The Harbor Column -- Mike Whitehead

Ahoy.

This year’s Newport to Ensenada Race earned the fastest race in

history title last weekend as winner Afterburner crossed the finish line

in only 10 hours and 55 minutes.

I am very pleased we decided to leave Newport Beach aboard Harbor

Master Capt. Marty Kasules’ Uniflite early that morning arriving in the

Cruiseport Marina 10 hours and 1 minute later with twin diesels. If we

would have departed later, we would have risked the chance of a rag boat

passing our stink potter. Oh, the embarrassment we would have faced at

the Newport Ocean Sailing Assn. functions, especially with Ray

Tsuneyoshi, Director of California Department of Boating and Waterways,

aboard our yacht.

However, we knew it was a fast race when at 4 a.m. Saturday morning,

the roar of the marina’s chase boat engines woke us as the operators were

very busy helping the racers that were already entering the marina that

soon.

The high spot (no pun intended) to the racers docking was the negative

tide from a full moon as a few sailboats went aground while entering the

marina. That did not stop the breakfast of champions flowing in the wee

hours and then stories started to flow faster than the cerveza. All the

racers were excited about their times -- especially those who ran the

rhumb line and did not go outside.

Magnitude was the first mono hull to finish 30 minutes faster than the

course record held by Roy E. Disney’s Pyewacket. However, six boats

totally smashed the course record. One was Admiral Dave Janes, aboard

J-Bird III, who after blowing out his spinnaker, captured first in the

ULDB-A division. I had to leave for home before the awards ceremony

Sunday for a meeting in Port San Luis Harbor and what a spectacular sight

driving up the Mexican coast as hundreds of sailboats dotted the ocean

beating to home ports.

When you read this column today, I will have visited Ensenada once

again with a Carver Yacht delivery Saturday, but it looks like later this

month, I will have an exciting story for you when I will deliver a

McKinna Yacht from Ensenada to Sacramento transiting up the Delta once

again.

***

The first meeting of the new city of Newport Beach Harbor Commission

was held Wednesday and Tony Melum, harbor resources director, conducted

the first official task when he had the commissioners draw straws to

determine the new terms -- starting at one-year. Afterward, the

commissioners voted to make Tim Collins the first chairman in Newport’s

history.

Most of the meeting consisted of housekeeping matters to start up the

commission and advice for the commissioners on operational procedures.

The commission will meet twice a month for the first two months and will

immediately address items from the top 10 list forwarded to the

commission by the preceding Harbor Committee.

I strongly advise the community and boaters to provide input on the

top 10 items to aid the commissioners dealing with topics such as

dredging, eel grass, derelict boats and public access. I am sure the

commissioners will appreciate constructive communications and not just be

a gripe line.

These commissioners have enormous tasks lying ahead of them -- first

as stewards of our most precious resource and second as creators of a

balancing act that must occur on every issue.

One exciting bit of information coming out of the meeting was when

Melum mentioned that the proposed public dock at the Rhine Wharf is in

the city plans to be constructed hopefully next fiscal year.

***

I received an e-mail from Phyllis Drayton of the Newport Harbor

Nautical Museum saying that she is trying to recruit boaters and others

to volunteer at the museum during the visit of the Lynx from May 15 to

July 1. Help is needed only on weekends for three-hour shifts. You can

call the museum at (949) 673-3377, Ext. 107. Visit the Lynx’s Web site at

o7 www.PrivateerLynx.orgf7 (I saw the Lynx depart Ensenada Harbor

during the Ensenada Race).

***

Lastly, Kevin Hannon of Anaheim won the Catch-A-Boat Challenge at the

Newport In-Water Boat Show on Sunday. At noon, four contestants (out of

10) remained standing at the Newport Boat Show as they fished for a new

$25,000 fishing boat. Contestants had to stand for 24 hours a day while

hooked up to the boat until the last person was left standing. At 1 p.m.,

the final four partook in an hourlong casting contest for accuracy.

Safe voyages.

* MIKE WHITEHEAD is the Pilot’s boating and harbor columnist. Send him

your harbor and marine-related thoughts and story suggestions via e-mail

to o7 Mike@BoathouseTV.comf7 or o7 BoathouseTV.comf7 .