2014 Ensenada Race weather forecast. 4-29-14 Update

4-29-14 Update

Just thought I would post my final comments on this years Ensenada race. Linstar placed 3rd in class and about 25th overall.

I read the forecast incorrectly and the winds stayed south longer than I had thought they would. We took the bottom third of the starting and sailed for the harbor entrance, then tacked onto port. While on port we where lifted and held an advantage over all the boats that tacked before us.

We held port tack for about an hour and a half and kept an eye on the angles of the boats going back on to starboard and heading for the beach. I kept thinking that I had most of my competition to leeward and would just wait for them to tack and lead them back to the right.

I was also struggling with my original game plan and when I noticed Amante on starboard and sailing within ten degrees of course we also tacked to starboard. What ended up happing was the boats that continued heading out to sea stayed in more wind when things got light at about five and six pm that night.

We blew up our 3A spinnaker just off Point Loma and went back to our jib. We only had the 3 A up for maybe about twenty minutes when it was becoming obvious the wind was building and shifting forward. 

As we approached the bay we were hit by a rather big squall of rain and wind and reefed the main. When I went below to change to some dry clothing the rain stopped,  built in strength and shifted behind us. While I was decideding if we should set our spinnaker the wind built to 32 knots and the sea begin to get bigger and bigger. 

Not knowing were the wind would stop at, I decided we would ride this out with our reefed main and jib. Finally the rain stopped and when the wind went down to about 22 knots we set our spinnaker and shook out the reef in our main. At this time we were about thirty miles from the finish and were hauling the mail. As we approached the finish the wind picked back up to thirty knots and rather than do two more jybes I called for the spinnaker to be taken down and we would fly the jib and full main to the finish.

This worked out well for us because we noticed a couple of boats around us crashing and burning. We also missed the finish line and had to circle back around which only ended up costing us about thirty seconds. We finished at about 5:30 AM.

We are happy with our third and figured the best we could have done was second in our class. For us to win we would have needed the wind to have lifted us at the Coronado Islands by about another twenty degrees and stayed at about 15 knots until we got into the bay. This way we would have had our 3A spinnaker up and sailed to our rating better.

Good times, well be back next year.

4-25-14 Update

Overall my game plan is still good. The hard part of this race will be at sunset. Between 5-6 tonight I will be to the right of the rhumb line sailing our boat at it's best speed towards the mark, VMG. Waiting for the cold from to catch us. I have to think we will get some rain and as soon as the rain clears the big breeze will be behind it. Once we get in the front it's straight to the barn door.

Like I said in my first forecast this is not going to be for the faint of heart, lets get hammered run. This is game on baby!

Notes from a weather service:

This is a major cold front and will accompanied by a few squally showers with gusts to 30-35 kts. Average wind speeds will reach 18-24 kts, if not 26 behind this cold front late evening and after midnight

This cold front will affect all boats not finishing before 0300pdt Sat

Winds will be slow to veer at the start of the race, if skies are cloudy, so I think E of RL will be favored thru 1400/1500pdt – winds will be stronger inshore and wind directions will be SE-S, which means starboard tack is favored.

Increasing sunshine or brightening skies will lead to veering/clocking winds this afternoon

  - the more sunshine we have, the faster the winds will veer

  - around or after 1500pdt, the winds will start to veer and we will need to lift off the shoreline and get further offshore

  - E of rhumb line may still have more wind speed thru 1600/1700pdt, but by and after 1700/1800pdt, RL and west of line will have more wind speed and more favorable wind directions

  - the smallest/slowest boats could see the cold front arriving from the NW as early as 1900-2100pdt

-  Winds will become very light within 5 miles of the shoreline around/after sunset this evening

   5-12 miles offshore will see winds veering thru the W into the WNW and gradually increasing, but    10-12+ miles offshore will see increasing NW winds this evening

-  The largest/fastest boats will run away from the cold front, but you will have some wind W of RL

    all of Fri night

    Winds will become very light and SE-S late evening/after midnight within 4-5 miles of the shoreline    S of San Diego

   The S winds may freshen a little bit just ahead of the cold front, around 0200-0400pdt, but I don’t think the largest/fastest boats will see the cold front until after the finish

    Boats finishing around/after 0500/0600pdt should stay offshore for as long as possible or until the cold front catches them and then ride the front right into the finish line

   The smallest/slowest boats will catch the cold front, west of RL, around/after sunset Fri and will

    be able to ride this front right to the finish line

4-24-14 Update

My game plan still has not changed. It appears the weather system has slowed and the BIG breeze will not be in until 5:00 AM. The difficult part of the race know looks to be between 8:00 PM & 2:00 AM. I will guess that when we could get rained on, then the breeze will kick in.

I will still be leaning toward the beach side of the course and sailing my best VMG between 8-2.

The boss has purchased Commanders Weather and as soon as I receive our copy I will update our plan tomorrow. 

