Newport’s boat parade, Ring of Lights winners collect their awards

The considerable wake left by the biggest event of the year in Newport Beach washed ashore Friday night with the Christmas Boat Parade and Ring of Lights awards dinner and auction at the Island Hotel.

The annual gala organized by the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce recognized dozens of holiday-themed displays at the harbor, both on the water and off.

The boat parade ran from Dec. 17 to 21, and the Ring of Lights home-decorating contest ended Jan. 4.

“I grew up in Newport Beach. So where some people think Christmas is a white Christmas with snow, for me, Christmas is the boat parade,” said Emily Vogler, who first participated in the parade with her parents in the 1960s.

Vogler and her husband, Dan Flynn, won awards for best sailboat and best yacht club entry with the decorations on their 50-foot sloop, The Hippocampus.

“Our kids are a big part of our decoration, so it’s just bringing this into the next generation of Newport Beach doing the boat parade,” Vogler said.

The theme of the 106th parade was “Deck the Hulls with Bows of Jolly.” The event has been a holiday tradition almost as long as the 108-year-old city has been established.

“From the very beginning there were some founders that said, ‘Hey, let’s have a party,’ and they were floating some boats around the harbor with candles at the time,” said Chamber of Commerce President Steve Rosansky. “And it’s morphed into certainly the biggest event we have in Newport Beach.”

Among the Ring of Lights award winners, Scott and Shawn Cunningham of Beacon Bay were honored with the Green Award, but maybe not for the environmental consciousness of their home decor.

“At one point, my house was all green,” Scott Cunningham said, referring to the color.

Peter Barbour can’t recall all the categories he’s won in the years he’s entered the smallest boat in the parade. His D25 — which stands for Dec. 25 — won again, this time for best animation and special effects.

“It’s only 11 feet long and 5 feet wide, and on that I put over 8,000 lights, five computers, a smoke machine, two generators, sound system, speakers … and me,” Barbour said with a chuckle.

The annual dinner doubled as a chamber fundraiser with more than 250 silent-auction items and a live auction that included spa and travel packages, a pair of Pedego electric bicycles and invitations for two to join the cast and crew in watching the season premiere of Bravo’s “The Real Housewives of Orange County,” complete with round-trip limousine service.

Rosansky said the $125-a-plate gala might raise as much as $65,000 to offset the $75,000 to $100,000 annual cost of the boat parade.

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Christmas Boat Parade award winners

Sweepstakes: El Navegante, Joe Achten

Non-commercial sweepstakes: Two are Better Than One, Kyle Miller

Best powerboat: The Last Hurrah, Rob and Elizabeth Meadows

Best sailboat: The Hippocampus, Dan Flynn and Emily Vogler

Best music: $ea-Note, Scott Schubert

Best lights:

•• First place: My Bebek, Arman and Daron Muratyan

•• Second place: Alure, Lance and Gary Charlesworth

•• Third place: Shannon Rose, Shaun Keating

Best humor and originality:

•• First place: Paradise Found, Greg Killingsworth

•• Second place: The Rose Maria, Ron and Rose Cram

•• Third place: Amazing Grace, Ed Koll

Best animation and special effects:

•• First place: D25, Peter Barbour

•• Second place: Traveler, Michael Lawler

•• Third place: Muller Time, Jon and Lauren Muller

Best boat under 30 feet: Anchor of Hope, Christopher Domino

Best first-time entry: Shannon Rose, Shaun Keating

Best yacht club entry: The Hippocampus, Dan Flynn and Emily Vogler

Yacht club with most entries: Balboa Yacht Club

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Ring of Lights award winners

Best overall: Bruce and Viviana Fabrizio, 1407 Bayside Drive, Corona del Mar

Lights and animation:

•• First place: Robert and Christyne Olson, 351 E. Bay Front, Balboa Island

•• Second place: Jim and Vicki Warmington, 328 Buena Vista Blvd., Balboa Peninsula

Best theme: Bill and Gay Wassall-Kelly, 409 E. Edgewater, Balboa Peninsula

Chairman’s Choice: Barry and Karen Meguiar, 201 N. Bay Front, Balboa Island

Best traditional lights: John and Essie Bootsma, 128 Via Lido Nord, Lido Isle

Green Award: Scott and Shawn Cunningham, 1 Beacon Bay

Photographer’s Choice: Dave McIntyre, 101 Via Lido Soud, Lido Isle

Humor and originality: Marcy Cook, 538 S. Bay Front, Balboa Island

Rookie Award: Robert and Beverly Cohen, 2686 Bayshore Drive

Best on Lido: Ken and Tracy Hurd, 832 Via Lido Nord, Lido Isle

Founder’s Award: Phil and Mary Lyons, 36 Harbor Island

Daily Pilot Award: Dennis and Patty Vitarelli, 140 S. Bay Front, Balboa Island

Best yacht club: Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club

High-tech Christmas charm: Jim and Peggy Rich, 802 S. Bay Front, Balboa Island

Best on Peninsula: Bob and Carol Senour, 1000 E. Balboa Blvd., Balboa Peninsula

Judge’s Award:

•• First place: Donna Dibari, 710 S. Bay Front, Balboa Island

•• Second place: Shirley Pepys, 526 S. Bay Front, Balboa Island