Registration for N2E #70 Opens New Year’s Day 2017 Preparations for racers start with Safety Seminar
NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., Dec. 14, 2016 – The Newport Ocean Sailing Association is pleased to announce that registration for the 70th annual running of the iconic Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race will open January 1, 2017. The race sails on April 28, 2017 from the Balboa Pier. In honor of the significant anniversary and in the wake of last year’s thrilling, multiple record-breaking wins, NOSA members are anticipating more sailors will enter the race than they’ve seen in recent history. After registering, the most important thing skippers can do in preparation for the race is to sign up for and participate in a safety seminar. The first opportunity is an event January 14, 2017 hosted by Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club. This year’s race will be the first time all three courses will run simultaneously. Racers first had the option of the alternative 176-mile Transpac qualifier course around San Clemente Island in 2015. Last year, NOSA offered an optional short-course for cruisers and smaller PHRF-class racers that started off Shelter Island, in San Diego Harbor. According to historical documents written by the founders in 1947, NOSA’s goal was to create an inclusive environment and the encouragement of all types of sailboats to participate in the now venerable spring classic. “The 70th race will provide racers many opportunities to enjoy the N2E race experience.” said Commodore Tom Kennedy. Getting in on the fun is easy; sailors need only go to www.newporttoensenada.com on their computer, tablets or phone and click on the round Register button. The entry fee through January 31 is $240.00. Through March 31, the fee goes up to $290 and then to $350 for late entries. Conscientious skippers should then register themselves and crew for the Jan. 14 Safety at Sea Seminar. Hosted by the highly respected Bruce Brown, this U.S. Sailing sanctioned event will help seasoned skippers and crew alike meet safety training for all 2017 sailing events. In sailing, we don’t train anywhere close to how much other sport participants do and as a primarily recreational sport, we do get complacent, said Brown. “Safety is an ever evolving element. You’ll get different information every year; that’s how fast it evolves,” said Brown. He contends that “everyone leaves these seminars with at least one nugget of new information they didn’t know before, whether it is ones’ first seminar or one of many.” Sign up at bcyc.org/event/safety-at-sea