New Rule for the Racing Rule Book?

If you race your boat on Newport Bay, you should probably consider heading to the City of Newport Beach Council Chambers at 6 p.m. tonight for the monthly meeting of the City’s Harbor Commission. At issue in the meeting will be whether sailboats racing in the bay at speeds exceeding five knots should be subject to enforcement of the five mph speed limit.

A historical precedent of tacit approval for on-the-bay racing in Newport will be put to the test in the coming months as the Beer Can racing season starts. The Orange County Sheriff’s Department Harbor Patrol in Newport Bay have never before issued citations for sailboats travelling over the speed limit while competing. Apparently in recent months though, a few incidents have brought that closer to hand. One of those is rumored to involve a well-known SoCal raceboat sailing at over 10 knots past the Harbor Patrol Station flying a masthead genoa  — which, if true, seems to us like a really good way to make a really bad impression.

Tonight’s meeting will include representatives from the Harbor Patrol as well as sailors who will all voice their concerns. It’s important to note that although the meeting will provide a good opportunity for public comment, the Commission has no authority over the Harbor Patrol because the City of Newport Beach doesn’t operate the patrol, Orange County does. We’re hoping that the meeting will lead to some resolution, which will depend in large part on the interested parties cutting the hyperbole and leaving prejudice at the door. We’ll be looking more closely at this in future issues of Latitude so stay tuned.