4-23-14 Update

Todays information is showing me that the breeze will back a little earlier out of the West and the bigger breeze will not show up until 8:00 AM on Saturday. It appears we will be under twelve knots of breeze up until about 11:00 PM Friday night and then filling in to about 14-16 after 2 AM Sunday morning.

Overall my game plan still remains the same. I will have a ton of information to share with you early Friday morning. 

4-22-14 update:

Todays information is showing a nine knot breeze out of the south at the start of the race. I will be looking to stay close to rhumb as I can and will lean toward the beach at the start. This will be difficult because it often pays to sail offshore in a southerly. I will not sail perpendicular to the rhumb line.

Although I will keep my eyes open for ways to sail away from the beach and to the inside of the predicted lift. This will be difficult to get right and could last until 2:00 PM. If you notice a rival tack offshore onto port tack keep an eye on them as best as you can. If they tack back onto starboard and look like they passed you, then we have headaches. Our choice will be to dig in and take their stern our keep pushing forward and hope to keep our inside leverage. If this happens to me I will lean towards keeping my inside leverage and not be a happy camper, pissing and moaning the whole time. Trying to keep in mind I have lost this race more times by giving the inside away.

Buy 5:00 PM we should have 15 knots and on our way. Between 8:00 PM and 12:00 AM 16 knots is predicted  and after 12:00 AM 20++. Its looking like the breeze will drop close to the finish line to 12-14 Knots.

4-21-14

This is going to be an easy race for getting down the course. The difficulty will be keeping your boat in one piece.

I am writing this three days before race time and with the information I have it’s all about rhumb line and the shortest distance to the finish!

Extra attention needs to be given to your safety gear and your vessel’s steering system. I have double checked my steering quadrant and even have checked for chafe on the wheels chain in the pedestal. Jack lines have been run down both sides of the boat and everyone will have their safety harness on after sunset.

With our noon start, I will be staying on rhumb line or as close as I possibly can. If I am a little high of it, keeping my boat at the best possible VMG, it will not be difficult to sail back down to it when the breeze fills at twelve. By twelve o’ clock Saturday morning you will be in twenty knots of breeze and “hauling the mail.” 

Best to keep your game face on and leave the partying for your arrival. If we are lucky the bars will not be closed yet.

This will be series sailing, stay safe!   I will update this each afternoon, until Thursday.

Sea ya

Five Walters and a Dumbass?

Have you ever watched the ventriloquist comedian Jeff Dunham when he is doing a routine with his puppet, Walter. The character is described as an old curmudgeon who says whatever we’re afraid to say because he just doesn’t care anymore.

When I was making my way around the harbor this week I had a chance to stop by and talk to a few of my favorite old curmudgeons. Now picture a group of Walters, sitting in a semicircle, being interviewed with only their silhouette being exposed to protect their identity and they all have Walters voice.

One of the first topics we talked about was getting our boats ready for inspection for our yacht clubs opening day. “I remember when just one or two inspectors came on board.  Now the inspectors have check lists and are asking if our flash light batteries have expired or if we have wasabi in the refer. This opening day thing is a real pain, I am not sure if I am going to get my boat ready this year.” He then turns and looks at his boat partner and reminded him to bring down the ditch bag (abandoned ship bag) for inspection. After a long concerning rub of the face he asks the question. “Does anyone know how to properly dispose of expired marine flares?” Everyone looked at each other and shrugged their shoulders. One of the curmudgeons said “You should throw them in a beach fire pit.”

The next topic we talked about was the mayor and the floating docks. One of the guys looks over at me and raises an eyebrow and asks “you mean our boating mayor?” with skepticism inflicted in his voice. The topic was discussed at some length and was received better than I thought it would be. The idea of a floating work dock for mooring permit holders seemed like a good idea, but overall the floating dock concept was not passing the mustard and still needed to be proven before these guys would buy into it. Just then someone said “Why won’t the city do more for the mooring permit holders? They should take those dingy racks, over at Basin Marina, the ones that have been sitting empty for the last two years and take them over to 15th street where someone will use them.”

I brought up the subject of the water taxis and again was surprised that most of these old guys liked the idea. “Will they have a senior citizen discount?” one asked. Another one of the guys said, “ Doug West is a sharp man and I recall that he recommended that if the city is going to give this a trial run they should use four boats not just one.” Doug West is the Harbor Commissioner that is chairing this Ad Hoc Committee. One of the old Walters sat up in his seat and said “I will use the water taxi all the time to get home from Sunday afternoons at the American Legion.” I laughed out load at that comment and was quickly reprimanded with a face scowl and the rising of one very big gray eyebrow. This guy just called me a dumbass without saying a word.

