Leaving land behind

It’s a bright, cloudless day in Orange County. At the Balboa Yacht Club in Newport Beach, about half a dozen boats are bobbing in the harbor, their crews leisurely working.

Men in shirts, shorts, sunglasses and hats work on rigs, lines and other equipment. One man in an all-black diving wetsuit pokes his head above the water, scrubbing the lower side of Chris Heman’s boat, “Entropy.”

“Any growth on the boat will slow it down,” explains Hemans, who speaks of his boat as if it were alive. Today he and his crew will learn what she can do.

Thirty-seven boats and their crews sail out of Newport Beach today, headed for Cabo San Lucas, its blue water and the racing trophy.

Not surprisingly, an 800-nautical mile race to rest and relaxation in Mexico doesn’t attract only local folk.

John Johnson’s eight-man crew from Utah entered the race for the third time.

Over the next few days, the race’s rhythm will ebb and flow like the sea.

“It goes from no wind to white-knuckling. It’s like skiing your first double-black diamond slope,” Johnson said.

“You’re going to get cold, you’re going to get wet, tired, hungry. There are times you’ll ask why you’re doing this. But you come back next year.”

It sounds intense, but for some sailors, it sounds like a vacation.

“We’ll be racing the whole time like everyone else,” Hemans said. “I can’t wait to kick off and leave work behind.”

Johnson said without cellphone reception, their priorities will be in the right place for the next three to five days.

“Nothing’s more important than doing the race,” he said.

Sailors from all over arrive in the harbor, many making last-minute adjustments to their boats.

“We have a rock star fleet going this year,” said A.G. Kading, the race chairman.

“Some of the best international racing yachts on the West Coast are in this.” Crews from as far away as Oregon, New York and Alaska have entered.

This is the second year the Balboa Yacht Club has hosted the race. They alternate with the Newport Harbor Yacht Club.

Maxi Class and Class A boats are launching Saturday. Trophies will be presented April 4 in Cabo San Lucas to the race winner.

JOSEPH SERNA may be reached at (714) 966-4619 or at jospeh.serna@latimes.com.