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No records were broken in this year’s 77th Annual Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race that took place April 25-26, but there was reportedly enough wind to propel John Raymont’s Ker 52, “Fast Exit II,” to the overall corrected time victory as well as First Place in the maxi class.
The only boat to finish ahead of Raymont’s craft was Damon Gulzot’s R/P 77, “Zephyrus,” taking first to finish honors (11 hrs. 51 mins.) and second place in the maxi class.
According to information from the Newport Ocean Sailing Association (NOSA), the organization that hosts the event, a fleet of 126 competitors started off the end of the Balboa Pier Friday morning, April 25, in an 8 to 10 knot breeze which built to 12 -14 knots by the late afternoon.
Breaking into five different classes according to performance and class of competition, 73 of the yachts were in the Performance Handicap Rating Formula (PHRF) or ULDB categories.
A unique set of multi-hull boats (seven in ORCA Class) was won by Chris Slagerman’s Le Briton SIG 45, “Vamonos.”
The Cruising Class Spinnaker Division with 22 entries was won by Walter Simmon’s Cabo Rico 40, “Wind Rose.”
On the shorter 90-mile course to San Diego, Taylor Pillsbury’s, classic Cal 40, “Ralphie,” handily beat six other challengers. The San Diego race elapsed winning time was 15 hrs. 8 mins.
It was a waterline race according to NOSA, as the larger boats used the ideal racing winds to prevail in their classes.
NOSA noted that Phil Friedman’s 85’ Farr, “Sapphire Knight,” finished third over the line giving them first place corrected honors in the hotly contested UL-A Division.
Some of the tightest racing came in the UL-C class where Herwig Baumgartner’s 1D 35, “Black Martin,” edged out Mark Rosene’s MC31, “Radical Departure,” by just three minutes in corrected time over the 125-mile course.
Tina Robert’s recently renovated 63-year-old Spencer 65, “Ragtime,” completed the course in 16 hours. 11 minutes, edging out Jared Gargano’s DK46, “Rossa” by 22 seconds in corrected time.
The Manufacturer’s Trophy for fastest Beneteau Yacht was won by Toby Gandy’s Beneteau 10R “Javelin,” beating out Fred Jungren’s larger Beneteau 44.7 “Pacifico.” There were a total of 13 Beneteaus in the race.
The trophy for all Women’s Division went to Heather Furey’s, N/M 68 “Blonde Fury.”
According to NOSA, the Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race is not just about competition; it’s about celebrating the spirit of sailing, the thrill of the chase, and the camaraderie of sailors from around the world.
This year, four boats from Mexico entered the race and competed for the newest NOSA trophy for the fastest Mexican entry. The trophy was won by “Stellar,” a Jeanneau 43 under Captain Manuel Guitierrez.
According to NOSA, all participants were tracked via YBTracking, an advanced online tracking system that allows fans to view each boat’s location on the course, providing a truly immersive experience for those who want to follow the action from start to finish. The app not only showed where the boats were but their relative position in the fleet and in their respective classes.
For more information, visit https://nosa.org.