I really wanted to get the guys grumbling at me, so I brought up the topic of replacing sea walls and the idea of the tidal gates. This was an interesting topic because some of these old guys do not believe the sea level is rising. “I read that the south pacific island of Nauru reports the the sea level is decreasing. This whole idea of the sea level raising is nothing other than turtle poop.” he explained with great conviction. The guy that was sitting to the right of me leaned back in his chair and said “ You understand son that those seawalls have been around for sometime now and have never once failed. Other than that one time in 1983, there is nothing wrong with our sea walls.”  I thought I’d get a heated argument when I asked about the concept of a tidal gate being placed at the entrance of our harbor. Just then one of the Walters leans forward and says “ The concept of a tidal gate will solve all of these sea water rising issues in our harbor and makes the most sense to me.” I really was not expecting that type of comment from this group.

I am not sure but as I left for my next appointment I could have sworn that I heard someone say I’ll sea ya latter dumbass.

The Harbor Report: Loosening the belt again at boat show

2014 Baldwin Cup

By Len Bose

April 11, 2014 | 2:46 p.m.

I am writing my column aboard a 757 headed to Miami in an effort to sell a 2009 Tiara 3900 power boat. As I review the boat's specification sheet, in preparation for the boat's inspections, my mind returns to a few of the observations I noticed around the harbor last week.

Miami Harbor

I started at the Newport Beach boat show at Lido Village, and one of the first things I noticed was that most of the yacht brokers I have worked with over the past 25 years have all gotten older and seem to be pulling their pants higher.

Now, this could be because yacht sales have been rather depressed over the past seven years and we all have had to tuck in our shirts and tighten up our belts. After last week's show, I felt that for the first time in a long time, I can let my belt out a notch or two.

From my perspective, this spring's show appeared to have more yachts and prospective buyers than I have seen in a long time. For some time now, our harbor brokerage inventory has receded faster than my hairline. As I walked around the show, I was encouraged by the increase in inventory being presented by a number of Southern California new-boat sales representatives. In my business, seeing new boats being commissioned in our local shipyards is a good thing.

I was working the show at the Pacific Yachting Club display, where we exceeded our sales goals by obtaining more new members than we had expected and were well received throughout the yachting community with the introduction of our power boat club.

It was also very encouraging to have as many readers stop by and say hello and tell me how much they enjoy reading my stories. I was asked questions about everything from eelgrass to tidal gates. One reader even said, "You make it so much easier for me to stay informed about our harbor. Thank you."

Any time I receive compliments like that, I am good for a couple more years writing about our harbor.

                                                                               *

Brian Dougherty J 105 LEGACY 

Last Saturday, team Linstar, the sailboat I race on, participated in the BYC 66 series. This was the second of five races in the Newport Beach High Point Series. Brian Dougherty's J105 Legacy sailed another good race and has taken over the lead in the series. At this point, we have a three-way tie for second among Tango, Amante and Adios.

Out on the water, it's starting to feel more like spring with cool, crisp, strengthening westerly breezes rolling down our coast, which will make the upcoming Ensenada race that much more exciting.

This year's Baldwin Cup felt more like an America's Cup than ever before. The intensity and the excitement of four-on-four team racing kept me at the edge of my seat. I knew all the names of our local skippers and crews, and when they walked by me on the Newport Harbor Yacht Club docks, it felt like I was back in the media center during a press conference at last year's America's Cup.

I have one shout-out that has to be given to Jennifer Lancaster, Justin Law and Nick Steele. While I was walking back to my car after the Baldwin Cup, I looked out over the harbor and noticed the winds had picked up to close to 20 knots. Just then, two inexperienced Hobie 16 sailors, with the boat's main battens hanging out of its sail, flipped over and sent the skipper and crew into the cold water.

After they struggled to right their boat for some time, it quickly became apparent that they were in big trouble. Just then, after a long hard week of racing, Lancaster, Law and Steele hopped into one of the club's inflatables and helped the sailors return safely to shore.

Next time you see one of these three, please say, "Well done," because going that extra mile and helping distressed sailors is what makes this harbor so great.

Sea ya.

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

The Harbor Report: The birth of springtime events

Pacific Yachting Club aboard the Tiara 3100 She's Happy Now. (Len Bose / April 4, 2014)

By Len Bose

April 4, 2014 | 1:11 p.m.

You have to love spring in Newport Harbor, where everything seems to happen all at once.

My first stop this week was at Newport Harbor Yacht Club to check in on the Baldwin Cup Team race, running through Sunday. This event actually started weeks ago with more than 150 volunteers who work on everything from the pit crew to housing the participants.

All of the club members' boats, which are usually berthed in front of the club on moorings, have been removed along with the mooring balls. This provides the event with an almost-stadium effect for spectators. The course brings the boats close to the main dock, where commentators describe the play-by-play. And let's not forget about the 25-cent draft beers.

Of course, I am very interested on how the pilot of the Frisbee-sized drone will perform while streaming the racing over the Internet. This could be a big breakthrough for the sport of sailing, as big as the table camera was in professional poker.

