Disney to permanently loan trophy to museum

Transpac Yacht Club member Roy E. Disney, former vice chairman of Walt Disney Co., will permanently loan the Transpacific Yacht Race Course Trophy to Newport Harbor Nautical Museum, the museum announced Tuesday.

Disney will unveil the trophy at noon Sept. 19 at the museum in Balboa Village. Disney has participated in 16 Transpacific yacht races and has won several competitions with his famous racing yachts known as Pyewacket.

Disney originally donated the trophy to the Transpac Yacht Club in 1999 and it has remained part of the Transpac Yacht Club’s collection. Disney transferred the gift so it could be displayed at the Nautical Museum.

“I considered a variety of permanent homes for the Transpac Elapsed Time Trophy and kept coming back to the Newport Harbor Nautical Museum, largely due to their commitment to build an extensive Transpac exhibit gallery at the new museum,” Disney said.

— Brianna Bailey