Sailors Cross Finish Line in 73rd Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race

NEWPORT BEACH— Fair winds and weather greeted competitors in the 73rd Newport Beach to Ensenada International Yacht Race on April 23. Racers took off from Balboa Pier and followed one of three courses, a 125 nautical mile race to Mexico, a 92 nautical mile race to San Diego or a 14 nautical mile sprint course to Dana Point. Hosted by the Newport Ocean Sailing Association, the time-honored race drew roughly 170 boats this year. The race took a hiatus last year due to the COVID-19 pandemic, but organizers and racers were eager to get back on the water and race this year. “Even though people had to jump through hoops, both the race committee and the racers, it’s worth it,” said Dana Point Yacht Club member Betsy Senescu, who raced to Ensenada aboard Yippee Kai Yay, about all the extra efforts to provide COVID-19 protocols to keep racers safe. This year’s big winner was Jerry Fiat’s Farrier 32 SRX, Taniwha, a folding trimaran, with an elapsed time of 11:21:00 and a corrected time of 14:23:27. Taniwha took home five trophies including best ORCA A and President of NOSA Best Corrected – Orca. “It was pretty amazing to sail with Pete Melvin, Ferdinand Van West, and Tim McKegney,”...