*

Come see us at the boat show

I will be following the racing from my Baldwin Cup phone app while working the 41st annual Newport Boat Show at Lido Village, which runs through Sunday. Ralph Rodheim and I will be introducing the Pacific Yachting Club aboard the Tiara 3100, "She's Happy Now."

"Pacific Yachting Club makes luxury yachts available to its members for a fraction of what boat charters or ownership cost," Rodheim explained to the club with a press release this week. "PYC does all the work, which gives members more time to enjoy boating. Members can cruise around the bay, have a dockside meal or go up the coast, or to Catalina Island, for an overnight stay. The Pacific coastline offers a variety of memorable experiences. The new club is being launched with a Tiara 3100 and Deluxe Duffy 21.

"These two popular vessels provide the versatility, comfort and quality PYC will be known for. The fleet will grow in number and size over time. Plans are being made for establishing Pacific Yachting Clubs up and down the Pacific Coast and possibly inland waterways and lakes."

Rodheim contacted me more than a month ago to go over this concept of a power boat club and to ask whether there might be any demand. I felt very strongly that there will be a huge demand for the new boater who is unsure if the boating lifestyle will work for their family.

Please stop by the show and say hello to me and Ralph. Be sure to enter our raffle to use the club's Duffy for a couple of hours.

*

A tip on the Ensenada TIP

For those of you who are just getting started in preparation for this year's Ensenada race, I have found the best way to deal with the Mexico Temporary Import Permit, or TIP.

If you are like me, you looked at NOSA web page and noticed that you needed this permit. Then you thought, "Yeah, right, I am just going to pass on this race." Then a couple of days went by and the thought of missing the race started to take effect and you looked at the application again.

Now just pick up the phone and call Joan Irvine at Romero's Mexico Service at (949) 548-8931. She will make this easy for you and keep you on the race course.

Now, take another deep sigh and don't invent reasons not to go on the race.

The TIP permit has been around for a long time. You just need to make sure your boat's hull number/VIN number is fixed in the bilge and matches what's on your documentation certificate or DMV registration.

What I plan on doing is calling Sign Depot at (949) 645-4123 and have them make me an engraved plastic plate, the size of a name badge, and then epoxy it in the bilge. The permit can only be in the name of the owner or a relative of the owner.

If the boat is registered with an LLC, the permit can be issued to anyone. The permit is good 10 years; don't lose it because it cannot be reissued. Next time you are on your boat make sure to check your VIN number and write down the serial number that's on your engine. You can complete your TIP permit process within three days.

This has nothing to do with your TIP permit; just remember not to bring any fishing gear. If you do, you will need more permits. If you have a Single Side Band radio you will need to show your ship station license. The whole process is very simple, and I can feel a windy race in the near future.

Sea ya.

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

The Harbor Report: Coming home with fresh ideas

Team Linstar at the 2014 Heineken Regatta in St. Maarten. (Len Bose / March 21, 2014)

By Len Bose

March 21, 2014 | 3:46 p.m.

I made it back last week from the 34th Heineken Regatta in St. Maarten, where I observed a couple of fresh ideas on how to better promote yachting events.

First off, the regatta was spectacular. I highly recommend that you place it on your bucket list.

One innovative idea, which I could not help but notice, was the use of drones. They were about the size of a Frisbee, hovering above the regatta and the various parties, filming all of the activities.

If you would like to view the beauty of this Caribbean island, along with the types of boats in the event, google "Heineken Regatta drone." It's truly amazing. http://vimeo.com/88720486

As for how the Linstar team did, we got our behinds kicked. We were not ready for the bigger breeze, and our charter boat was a little less than desirable. We were respectable in the Gills Commodores Cup, which is a one-day warm-up race for the Heineken, placing fifth out of 10 boats in our class.

One of Newport Harbor's past sailing teams, Stark Raving Mad IV aboard Jim Madden's J/125, sailed like pros and won their class with three firsts and a second.

Gino Morrelli of Morrelli and Melvin Design and Engineering sailed on the Gun Boat 62 Elvis. With five of these 62-foot boats on the starting line, this became one of the most interesting spectacles of the regatta.

Gun Boat Start

So what's new in Newport Harbor?

At last week's Harbor Commission meeting, two ad-hoc committees was formed. Taking the lead in the water taxi request were Commissioners Doug West, Joe Stapleton and David Girling. Commissioners Karen Rhyne, Duncan McIntosh and Brad Avery were assigned to study how to add floating docks as a replacement for our offshore moorings.

I hope I am wrong, but I just get the feeling that our harbor commissioners will bust their buns and submit their reports, which will just be received and filed by the City Council.

I attended last Wednesdays Tidelands Management Committee meeting and the key topic was the seawall around Balboa Island, Little Balboa Island and Collins Island. It appears the city will be moving forward with a consultant starting in the very near future.

