Tech upgrades improve safety

FOR THE RECORD

A story Friday, “Tech upgrades improve safety,” misidentified the start of the Newport to Cabo race in one instance. It starts in Newport Beach and can best be viewed today from the Newport Pier.

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Spectators on the Balboa Peninsula on Saturday will watch more than 50 yachts sail off into the blue for the Newport Beach Yacht Club’s 14th race to Cabo San Lucas.

But this year, watching the 800-mile sail won’t end as the boats appear to fade into the horizon: New technology will keep track of every contestant throughout the three- to four-day race.

The race has been held 13 times since it began as an every-two-years affair in the late ‘60s, said event chairman Tim Collins. Low attendance in the early ‘90s ended the race for a decade before it was revived in 2005 and became more popular than ever. The Newport race was the first in Southern California to make Cabo San Lucas its starting point, according to a pamphlet on the history of the race by Bill von KleinSmid.

This year, 52 yachts have signed up for the big sail, Collins said, the most of any race yet.

These days, the big news is the satellite transponders donated by FIS Tracking Services, mounted on the deck of each boat, that will allow spectators to see a layout of the field updated every eight hours online, Collins said.

“We’ll know where they all are,” he said. “It’s a very exciting technology, and it’s a great thing for safety.”

Board member Stephanie Martin agreed, saying it made the whole event more spectator-friendly. In addition, she said, consumer technology has advanced a lot since the last race in 2005, and many participants will keep friends and loved ones updated by satellite phone and e-mail.

“It’ll be really fun to hear, ‘Oh, we ran into bad weather and had to strip everything down,’ or ‘We just spotted some whales,’ ” she said. “This is the first time we’ll be able to get these kind of comments.”

The race won’t just entertain; it will help the community as well. Proceeds from the race are going to the Child Abuse Prevention Center in Orange, and some children in the center’s care will get to ride on a race boat this afternoon, Collins said.

“We’ll take them around the bay and show them some fun,” he said. “[We’ll] give them something a little different.”

The race begins at noon on Saturday in Newport Bay, from the Newport Harbor Yacht Club on the Balboa Peninsula. The public can watch from around the bay.

Tracking data for the boats will be found at www.fistracking.com/cdm/2007.