History

The Newport Ocean Sailing Association (NOSA) was founded in 1947 and has grown to become the organizer of the world's largest boat races. The organization has a rich history of race sponsorship under the stewardship of its presidents and committees.

History of Newport-to-Ensenada International Yacht Race
Past Presidents

History of the Newport-to-Ensenada International Yacht Race

The founding members of NOSA met in 1947 to organize a small, just-for-fun race for sailors coming out of World War II. Newport Harbor Yacht Club hosted the first race, called at the time, the Governor’s Cup. A total of 117 boats paid $22.50 each to compete in the first 125-nautical mile race from Newport Beach, Calif. to Ensenada, Mexico on April 23, 1948. With winds estimated at 25–35 knots, only 65 boats finished the race that year.

With an emphasis on camaraderie as well as competition, the cup was renamed the Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race and quickly began to attract thousands of well-known racers, fun-seeking novices and celebrities from around the world. People such as movie producer Milton Bren, well-known actors Buddy Ebsen and Humphrey Bogart, Walter Cronkite, comedienne Vicki Lawrence and Pulitzer Prize-winning cartoonist Paul Conrad have raced alongside world-class skippers like Dennis Conner, Bill Ficker and Dave Ullman.

With more than 20 classes, the race includes a variety of sea-going boats ranging from top ultra-light and maxi-yachts to the non-spinnaker classes. The racing teams compete for the coveted First-to-Finish Honors, the President of the United States Trophy and the President of Mexico Trophy, among many other awards.

In 1983 a record 675 boats entered the race, and with 400 to 500 boats competing every year the colorful race has earned the title “world’s largest international yacht race.” An exception was 2009 when there were 270 entries, a downturn attributed to the troubled economy and, to a lesser degree, security concerns in Mexico, although no incidents were reported involving competitors or their friends and families who drove to Ensenada to share in the revelry of one of the most enjoyable of all the races.
For the first time the race started before spectators on Balboa Pier instead of just outside the entrance to Newport Bay. Winds blew steadily from start to finish at 9-12 knots, even in Todos Santos Bay near the finish line, and from an off-wind direction that allowed everyone to sail the rhumb (direct) line all the way. Of 260 starters, there were 257 finishers, and all finished by 4 p.m. Saturday, 19 hours ahead of the usual 11 a.m. Sunday cutoff time.

The benevolent breeze allowed Doug Baker's Magnitude 80, an Andrews 80 from Long Beach, to set a race record for monohulls of 10 hours 37 minutes 50 seconds---7 minutes 3 seconds faster than the record of 10:44:54 set by Roy E. Disney's Pyewacket III, a Reichel/Pugh 77, in 2003.

The multihull record of 6:46:40 set by the late Steve Fossett's 60-foot Stars and Stripes catamaran in 1998 remained intact as the only boat ever to finish before sundown, although H.L. (Loe) Enloe's Loe Real, a 60-foot trimaran from San Diego, recorded the second fastest time ever for a multihull of 8:45:03.

Newport Ocean Sailing Association

History of Newport-to-Ensenada International Yacht Race
Past Presidents | Top

Past Presidents & Commodores

Year Last Name First Name Yacht Club Year Last Name First Name Yacht Club 1948-1950 Chapman Cliff BYC/LIYC 1984 Carolan Robert BYC/SSYC 1951 McKinny, Jr. Harry G. LAYC 1985 Wheeler Robert BYC 1952 Blodgett Harry L. BYC 1986 Bordwell Robert CPBYC 1953-1954 Boyd Robert L. BYC 1987 Kane Mike SSYC 1955 Monaco, M.D. Salvatore NHYC 1988 Kerrigan Jim BCYC 1956-1957 Hiller Paul VYC 1989 Wall Doug BYC 1958-1959 Long Carl BYC 1990 Weiss Lorin BCYC 1960 Sinclair Porter LAYC 1991 Moulton Jerry SSYC 1961-1962 Desenberg Bud BYC 1992 Long John BYC 1963-1964 Zerbe A.L. BBC 1993 Woods Rod BCYC 1965-1966 Wurdemann Converse BYC 1994 Drury Jim SSYC 1967-1968 Riesen E.H. BYC 1995 Bain Ernie BYC 1969 Wurdemann Converse BYC 1996 McMahon Mike ABYC 1970-1971 Carpenter Ed BYC 1997 Marting Bill BYC 1972 Yule George NHYC 1998 Cole Don BCYC 1973 Payne John R. BYC 1999 Cook Wallace BYC 1974 Jenness Richard BYC 2000 Mahaffy Jim BYC 1975 Nugent James BYC 2001 Shandera Jerry SSYC 1976 Zillgitt Preston BYC 2002 Masterson Ron ALYC 1977 Robinson John BYC 2003 Slocum Fred BYC 1978 Holcomb John E. BYC 2004 Johnson Tim BYC 1979 Martyn Howard BYC 2005 DeCapua Paul BCYC 1980 Jerry  Brame VYC 2006 Benson Jane BCYC 1981 Moss Don CORYC 2007 Garcia David BCYC 1982 Oleson Alan BYC 2008 Cook Gator BYC 1983 Ballew John CPBYC 2009 Montgomery Jerry ABYC         2010 Jones Doug BCYC

History of Newport-to-Ensenada International Yacht Race | Past Presidents | Top