Under consideration is a ten foot wall added to the outside of the existing seawall. At this time the existing seawall has an average hight of seven and a half feet. The city will start with its public outreach and will have displays around the islands showing the height difference. Another concern is whether or not to raise the height of the boardwalk. This will be the hot topic around town for the next ten years, make sure you inquire the public works department for more information.

Let's talk about what will happen in our harbor this spring. Amy Elliott, secretary of the Balboa Angling Club, sent me a press release updating me on the 51st annual Lily Call being hosted by the club from April 26 to 27. This year's entry fee has been reduced to $40 and is limited to the first 150 anglers.

This light line fishing tournament inside the harbor is open to the public. Anglers will be fishing for croaker, bass, corbina and halibut.

I say this every year: Join the Balboa Angling Club, one of harbor's best values.

The next big sailing event is Newport Harbor Yacht Club's Baldwin Cup from April 4 to 6. It is sponsored by JP Morgan Chase. The Baldwin Cup is a four-versus-four team race event in Harbor 20s. This regatta is sailed in front of NHYC and can be watched from its main dock.

Staff Commodore Phil Ramser, this year's chairman and one of my favorite people on our harbor, was quick to mention the new free phone app that will provide regatta updates and Texas Corinthian Yacht Club's plans to make its first visit to the Baldwin Cup.

I told him about the drones I noticed at the Heineken Regatta and encouraged him to use them to film his event.

If anyone can pull this off it's NHYC.

The angles these drones can obtain, while filming this regatta, will make it easier for the spectators to understand team racing better and enjoy the event that much more. I'm already on the edge of my seat.

Sea ya.

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

BAC Awards Greg Taite with Outstanding Angler of 2013

Greg Buttons

Newport Beach, CA – At the Balboa Angling Club Awards Banquet the Outstanding Angler of 2013 was awarded to Greg Taite for the second year in a row.  It was a close race to the finish as he edged out Vick Sommers (Outstanding Angler of 2012) and his buddy Tim Humphrey by a single angler point. 

The Awards Ceremony the club’s button race was heated as a total of 51 buttons were awarded.  Most notably, Jim Duncan who received his button for a Shark Release put him at a total of 70 buttons – the most buttons of any club member.

The Balboa Angling Club also had seven World Records set by members including young Michael Sanford who is now the World Record holder for his 41 lbs. 8 oz. in the Male Small Fry Category.  Pete Binaski set two records for his Barracuda on 12# with a 9 lbs. 8 oz. and on 30# with a 6 lbs. 8 oz. catch.  Bo Nelson also set two World Records for Barracuda on 16# with 6 lbs. and on 20# with a 9 lbs. catch.  Vick Sommers broke another World Record with his 53 lbs. 4 oz. Halibut caught on 12#.  In the Fly Fishing Category for World Records, Jeff Caprine landed another World Record with his 4 lbs. 14 oz. Corbina caught on 2x Tippet.

The First Flags were captured by the following:  Dan Fultz for his 63 lbs. 10 oz. White Seabass caught on January 4, 2013; Greg Taite for his 21 lbs. 2 oz. Yellowtail caught on March 17, 2013; Nate Shill for his 33 lbs. 6 oz. Tuna caught on June 15, 2013; Clarke Smith for his 21 lbs. 1 oz. Dorado caught on July 12, 2013; and finally Bill MacCorkell for his Marlin Release on August 12, 2014.

Also awarded were Annual Trophies.  These are the trophies awarded to the angler who had the highest weight of each species in each line class (they must be at least ½ button weight).  A total of 58 awards were presented at the ceremony.

Fish of the Month was also awarded to the largest fish on any tackle for the month;  January – Dan Fultz White Seabass 63.60 lbs.; February – Vick Sommers Halibut 33.02 lbs.; March – Greg Taite 22.40 lbs. Yellowtail; April Bo Nelson 23.62 lbs. Yellowtail; May – Mike Osgood 54.36 lbs. White Seabass; June – Charlie Albright 61 lbs. White Seabass; July – Vick Sommers 53.27 lbs. Halibut; August – Charlie Albright 156 lbs. Marlin; September – Johnnie Crean 135.50 lbs. Marlin; October – Tim Humphrey 3.08 lbs. Calico Bass; November – Greg Taite 3.16. lbs. Sand Bass; December no fish were weighed in.

A total of 5 Club Records were broken with Dan Fultz’ White Seabass 63.60 lbs. on 80#; Dave Elm’s Halibut 44.67 lbs. on 30#; Charlie Abright’s White Seabass 61 lbs. on 12#; Vick Sommers’ Halibut 40.50 lbs. on 8#; Vick Sommers’ Halibut 53.47 lbs. on 12#.

