in the Ensenada race. Over the years, Mike has sold an average of about 40 MacGregor sailboats each year; that's 1,360 boats in his career. As the last remaining salesman at MacGregor, he also took part in most of the factory dealers' sales. That number is off the charts when you consider how many boats MacGregor has sold over the years. In my mind, this places Mike as one of our sport's unsung heroes for introducing sailing to more people than anyone else.

Next time you notice Sleeping Beauty sailing in the harbor or at the yacht club after racing, make sure you say hello to Mike and his crew, then give him a big thank you. Because if you think about it, this is the type of sailor who continues to promote sailing and has done more for our sport than anyone else before him.

Thanks, Mike, and we will sea ya on the harbor soon.

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


ALL PHOTOTS ARE FROM JOYSAILING , Go to her link and find your boat!  ----------------->

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.

The Harbor Report: After productive term, sun sets on West

By Len Bose

July 11, 2013 | 4:50 p.m.

I attended this month's Harbor Commission meeting last Wednesday night and thought it might be a good time to update everyone on what's going on in the harbor.

My good friend Doug West's term as chairman ended Wednesday night, and before he gave up the gavel, he reviewed his term and the tasks that the commission has engaged in this year. Doug then went through the list of tasks under the commission's objectives of "Ensuring the longterm welfare of Newport Harbor and promoting Newport Harbor as a preferred and welcoming destination." The commission has made great strides in obtaining a usable RGP 54 dredging permit that is due to be issued April 1, 2014. Progress has been made in monitoring our guest docks and finding new locations for future ones. Huge strides have been made in developing recommendations for the highest and best public use of the Lower Castaways.

One particular city watchdog, who attends every public meeting, gave praise to Doug's effort and stated that this commission is the most organized committee of all the ones he attends. He then gave praise to Doug for all of his hard work.

What I have observed is how Doug has reopened the line of communication between the different city, county and state agencies. In the past, I would observe the commission work through its agenda and make its recommendations, and no one was listening. Now the City Council is receiving detailed presentations of the commission's recommendations and using this information to make decisions. The county's Harbor Patrol has been kept in the loop and has a better understanding of what codes have the attention of the commission. In turn, the commission has a better understanding of the Harbor Patrol and the type of responses it is making. There has been some great improvement along lines of communication. I hope that the past commissioners do not object to my comments. I just feel that over time, the system has gotten better and all of their hard work has not been forgotten.

Our new chairman is Duncan McIntosh, vice chairman is Brad Avery, and secretary is Paul Blank. Doug, Karen Rhyne, David Girling and Joseph Stapleton round out the rest of the Harbor Commission. For the abbreviated task assignments of the harbor commissioners, please go to my blog site at lenboseyachts.blogspot.com.

Under Long Term Welfare of the Harbor:

1. Maintenance dredging of private docks and harbor. (West, McIntosh, Avery)
2. Recommendations for best use of the Lower Castaways ( Avery, Girling, Rhyne)
3. Boat Overhang issues. ( Rhyne, TBD)
4. Harbor Codes, Speed limits, Derelict vessels. ( West, Avery)
5. Boating Education. ( Blank, TBD)
6. Maintain water-related Business on the harbor. ( Blank, TBD)
7. Public outreach. (Girling, Avery)
8. Alternative Moorings solutions ( Avery, TBD)

Promoting Newport Harbor:

1. Collaborate with Visit Newport Beach. (Blank, Girling, West)
2. Public anchorage alternatives. (West, Avery)
3. Public Piers. (Girling, Blank)

The reason I report all this boring information to you is to remind you that you can make a difference. At this last week's meeting, my old idea of a marine recycling center was placed back on the table and could just happen in the Lower Castaways. I am promoting the need for a commercial launch ramp at the Lower Castaways and informed Girling of the state's grant application for new launch ramps.

So if you don't want that second public anchorage in the turning basin, more huge charter boats in the bay, sailboat racing sound signals and angry charter fishing captains racing through the sabot classes, you are going to have to contact your commissioners, attend the harbor meetings, talk to the Harbor Patrol and keep contacting me with your observations. Bring your ideas for improving the harbor and, every so often, thank your Harbor Commission, Harbor Patrol and Harbor Resources Division for a job well done.

Sea ya.

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