A wet but race-y start

June Casagrande

The thrill of the starting gun. The pulse-pounding excitement as

racers line up on their marks. The electric thrill of competition in the

air.

Well, not exactly.

Hundreds of people crowded the bluffs above Corona del Mar State Beach

to watch the start of the Tommy Bahama Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race.

And while the sailboat race isn’t much of a spectator sport, many agreed

it’s nonetheless quite a spectacle.

“At least at tennis, you know when the match starts,” Balboa Island

resident and avid tennis player Bill Funk said, observing tongue-in-cheek

that it was hard to tell just when the race got going.

But despite such humorous observations, Bill and wife Karla show up

every year to watch the race.

“It’s a tradition, and it’s beautiful,” Karla said, with Bill smiling

in agreement. “We come out every year.”

The biggest international yacht race started at noon Friday, offering

a stunning display of hundreds of sailboats gracing the ocean near the

harbor entrance.

At 10-minute intervals, groups of yachts lined up at the starting line

to officially begin their journey down the coast to the Mexican city of

Ensenada.

But, of course, no sailboat is known for the speed at which it can go

from 0 to 60. Instead of bursting out of the gate, the elegant vessels

lilt to a start, some approaching the starting line from well behind,

slowly building speed and crossing the start minutes after the official

beginning.

“It’s not exactly like runners at the starting line,” said Joe Myers,

a Corona del Mar resident. “But it sure is gorgeous to see.”

His wife, Monica, agreed, adding that Friday’s cloudy skies were

unfortunate.

“I’m a little disappointed in the weather,” she said, about 20 minutes

before the sun finally peeked out at 12:25 p.m. “It’s better than last

year, though. Last year was cold and gray. But in the years when it’s

sunny and nice out, it’s just gorgeous.”

The couple have watched the race from the bluffs every year for the

last four year to enjoy the sight of hundreds of boats amassing together

and then scattering to the winds.

Mike McMahon, the Newport Ocean Sailing Assn.’s announcer on the

bluffs, speculated that rain on Friday morning might have discouraged

some people from coming out to watch.

“There were more people here last year; the rain probably kept some

away,” he said between announcements he was broadcasting to spectators

over a public address system. “But more and more keep turning out today.

It’s turning out to be pretty good.”

* June Casagrande covers Newport Beach. She may be reached at (949)

574-4232 or by e-mail at o7 june.casagrande@latimes.comf7 .