Special Trophies were awarded to Dan Fultz for The First Member to Break a Club Record with his 63 lbs. 10 oz. White Seabass caught on January 4, 2013.  The Most Tagged/Released Marlin by a Member’s Boat – Kea Kai with 7 releases.  The First Marlin of the Season by a Woman was awarded to Kathy Ecklund.  The Most Tagged and/or Released Marlin went to Charlie Albright with 4 releases.  The Most Species Caught on Fly Tackle was awarded to Jeff Caprine.

All in all it was a great day at the Balboa Angling Club with temperatures in the upper 70s and low 80s.  The sun was shining on all the members and award winners for the year 2013.  Congratulations to all the BAC Anglers who attended our Annual Awards Banquet.

I want to go where it's warm.

Start of the 2013 Heineken Regatta

If you follow me on Facebook you already know I am in St. Maarten for the 34th Heineken Regatta. Yea, I know it kind of sucks to be me huh? The crew of Linstar  have all been invited to attend this years event from the boats owner, John Shulze.

This regatta really does not match up to a Trans Pac, race to Hawaii, Sydney to Hobart, or Newport Beach to Cabo San Lucas race. This event is all about the party, the best way to describe this regatta is to think of Newport Harbors and Balboa Yacht Clubs Long Point race to Catalina times ten. The only physical demands required is that you have to wake up and participate in the sailing event before the next party.

The event has grown over the last ten years with two hundred and ten boats participating this year. Crews will be arriving from: Russia, Austria, Denmark, Germany, Great Britain, Greece, France, Holland, Sweden, Norway, Uruguay and the USA. Then blend in all the participants from the Caribbean islands and the fun meter will be at full tilt, no pun intended.

On my return home, I will immediately have to start writing my next column and I would suspect that it will be on the Heineken Regatta. That does not mean things are quite within Newport Harbor as spring approaches.

Tango

The Midwinters regatta, sailed back on February 15 and 16th, was the start of this years Newport Beach High Point Series. Roy Jones J 133 came out of the gate with a bone between its teeth and won the event overall. In second was Brian Dougherty J 105 Legacy. Brain’s team has been together for a long time and has decided to race out of Newport this year and compete for the high point. In third was Peter Bretschger J 120 Adios who also sailed very well that weekend.  The next high point race is the 66 series April 5th out of Balboa Yacht Club.

On March 7th and 8th is Newport Harbor and San Diego Yacht Clubs Islands race. I am almost bummed I am missing this race this year. I purchased new foul weather gear for this event and will not need it in the Caribbean, just kidding. This event starts in Los Angeles harbor and sails around Catalina and San Clemente islands before finishing in San Diego. Last years race was some of the most challenging sailing I have ever participated in. This year most eyes will be on the two large trimarans Orma 60 and Orion the MOD 70. I count close to forty boats entered and it looks like the seventy footers will have a good race between themselves with six boats entered. If I had to pick a winner, this far out, I would have to go with Pyewacket the Andrews 70 owned by Roy Disney.

In the Harbor 20 fleet the season is well underway. With the Midwinters and Schock regatta already completed. Later this month BCYC Lorin Weiss series will be starting March 16th , I am sure you all recall I just happened to have won Weiss series last year? The Earl Corkett will be the next high point event sailed out of Newport Harbor Yacht Club on March 23. I am going to take a guess that Helen and Warren Duncan have taken the lead in Fleet 1 high point series at the time of writing. 

Just one last thing I would like to encourage you to attend, before I take off for some place warm, and thats “Understanding the Racing Rules” seminar presented by Peter Haynes at the Bahia Corinthain Yacht Club on March 15th, go to harbor20.org to register. This is open to everyone and I do not care how good a sailboat racer you think you are. You will learn something by attending this seminar and I can almost guarantee that you will improve your performance as much as if you took a little blue pill. Just remember to call a doctor if you win four races in a row. 

"Hello doctor I have just won my forth race and the next regatta is  in two week"

I am thinking to much of green bottles!

Sea  ya

The Harbor Report: Can harbor proposals stay afloat?

By Len Bose

February 28, 2014 | 10:04 p.m.

While making my rounds around the harbor this week, my thoughts kept reflecting back to the comments made by Newport Beach Mayor Rush Hill at the 33rd annual Mayor's Dinner.

As most of you have already read, the mayor spoke about a pilot project to replace the current mooring can system with floating docks. He also discussed the need for a water taxi and hopes of adding two more public docks in the harbor.

Aside from the two new public docks, which are in motion and, by my observations, should be completed within the next three years, my first reaction was negative. I flashed back to junior high school, when I was promised Coca-Cola from the drinking fountains during our school elections

A water taxi service has been studied and tried before, and the idea of floating docks would never make it past all the government agencies. My glass of Coca-Cola was not half full; it was half empty.

I then thought back to a couple of conversations with people I feel have a good understanding of our harbor. One of the first comments I recalled was from a Nov. 15, 2012, interview with John Cazier, staff commodore of the Balboa Yacht Club.

