Sailing

Almost 200 visually impaired expert and novice sailors will take to the open water under the guidance of American Legion volunteers Saturday. For 21 years, the Women's Ocean Racing Sailing Assn. and the American Legion have collaborated to create the one-day sailing experience for the blind and visually impaired. The honorary sailors and their sighted pilots will take off from the Newport Harbor at the American Legion Yacht Club after breakfast and morning entertainment provided by the legion.

Is there a more knowledgeable sailor in our community than Dave Grant? Because this is my column, I can ask and answer my own questions. My response is, "I think not!" Now, you could hide my knowledge of sailing on the business end of a cotton swab. But I've known Dave for 40 years, and take my word for it, he knows about sailing. The retired Orange Coast College professor, crew coach, president — and lifelong sailor — is midway through a swashbuckling eight-part lecture series he's presenting at the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum.

Graham McClinton Jones passed away at his home in Balboa, California on Wednesday, September 29, 2010.  He was the second son born to Thaddeus Crane Jones, Jr., and Agnes McClinton Jones of Pasadena and La Jolla, California. Graham McClinton, known as “Beezie”, attended Polytechnic School class of 1940 in Pasadena, Catalina Island School for Boys class of 1944, and Princeton University where his tenure was interrupted in order to serve in the United States Navy during World War II, initially in the V12 Program as an electronics technician.

NEWPORT BEACH — The Great Recession may have technically set sail in June 2009, but many of the prospective buyers at the Lido Yacht Expo that began Thursday didn't need the somewhat surprising news to weigh their next luxury purchase. Welcome to the world where some people can stay above the fray. "We're dealing with people that often aren't affected by such things," said Duncan McIntosh, who runs the high-end boat show and owns sailing publications. Others just come to window shop.

You know it's going to be an interesting show when event organizers talk about mounted guns and cannons. No, this isn't some weapons expo coming into town (or to the bay, for that matter). It's the second annual Wooden Boat Festival in Newport Harbor, and among the draws will be a World War II-era air-sea rescue boat — as ready to fight as it was more than 60 years ago. Organizers said they have more room on the water and more dry-dock exhibits this year. While boats won't be for sale, wooden-hull enthusiasts say there will be plenty of nautical history there to make it worth the price of admission.

Newport Harbor's 2010 summer sailing season is starting to set into a red sky. When waking up Saturday morning, the sunrise looked red through my eyes as I stumbled, moaned and groaned. While looking for my Excedrin migraine pain reliever, 7UP and sunglasses — in that order — I realized that I had survived one of the most vicious rum squalls since around this time last year. That's correct, it was Long Point Race Week 2010, and "I am on a boat, hawwwa. " Next, I had to step down, with only one eye open, into a very skinny shore boat and make my way to breakfast at the Newport Harbor Yacht Club's (NHYC)

While traveling around the harbor this week I came upon a place that gave me relief from my troubling situations. No, I am not referring to the Balboa Yacht Club's bar, but rather one particular Hunter 326 sailing in the harbor most every day of the week. I then came to lean about the Oasis Sailing Club (OSC). The OSC has been around for some 34 years and is a part of "Friends of the Oasis," which is a senior center owned and operated by the city of Newport Beach. If you do not know about the Newport Beach's Senior Center, Google "Friends of the Oasis.

I have made it a point to attend at least one of all the different twilight races this year. The only class that participates in every twilight race, Monday through Friday, is the Harbor 20 class, and the only sailor who attends every twilight race is Peter Haynes aboard boat No. 201, the Spirit. He sails with his wife, Debra, in most events Peter is also the Harbor 20 Fleet captain of Fleet One in Newport Beach. Fleet One has 110 members — boat owners and crews with 140 boats in our harbor.

The Royal Zealand Yacht Squadron defended its title this weekend, winning the 44th annual Governor's Cup race at the Balboa Yacht Club in Newport Beach. The Kiwis bested a field of 13 teams in the annual junior racing regatta. William Tiller, Harry Thurston and Shaun Mason won the final two races for the title on behalf of Royal New Zealand. A round-robin format decided the winners. The New Zealand team was followed by the Newport Harbor Yacht Club, which finished second with a team made up of Chris Segerblom, Connor Bathen and Kieran Chung from Newport Harbor Yacht Club.