A new record can be heard in the wind
June Casagrande
For nearly a year, optimistic sailors have been clinging to the hope:
It could happen again. Strong winds from the northwest could once
again blow fortune onto Newport to Ensenada racers, who could once
again breaking records and setting personal bests.
Their wishful thinking just got a lot more realistic.
Early weather predictions give a good chance that winds of 25 to
even 30 knots out of the northwest could be on tap for the annual
yacht race when it departs Newport Beach at noon Friday.
“It depends on which weather report you believe, but it might
happen,” said Timothy Johnson, vice commodore for this year’s Newport
to Ensenada. “There’s a very good opportunity to be faster than last
year.”
The 2002 Newport to Ensenada was the fastest in history, with five
monohulls breaking Roy Disney’s speed record and most sailors setting
their own best times.
This year, Disney’s Pyewacket crew is back to reclaim their crown,
but they’ll have a lot of competition. By Tuesday’s entry deadline,
463 boats were signed up to compete in the 125-mile race to the
Mexican city of Ensenada.
Part of the reason last year’s race was so fast was that, while
the 20- to 22-knot tail winds weren’t extraordinarily fast, they were
consistent. Sailors were able to keep up a fast pace throughout the
night without any major lulls.
When the winds are this fast, most skippers agree that the best
racing strategy is to stick to the “run line,” which is to hug the
shoreline all the way down. When winds are lighter, it sometimes pays
off to take a slightly longer route, heading farther offshore in
search of stronger winds.
Sailors this year are covering their bases, checking weather Web
sites that paint a rosy picture, weighing the information against
more pessimistic predictions and preparing to be prepared, no matter
which way the wind blows.
* JUNE CASAGRANDE covers Newport Beach and John Wayne Airport. She
may be reached at (949) 574-4232 or by e-mail at
june.casagrande@latimes.com.
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