Save Newport Real News in Newport Beach
Newport is having a busy week! Today begins the Balboa Film Festival and Friday will be the race will begin at the Balboa Pier at 11:00 a.m– so if you want to see a huge cluster of world-class sailboats, head on down to Balboa Pier before lunch tomorrow!
The race typically lasts overnight, with people arriving in Ensenada throughout Saturday. Sunday a bus leaves for those too exhausted to make a round-trip, and those who want to stay a little longer are able to stay until the following Saturday at Hotel Coral & Marina for the same rate as the rest of the club.
But not all boats do an overnight trip: in 1998, the multi-hull vessel called Stars and Stripes finished the trip before sundown, setting an astounding record of 6 hours, 46 minutes, and 40 seconds.
This will be the 68th year of the club, and despite overnight sailing, it has had a remarkable record of success. In 2012, a boat went missing and four people lost their lives, resulting in the tragic first casualties of the race. Autopilot is now banned during both day and nighttime sailing, as a result.
We wish everyone a swift and safe journey, and if you’d like to see a few hundred sailboats lining our citys beaches, then join us all for an awesome show on Balboa Pier at 11am on Friday!
Here’s a photo of the second annual Newport to Ensenada race phamplet from 1949:
