The world's largest international yacht race is preparing for its first
race of the new century.
It all started right here in Newport Beach back in 1946 and will soon
celebrate its 53rd year.
The Newport to Ensenada Race has become more than just a race for local
sailors. Competitors have entered from as far away as Canada, Mexico,
Hawaii, Texas, San Francisco, Portland, Seattle and even a few from the
Fresno Yacht Club.
The Newport Ocean Sailing Assn. or NOSA as it's known, is the
organization that runs the event. It has had as many as 675 entries
(1983), which makes for a lot of motion-in-the-ocean at the starting
line.
Crashes, dings, tears and torment have occurred to many a boat, however,
everybody has a great time. This year, there will be three starting lines
allowing more boats to start at the same time as opposed to the
traditional staggered starting times.
This is an event that places novices in competition against
professionals, men crews vs. women crews, big boats vs. little boats,
yacht club vs. yacht club, slow boats, fast boats even boats 70-80 years
old.
With family crews, yacht club crews or just a bunch of partying sailors,
this event is quite a spectacle.
"The race attracts as many as 12,000 racers and support crews," said
David Jahr from the Rodhiem Marketing Group -- a large number for a city
of approximately 60,000 residents.
From an economic prospective, boat yards, fuel docks, marine stores,
hotels, restaurants and liquor stores, fair quite well during the days
prior to the starters blast on the last Friday of every April.
Even though there'll be three starting lines, it will still get congested
out there. If you haven't been a participant or seen the start, a great
place to view the chaos is atop the bluffs above Big Corona Beach at noon
April 29. Boats as far as the eye can see, all going leeward, windward --
left -- right -- oh what a sight!
Jim Mahaffey, the Commodore of NOSA, is in charge of this years race
along with the assistance of 250 volunteers. Meetings with the Mayor of
Ensenada, Mexican government officials, the U.S. and Mexican Navy's, the
U.S. Coast Guard and Custom's Office are all necessary.
It takes thousands of man-hours to plan this event and make it into a
success. Although most race for an excuse to just get away on a vacation,
there are others that enter for sport, trophies and the prestige.
The big guns are not weekend boaters, but rather sailors who are prepared
for combat. Boats like Taxi Dancer, Pyewacket, Grand Illusion, Christine
