Kialoa III is latest addition to OCC’s fleet

Michael Miller

A Marina del Rey boat owner has donated the Kialoa III, a famous,

80-foot racing vessel, to Orange Coast College’s School of Sailing

and Seamanship.

Jim Kilroy, who owns the Kilroy Realty Corporation, announced his

gift to the school on Thursday. The Orange Coast College sailing

school will receive the 31-year-old yacht in June after its crew

sails it to the United States from Panama.

After its arrival, the school will use the 80-foot aluminum boat

for its summer voyage to Catalina Island, as well as other

educational trips in the future.

“It’s an ideal boat for what we do, and there aren’t many of those

kinds of boats around,” said Brad Avery, director of Orange Coast

College’s sailing program. “I’ve known about the boat since it was

built 31 years ago. It’s one of the best-known ocean racers in the

world.”

During the 1970s, the Kialoa III won a number of ocean-racing

competitions and broke the speed record in the 1975 Sydney to Hobart

race. Other victories came in the Transatlantic, the Transpac, the

China Sea and the World Ocean championships.

After Kilroy retired the Kialoa III as a racer, he retained it as

a cruising yacht. Kilroy and his family owned five Kialoa vessels,

selling three and donating one to the United States Coast Guard.

Kilroy said he chose to donate Kialoa III to Orange Coast College

because of its proximity to his home and because of the quality of

the sailing program.

“It’s Southern California. We’re Southern Californians,” he said.

“I know Brad. I know they do a very good job in what they’re doing.”

Money from the Orange Coast College Foundation will help pay for

maintenance. Avery said that when the boat arrives from Panama in

mid-June, the school will escort it up Newport Harbor with its fleet

and have a special dinner to commemorate the transfer of ownership.

* MICHAEL MILLER covers education and may be reached at (714)

966-4617 or by e-mail at michael.miller@latimes.com.