Southland Sailing : Entry Decline Baffles Officials

Newport Ocean Sailing Assn. officials are puzzled about a continuing decrease in entries for the yacht race from Newport to Ensenada.

There are 575 boats registered, down from 635 last year, and considerably fewer than the record of 708 in 1982. The race will start April 27.

This will be the 38th year of the 125-mile race, which started in 1948 with fewer than 100 entries and was touted as a good-will race to the Baja California fishing village. Since then, it has become the world’s largest--but shortest--international yacht race.

For many years the race was started on the Thursday nearest the Cinco de Mayo Mexican holiday, but in later years, as the landlubber crowds discovered the resort and started mingling with thousands of sailors, race followers and Mexican celebrants, occasional riots threatened to kill the race.

NOSA and Mexican officials solved the problem by scheduling the start of the race on Saturday, which put the yachtsmen in Ensenada after the crowds of U.S. visitors were heading back to the border. There have been no serious incidents since.

Despite the turnout of boats--many with inexperienced offshore crews--there has never been a serious accident, although several boats were dismasted in heavy weather during the first race.

The start of the Ensenada race, also known as the Tequila Derby, the Enchilada Race, and the Race to Hussong’s, is a yachting spectacular for viewers who crowd the shores at Balboa and the bluffs over Corona del Mar to watch the massed yachts jockeying for position before the start.