NOSA Donates, Preps for opening of N2E registration

by Laurie Morrison on 1 Jan 2015 Officials with the Newport Ocean Sailing Association ended the year by giving a $3,750 donation to the Sea Base; just in time to ramp up preparations to open registration for the annual Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race on Thursday, Jan. 1, 2015.

The Newport Sea Base has long been the designated non-profit beneficiary of the annual N2E Race. NOSA Commodore David Shockley and Vice Commodore Tom Kennedy presented the check to Tom Hartmann.

'We are so thankful to receive this contribution and will be using the funds to upgrade the sails on our IMX 38, which is used by the NSB Youth Racing Team to participate in nearshore and offshore racing,' said Hartmann, the NSB’s executive director.

The goal of the NSB, a division of the Orange County Council, Boy Scouts of America, is to introduce young men and women to the sport of sailing. Sea Base alumni are racing at Tufts University, UCLA, Cal Poly, and one is racing aboard RIO 100, said Hartmann. 'Our youth sailors have raced in the Islands Race, Border Run, Sunkist Series, the Double Dash, the Summer Series and we hope to put the 2015 N2E on the calendar!'

Registration for the 68th annual N2E race opens online Jan.1. Entry forms, along with the applicable fees may also be mailed. See details at NewporttoEnsenada.com. The official entry fee for the race is $225.00. Racers who sign up in January will enjoy a $50.00 discount. But, sign up after April 1, 2015 and the total jumps to $300.

The event is 'the biggest race of the year on the US West Coast; an opportunity to thaw out in Mexico after our cold wet winter,' said Bill Gibbs, winner of the 2013 race in the 52-foot catamaran, Afterburner.

'One of the best things about a large sailboat race is lots of classes. This means narrow class rating bands for the best possible handicap racing,' he said. There`s a class for everybody, he said, from typically slower cruisers up to the fastest gran prix racers. In addition to class trophies, N2E racers compete for a numerous special trophies like fastest elapsed time, overall best handicap, best double-handed crews and fastest all-female team.

'(That’s) 41 perpetual trophies by my count, with corresponding take-home trophies,' said Gibb.'Some of the trophies read like a who’s-who of sailboat racing.'