Newport Beach to Ensenada 2014

[Rick D]

Here's an article concerning this year's race which is a SoCal tradition and once attracted over 600 boats. Now, however, about 200 participate and this year was particularly challenging given Mexico's IRS "audit" of boats and the attendant bad publicity. Anyway, it was a gear-buster race and while most of us here have some experience in big winds, it was not usual for us to have them for 125 miles. I am told the wind was 52 knots on the Catalina Channel and topped 100 knots in another location.

http://www.mountain-news.com/sports/article_352a2fc6-d57c-11e3-af82-001a4bcf887a.html

 

[doctorbill]

Yes Rick it WAS quite a race! I had done 2 previously but this was the first on my own boat, Paraclete, a Hunter 420 Passage (Cruz Gen B).

We were a mile NE of the Coronados when the 1am squall hit. We were double-handing her too. I was very proud of how the boat handled it all.

 

[Rick D]

Oh, yea. That was a ride! We were running with you several times; nice job!

 

[Calif. Ted]

A couple of my friends were on IZABLUE and thought the gusts were about 45 kts. for a while during the squall . They sent me a video by cell phone during daylight and they were already flying.