Flight of the Lasers

Alex Coolman

BALBOA ISLAND -- Sitting on the sand in front of South Bayfront,

the unadorned hull of a laser sailboat looks almost comically simple.

About 12 feet long, just a few feet wide and done up in cheerful red

plastic, it looks more like a toy than a serious nautical machine.

But Robbie Rader, an instructor for Balboa Island Yacht Club, said the

looks of a laser are a little deceptive.

Although it’s a good boat for young sailors and beginners, its

efficient simplicity also makes it a speed demon when the conditions are

right, he said.

“In strong winds, it’s really crazy,” Rader said.

That dual nature of the laser -- both its accessibility for the

inexperienced and its ability to turn a breeze into graceful power --

will be on display Sunday when the 65th annual Flight of the Lasers race

takes to the waters of Newport Harbor.

It’s a race that attracts a range of sailors, from people who can push

the laser to its limits to people who are primarily interested in goofing

around while afloat.

“Probably 20% of the people take it really seriously,” Rader said.

“It’s like the Newport-to-Ensenada race” for this class of boat.

Seymour Beek, owner of Balboa Ferry and race chairman, said the event

has been attracting an interesting mix of competitors ever since it began

in 1935.

“There was always the goof-off element, the people who were just out

there for fun,” he said.

On the other hand, there have always been a few people who have been

pretty cutthroat in their approach to the roughly seven-mile, in-harbor

course.

“It’s hard to win,” Beek said. “It’s a hard event to do well in.”

For the people who are just having fun, however, there are a number of

oddball prizes up for grabs. Prizes for the youngest competitors, best

husband-and-wife combos and best decorations go not merely to the swift,

but also to the quirky.

Then there’s the award for bravery in the face of danger.

It might not seem like the kind of award that would be necessary in a

race in small boats through flat water.

But then again, as Rader said, it can get a little crazy in the

lasers.

The race will begin at 1 p.m. next to Newport Harbor Yacht Club.