Favorable conditions forecast for 77th Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race
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Craig Reynolds and the crew aboard his yacht, Bolt, sat in becalmed waters for around five hours on a windless afternoon near the coast of Rosarito. They were just about ready to give up on sailing through the finish line of the 1998 Newport Beach to Ensenada International Yacht Race and motor to the nearest harbor, until choice words from softball coach and current Balboa Yacht Club dockmaster Brian Marshall “explained to us that we are not quitters,” Reynolds said.
Bolt finished the race late Saturday evening, eons slower than they would have under typical conditions. The crew still placed first in their class.
“It was a horrible race,” Reynolds told the Daily Pilot Thursday, shortly before boarding a plane to Newport Beach to prep for this year’s competition. “And one of the reasons we won is because most of the other boats quit.”
But this year, forecasts predict conditions ripe for speedier times, according to Pete Bretschger, board member and spokesman for the event’s organizer, the Newport Ocean Sailing Assn. Winds should be moving at about eight to 10 knots when the competition kicks off on Friday. Further down the course, a boost originating off of the back side of the Catalina Islands should pick wind speeds up to around 15 knots.
The quickest boats should cross the finish line in Mexico at around 9 or 10 a.m. Saturday. They should, but whether or not all goes according to plan remains to be seen, Bertschger and Reynolds said.
“Tough is not the right term,” Reynolds, a staff commodore at the Balboa Yacht Club, said of the event. “It’s a fickle race. It can be a heavy air race; it can be an extremely light air race. There’s an element of luck on where you go on the course. The best years, the wind blows; it’s a downwind sled ride to Ensenada.”
The most challenging portion of the event happens after sunset, when critical decisions that separate faster competitors like Team Bolt from the rest of the pack are made, Bretschger said. In addition to choosing which route to take around the Coronado Islands, crews must navigate the ocean in the dark. Doing so can be treacherous, with a much higher chance of colliding with fishing nets, a Navy destroyer or some poorly lit boat on its way in or out of port.
NOSA requires competitors to undergo workshops and equip a variety of modern safety equipment, like GPS trackers that monitor individual crew members’ positions. These can help race officials spot someone who may have gone overboard and immediately send help, while allowing for real-time updates on each team’s progress.
Event organizers also work closely with officials in both Newport Beach and Ensenada to coordinate the largest international yacht race on the West Coast, Bretschger said. He added that Mexican officials and organizations have been increasingly involved in recent years, and described the event as an annual opportunity to build bridges between Southern California communities and their neighbors in Baja. Newport Beach Mayor Joe Stapleton and Ensenada Mayor Claudia Agatón as well as representatives of the Mexican Navy were scheduled to attend a reception ahead of the competition at the Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club Thursday evening.
In a statement, Stapleton called the event “a cherished tradition in our community, showcasing the spirit of sailing and fostering camaraderie among sailors from around the world. The race highlights the beauty of our coastline while strengthening the enduring friendship between Newport Beach and Ensenada.”
The race spans 125 nautical miles and originated in 1948. At its peak it registered around 800 teams competing in a single year. There will be 130 boats in this year’s event, including about five crewed by teams from Mexico, Bretschger said. The remainder are mostly based out of Newport Beach, Long Beach, Dana Point and San Diego.
Reynolds said one of the best places to watch the race is from the end of Newport Beach Pier. He also recommends spectating from the cliffs in Corona Del Mar. The latter offers sweeping views of the ocean, but may require binoculars or a telescope to get a good view of the boats from a distance.
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