"This place would be a different world if we took all these moored boats and placed them onto a floating marina," he said. "Floating docks are a big change to try to institute. Every square foot of water out there is worth a lot of money, and we are using it very badly."

I also recalled a conversation with Marshall "Duffy" Duffield, reviewing the need for reducing the size of our mooring fields and making our mooring system more user-friendly. Duffield has a well-thought-out concept on how this system can work and has considered almost every variable.

My observations regarding the floating docks come down to finding the captain who will get on this boat and ride it to the finish line. This is a very difficult request, asking for a captain to go find a crew for this journey.

Most of our harbor's doers are still feeling the sting from their efforts regarding mooring and the marina permit process. Does the harbor need a new mooring system? Yes, but from my chair, this makes famous single-handed sailor Joshua Slocum's efforts look like a Duffy cruise around our harbor.

As for a harbor water taxi system, my glass of Coca-Cola is still half empty. In 2009, there was a Water Taxi Exploratory Committee that included some of our harbor's smartest people. Michael McNamara was the chair, serving with Richard Luehrs, John Corrough, Chandler Bell, Mark Silvey, Gary Sherwin and John Robinson.

This committee completed a 100-page analysis called the Water Taxi System Conceptual Feasibility Analysis. Unfortunately, I do not have the patience to read through this document three or four times before I can understand how all this information should be used.

Should we have a water taxi? Yes, but it's going to cost a whole lot of money, and in this case, if you build it, they may not come. I will try to post this report on my blog site, or you can just email me and I can send you a copy.

As a harbor user, I feel fortunate that we have the mayor's attention. I just have to ask if it's pointed in the right direction.

I would respectfully request that our City Council stay focused on helping the Harbor Commission and Harbor Resources department complete our RPG 54 and eelgrass mitigation plan so that we have a usable dredging permit.

Council will also be hearing a recommendation from the Harbor Commission on how to maintain our guest docks. Let us not forget the work being proposed at the Lower Castaways. Please keep in mind we will need to dredge the harbor again, and I like the idea of having our own dredging equipment.

I feel it comes down to keeping the harbor user-friendly and guest-friendly. I always tell my customers, before you walk into West Marine and just start buying things for your new boat, ask yourself: Will you use those items the next three times you go boating? If not, you just might not need that item at the moment.

Sea ya.

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

The Harbor Report: Top-notch sailor looks to next America's Cup

Pete Melvin, designer/engineer/partner of Morrelli & Melvin Design and Engineering Inc. (Len Bose, Daily Pilot /February 21, 2014)

By Len Bose

February 21, 2014 | 4:07 p.m.

After interviewing Gino Morrelli for my column last week, I had a chance to ask the same questions of his partner, Pete Melvin, of Morrelli & Melvin Design and Engineering Inc.

Morrelli and Melvin are best known for their catamaran designs and their work in writing the class rules for the 34th and 35th America's Cups.

I have known about Melvin from the first time I picked up Yacht Racing & One Design magazine, now called Sailing World. He was sailing for Boston University, where he was named an All-American, in the 1980s.

"We won the dinghy nationals a couple of times and the Fowle Trophy my senior year," he said.

Some background: He was born in Jackson, Miss., grew up in Florida and earned a bachelor's degree in aerospace engineering from B.U. in 1985. He spent five years working as an engineer for McDonnell Douglas in Long Beach before leaving in 1990 to join Gino and our Freedom's Wing, Little America's Cup team.

He has been involved in boat design ever since, forming his partnership with Morrelli in 1992.

I do not think Melvin is in the National Sailing Hall of Fame yet, but he will be. He started sailing Optimists at the age of 7.

By the time he was going into high school, he had won the U.S. Optimist National "a few times." He also took the U.S. Doublehanded Youth Championship "a few times" and the World Youth Doublehanded Championship in 1977.

"I did a few Olympic campaigns in 470 class from 1976 to 1984," he said. "Then got a Tornado catamaran after moving to California in 1986. Won 1988 U.S. Olympic Trials in Tornado in 1988 and raced in 1988 Olympics in Korea. Then sailed in the new ProSail series in 1989 (in Hobie 21 catamarans) and won that series. That is where I met Gino.

"Then the Little AC in 1991, and Tornado Olympic Trials in 1992, where we finished second (only the first place boat goes to the Games.) Then started sailing A Class Catamarans in 1996 and won A Class Catamaran Worlds in 1997 in a new M&M designed A Class. Racing less after forming M&M but managed to win A Class Worlds again in 2005 in another new M&M A Class design. Continue to sail competitively."

I asked Melvin to talk about the company's plans for the next America's Cup.

