The Commodores Club Presents the 87th Annual Flight of Newport Beach July 16
By Christopher Trela – July 07, 2023
Source: Newport Beach Independent The Commodores Club Presents the 87th Annual Flight of Newport Beach July 16
If you’re out and about on Newport Harbor on Sunday afternoon, July 16, you may see dozens of sailboats racing around the harbor. Give them plenty of room and cheer them on—it’s the 87th Annual Flight of Newport Beach, presented by the Commodores Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce with assistance from the Balboa Yacht Club.
The race dates back to 1936 when it was known as the Flight of the Snowbirds—a small wooden sailboat that was once the most popular boat in the harbor (and was used in the Olympic Games). Some 200 boats regularly entered the race in the 1950s.
The 2022 Flight of Newport Beach / photo by Jim Collins
In the early 1970s the race briefly became Flight of the Kites, a sailing dinghy slightly longer than a Snowbird.
The race was renamed again in 2020 to The Flight of Newport and welcomed ILCA (formerly known as Lasers), Harbor 20 and Terra RS boats.
The Flight of Newport has three separate races depending on class, and three start times on July 16. The RS Terra boats set sail from the Balboa Pavilion at 12:45 p.m., the ILCA 7 and 6 (Laser Full and Radial) at 1 p.m., and Harbor 20 boats at 1:15 p.m.
The boats will take about 90 minutes to complete the course, which circumvents the entire bay.
According to information from race officials, 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 West Coast Sailing.
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.
The 2022 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.
“It’s great to see the huge spread in age of the skippers in this race, from young kids to legends of the bay like Seymour Beek and Dave Tingler. The Flight of Newport has been the starting point for many young kids,” said Brett Hemphill, a Commodore and Co-Chair of the Flight of Newport.
There is no charge to enter the race. Each registered participant will receive a Flight of Newport T-shirt and must provide their own boat.
For more information including sailing instructions and to register for the race, visit https://flightofnewportbeach.com.
By Christopher Trela – July 07, 2023
Source: Newport Beach Independent The Commodores Club Presents the 87th Annual Flight of Newport Beach July 16
Representatives from the Surfrider Foundation North Orange County Chapter recently presented the City with a generous donation of $12,415 toward the purchase and installation of a new marine trash skimmer for Newport Harbor. The donation will be used to offset the $18,000 cost of a new trash skimmer that will replace an older, broken skimmer located at the Rhine Wharf public dock.
City leaders gathered at Marina Park on Sunday to remember the first anniversary of the death of Huntington Beach Police Officer Nick Vella off the Lido Peninsula.
“The city of Newport Beach is honored to celebrate the life and sacrifice of Officer Pilot Vella. His bravery and valor shall be remembered forever.” – Newport Beach Mayor Noah Blom
This week I’d like to recognize critical, often unsung members of our City team who perform a vital service during rainstorms: the Utilities Department crews that pump storm water and operate the tide valves on Balboa Island and the Peninsula.
The valves, which were built in the 1970s to replace a system from the early 1900s, are necessary to prevent flooding in low-lying areas. They are manually operated, and need to be closed during high tides to prevent seawater from flooding the streets. Once the tide recedes, crews reopen the valves — nearly 90 in total — to allow water to flow from streets to the bay.
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