The Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce Presents Annual Flight of Newport July 14
By Newport Indy Staff – July 07, 2024
Source: Newport Beach Independent https://www.newportbeachindy.com/newport-beach-chamber-of-commerce-presents-annual-flight-of-newport-july-14/
The Commodores Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce with assistance from the Balboa Yacht Club will present the 88th annual Flight of Newport on Sunday, July 14, 2024, in Newport Harbor.
Originally called the Flight of the Snowbirds (named for the wooden boats participating in the race), the event was renamed Flight of the Lasers in 1975 after organizers decided to replace the aging, wooden crafts with more modern, fiberglass boats, known as Lasers.
More than 70 boats competed in the 2023 Flight of Newport Beach / Photo by Jim Collins
The Lasers were seen in small boat races at the time including in the Olympics. In 2020 the race was again renamed, the Flight of Newport, to be more inclusive, opening entries to ILCA (formerly known as Lasers), Harbor 20 and Tera RS boats.
The Flight of Newport will begin at 1 p.m. near the Balboa Pavilion and it will take about 90 minutes to complete the course, which circumvents the entire bay. The first-place winner in the ILCA fleet will receive the Albert Soiland Trophy, named after the first Commodore of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club along with a new sail provided by Vela LA.
Other placing racers first to cross the finish line in these categories will also receive prizes: ILCA fleet, the First Girl, Youngest Boy, Youngest Girl, Oldest Person and First Married Couple.
Flight of Newport Beach / Photo by Jim Collins
The Albert Soiland Trophy is engraved with the names of past winners; the trophy has frequently been awarded to sailors who have gone on to participate in bigger races, including the America’s Cup.
“The Flight of Newport is a great community tradition and carries many happy memories from those that have participated in the past regattas. Ages range from young aspiring skippers to legends of the bay like Seymour Beek and Dave Tingler. Everyone wins during this special event on the water,” said Lawrence Jones, Chair of the 2024 Flight of Newport
There is no charge to enter the race. Each registered participant will receive a Flight of Newport T-shirt and, also, must provide their own boat.
For more information including sailing instructions and to register for the race, visit https://flightofnewportbeach.com.
By Newport Indy Staff – July 07, 2024
Source: Newport Beach Independent https://www.newportbeachindy.com/newport-beach-chamber-of-commerce-presents-annual-flight-of-newport-july-14/
Having sold four of the five highest-priced Newport Harbor waterfront homes during his 24-year sales career, Coldwell-Banker realtor Tim Smith has been “cleaning up,” but not in the way you might think.
An avid fisherman (he owns a Boston Whaler Realm 38’) and Dover Shores resident who “loves this harbor,” Smith has been focused on how he can help make the bay as clean as possible.
It’s surprising what you can find at the bottom of Newport Harbor.
Bicycles, toolboxes, traffic cones, even a boat. There’s lots of plastic and things that have fallen off boats—not that boaters are dumping stuff deliberately; they just wind up in the harbor.
On one memorable occasion, a diver found a gun. “We informed the police and they said don’t touch it,” explained boatman Guy Harden. “Two divers stayed there until the police showed up, saying the gun was part of an investigation. We never heard anything about it after that, sorry to say.”
The City of Newport Beach celebrated two significant milestones in Newport Harbor on Wednesday, August 27: opening a new public dock and welcoming the first electric patrol vessel in the Harbor Department fleet.
The new VITA Seal electric boat is also the first all-electric work vessel delivered to any public agency in the United States.
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