"We are right in the middle of generating and reviewing the boat concepts for the next A.C.," he said. "Things that we know will change from the last A.C. are that the boats will be smaller and less expensive and that some components will be one design, and there will be a few more restrictions on how much design latitude teams will have on many of the components.

"It looks like the wing may be fairly one design, and the platform will have more geometrical restrictions than the last cup. The rules for the foils will be more restrictive in some areas and more open in others in an effort to reduce cost, improve safety and improve performance."

In the '70s and '80s, it was Hobie Cats and Wind Surfers that brought everyone to the water.

I asked, "Do you feel that the SUP boards can fill that gap in the future as an introduction step into boating?"

"Good question," he replied in regard to the stand up and paddle phenomenon. "I am not sure if we have seen a lot of crossover from SUPs to boating. It may be too early to know. It certainly cannot hurt that thousands of new people are getting on the water, and not just on the ocean but all across the world on all imaginable bodies of water."

Do you see yourselves entering the mega-yacht market as a design team?

"Yes, that is a market that we have been pushing into for a while," Melvin said. "We have about a dozen 65-foot to 90-foot cruising catamarans sailing now and have been doing design studies for a number of much larger catamarans.

"It takes a while for these markets to develop, but we are seeing a lot of activity in this area recently, which is exciting. There have not been very many 100-foot-plus, multi-hulls built, but they do make a lot of sense in terms of space, comfort and performance."

If you would like to follow the rest of our discussion, head over to lenboseyachts.blogspot.com.

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

The Harbor Report: A life sailing along

Gino Morrelli, designer and partner of Morrelli & Melvin Design and Engineering Inc. (Len Bose /February 14, 2014)

By Len Bose

February 14, 2014 | 6:33 p.m.

One of our harbor's largest success stories is Gino Morrelli of Morrelli & Melvin Design and Engineering Inc.

If you know the catamaran scene in Newport Beach, you already know all about Morrelli. Most recently he and his partner, Pete Melvin, were selected to write the class rules for the 34th America's Cup, and later they designed the Team New Zealand America's Cup boat.

He's spent his life in boating. Morrelli moved to Irvine just about the time he was entering high school. While attending University High he learned to sail at the Sea Scout Base in Newport Beach.

"We sailed anything we could get our hands on, from Hobie 16s, 420s, Kites and Shields," Morrelli said.

In his last year of high school, he built his first boat with his father and brother — a 33-foot Crowther trimaran — in their backyard and kept it on their mooring off the Lido Peninsula.

After graduation, he attended Orange Coast College for a short time and then decided to become a boat builder, starting Climax Catamarans.

"My brother Tony and I started building 18-foot A Class cats in my parents' garage in Newport Shores. Soon after the neighbors started to complain about the smell, and we received a couple of orders, we opened a shop in Huntington Beach," Morrelli said.

As the 1980s approached, the boating industry slowed and Morrelli had to close his shop, deciding to sail a friend's 40-foot catamaran to Hawaii. He found a job running a catamaran for the Hyatt Regency.

It was not long after that he received a call from a friend in California to come back and build a 45-foot catamaran, the White Knuckler.

After campaigning the boat for a couple of years in our local offshore events, Morrelli gathered up all his boat photos and moved to France. There he found work designing and managing the construction of a 60-foot catamaran and spent five years racing Formula 40s in the French pro circuit.

Next he received another phone call to return to California and start building a 40-foot cat in Capistrano Beach. As 1988 approached, he was contacted by the legendary yachtsman Dennis Conner to build a catamaran and race in the America's Cup.

"That's when I stopped being a mercenary boat builder and started working out of my house in Newport Beach," he said.

After stints in Tustin, Newport Beach and Huntington Beach, Morrelli & Melvin Design and Engineering Inc. is now located at the Newport Harbor Shipyard.

What type of boats can we expect to see in the 35th America's Cup?

"We have been retained by Oracle to help write the next rule and are supposed to get our version over to Oracle by the end of the month," Morrelli said.

He explained that the boats should be between 50 and 65 feet. Probably the hand brakes will be able to be taken off the foils and the foils controlled a bit more without rule restrictions. He's also hoping to optimize the boats a little better and make them a bit more forgiving.

Morrelli expressed, with great passion, that the boats will still be exciting to watch. One of the biggest questions regarding the next America's Cup is how the defender and challenger will keep the expenses down.

If I understood Morrelli correctly, by making the boat a third smaller and taking off the crew, the cost of these pricey vessels should go down by about a third.

My next question revolved around what type of boat might best fit the Newport Beach yachtsman who just wants to go to Catalina with the family for weekends, cruise the harbor and maybe cruise Mexico.

Morrelli described the features of a power cat. With twin diesels powering the boat at 20 knots "you can get the boats to 40 or 50 knots with little effort, but that's not very relaxing going at that speed," Morrelli said.

If you would like to follow the rest of our discussion, head over to my blog at lenboseyachts.blogspot.com.

Sea ya.

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