Busy week for the chic

B.W. COOK

The Center Stars came out in force to welcome the elegant boutique

Penhaligon’s to South Coast Plaza. Some 200 patrons, supporting the

Orange County Performing Arts Center, sipped cocktails and browsed

the store during the midweek soft opening.

In the crowd were Eve Kornyei, Sally Crockett, Angela Connor,

Sally Hackley and Judy Brady.

Penhaligon’s is an exclusive European-based gift store, featuring

fine leather goods and novelty items.

For more information on the work of Center Stars, including

membership details, call Kornyei at (949) 675-8787.

Newport activist and social star Jill Johnson-Tucker -- co-founder

of The Harvesters, a leading local charity dedicated to eradicating

hunger in Orange County -- has turned part of her attention to music.

Johnson-Tucker has joined the Orange County Women’s Chorus, a

group of some 35 local women organized under the talent of conductor

and artistic director Eliza Rubenstein. Last week, the women’s chorus

joined the UCI-based Men in Blaque and the Costa Mesa-based

All-American Boys Chorus for a series of local performances of

“Carmina Burana.”

To learn more about the O.C. Women’s Chorus, e-mail them at

info@ocwomenschorus.org.

“It’s amazing,” Johnson-Tucker said. “I’m inspired. I’m thrilled

to be a part of this group.”

The Newport Harbor and Balboa yacht clubs officially opened the

2005 season last week with an invitational regatta benefiting Hoag

Memorial Hospital Presbyterian.

Sponsored by real estate powerhouse First Team, the event featured

a competitive race between Randall Pittman’s Genuine Risk and Roy

Disney’s Pyewacket. Disney’s MaxZ 86 and Pittman’s Dubois 90

separated themselves from the other boats in the regatta, creating

their own match race and finishing some 17 minutes ahead of the rest,

with the exception of Doug Baker’s Magnitude 80.

In the end, Disney finished in front by 53 seconds. Crowds all

over the Newport waterfront were wild with sailing fever.

In other social news for the sporting set, the 44th consecutive

Roy Emerson Adoption Guild Tennis Classic unfolds this Memorial Day

weekend.

Preliminary rounds will be played at the Balboa Bay Club Racquet

Club, Mesa Verde Tennis Club, Palisades Tennis Club and Racquet Club

of Irvine. The big players’ party is tonight at the BBC Racquet Club.

Finals will be played June 4 and 5 at Racquet Club of Irvine.

To support the tournament and the Adoption Guild of Southern

Orange County, check out the website at https://www.adoptionguild.com.

* THE CROWD appears Thursdays and Saturdays.