A rite of passage for SoCal sailors

The 76th Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race will commence on April 26, 2024. The 125 nm course from Newport Beach, CA to Ensenada, Mexico has long been a rite of passage for Southern California sailors, with the more recent option of an 88 nm course to San Diego, CA.

The entry list has 164 boats going the full distance with 20 teams staying north of the international border.

The 2023 race saw better-than-expected winds at the start, but dropped overnight, making for very close racing by morning’s light. For 2024, the Windy.com app is suggesting that westerly winds will carry the fleet all the way to the finish.

The inaugural race was held in 1948, with a record 675 boats entered in 1983 to earn N2E the title of “World’s Largest International Yacht Race.”

Tom Siebel’s Orion, a MOD70 has held the multihull elapsed time record since 2016 when it broke an 18-year-old record with a time of 5:17:26. A new monohull elapsed time record was set in 2022 when Manouch Moshayedi’s custom RIO 100 crossed the finish line before sunset with a time of 7:02:17.

Trophies are awarded in more than 40 classes for the best in ultra-light and maxi-yachts and non-spinnaker and cruising classes.

Event Details – Entry List – Facebook