Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race

There is nothing like the Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race. Every year, for the past 64 years, boats large and small have been docking in Newport, California, for this free-for-all, 125.5 mile competitive gala. It pits professionals against amateurs; and the parties are often as famous as a place on the winner's podium.


The race starts with a fiesta and it ends with several. For many competitors, the festivities continue right through the interim, with the alcohol flowing all the way through their journey to the finishing post. There are also plenty of side-shows. On the eve of this weekend's event, in Newport, there was a 'I Want to Be a Chihuahua Parade', featuring the competitors' dogs in fancy dress.

The annual Newport-to-Ensenada International Yacht Race has long been to competitive sailing what Olympic swimming would be if Michael Phelps shared the pool with a gaggle of guys in inner tubes towing a keg of beer.
Mike Anton, LA Times

Yet there is a serious side too. One winner, Dennis Connor, even mused that it might be more difficult to complete than the America's Cup.


This year, 175 boats entered the race, yet only 167 actually made it off the starting line. Of those, a mere 112 reached Ensenada. While a steady breeze blew them down the coast of the Californias, the crews had to battle against it once they reached Todos Santos.

The difficulty is that no-one knows what to expect. The wind can change direction at any time over the Pacific Ocean and these people are relying upon their sails. Skill plays its part, but so does sheer luck. This is why the race is so popular. Amateurs have an equal chance of winning against the professionals.



This year's winners were:

1. Afterburner (Tennant Bladerunner 52), Bill Gibbs, Pierpont Bay Yacht Club, elapsed time 17 hours 8 minutes 53 seconds, corrected time 22:33:05.
2. Stars and Stripes (Farr 60), Dennis Conner, San Diego YC, ET 18:28:25, CT 20:40:11.
3. Alchemy (Dencho 70), Per Peterson, Oceanside YC, ET 19:20:23, CT 22:16:05.
4. Medicine Man (Andrews 63), Bob Lane, Long Beach YC, ET 19:24:13, CT 22:51:17.
5. Peligroso (Kernan 70), Lorenz Berho, Mexico City, ET 19:45:33, CT 24:02:49.
6. It's OK (Andrews 50), Tres Gordos LLC, ET 19:48:09, CT 21:47:23.
7. Taxi Dancer (Reichel/Pugh 68), Dick Compton/Jim Yabsley/Tom Parker, Santa Barbara YC, ET 20:28:13, CT 23:23:55.
8. Relentless (Santa Cruz 52T), Durant/Shew, Long Beach YC, ET 20:55:19, CT 21:45:31.
9. Stealth Chicken (Perry 56), Tim Beatty, ET 20:58:25, CT 22:07:27.
10. Piranha (Farr 40), David Voss, California YC, ET 21:05:45, CT 21:18:18.

Once all have reached the Pacific town of Ensenada, then the party can really begin. There are the award ceremonies, but there is also a carnival atmosphere throughout the town. The Bahia Hotel is the centerpoint and the place where many of the competitors will have stayed the night. It is here that Ensenada will have laid on its brightest and best entertainment, while the food piles up and the alcohol flows some more.


The Newport of Ensenada Yacht Race (N2E to those in the know) is billed as something that you have to 'do' once in your life. Watching it, and participating in the events around it, is a lot of fun, but experiencing being in that starting line is something else. It will run again this time next year. Plenty of time to get your boat and crew together. Good luck!

La Bufadora

The world's second largest marine geyser is located in Mexico. La Bufadora (the blowhole) can reach heights of 100ft (30.5m) with its frequent plumes of water. It is truly a spectacular sight, even more so when the rarity of the marine geyser phenomena is taken into account.


A particularly large spout happens at 1.10. Note how it sprays the camera, despite its position high above the crowds.
The effect is caused by a partially submerged sea cave. As the tide comes in, with the full force of the Pacific Ocean behind it, water is rammed into this cave. It collides with the air trapped in there and the pressure mounts. What goes in has to come out and so air and water burst through the first available exit. This is a blowhole located at the top. The ocean hits the blowhole like a jet-stream resulting in those amazing geyser explosions.

Very occasionally, an even more elusive phenomenom occurs. This is the double-bufa. As you might imagine from the name, that is a double spout in quick succession.


La Bufadora is one of Mexico's natural wonders and it has long been a huge draw for tourists. It is located on Punta Banda Peninsula, Baja California (around 30km (20 miles) south of Ensenada), overlooking the vast expanse of the Pacific Ocean. Coach tours frequently leave Ensenada to come here, taking in the wonderful sights of Bahia Todos Los Santos along the way. Many people choose to travel to the attraction in their own cars. It is a pleasant, scenic drive along the main Route 23, which ends in the car park here. The way is well signposted from all directions.

Pick any day of the year and La Bufadora is filled with people. They will all be screaming in delight, as ocean water towers into the air, then crashes back down again. It is perfectly safe, insofar as no-one is going to get dragged into the ocean by it. However, raincoats and umbrellas are recommended for those who do not wish to become soaked to the skin. (Personally, I think that getting wet is half of the fun! Just leave a set of dry clothes in the car and all is well.)

Cruise ships sail by, with some of them docking to allow their passengers to visit the marine geyser. Between December and March, there are also grey whales to view from this coast, as they migrate to and from their breeding lagoons.


La Bufadora has been developed into a complex, which caters for thousands of tourists. There is a restaurant and the usual souvenir shops, along with comfort amenities and ample car parking. Much of the color is added by street vendors and the mercado (market), with stalls selling anything from corn snacks to cultural handicrafts.

Buskers and other performers keep the crowd entertained, as they shop or await another eruption from the famous blowhole. Once all spectacle is sated, then there are also serene and quite beautiful gardens to wander through.


A stall at La Bufadora Market


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