TERRANCE PHILLIPS -- The Harbor Column

The Newport Harbor Yacht Club will host the “United States Yacht Club

Challenge 2000,” starting Wednesday. Since its inception 16 years ago,

the event has grown to become one of the most popular yacht club national

competitions.

Ten top ranked yacht clubs will participate in the four-day regatta. To

be invited to compete in the every-other-year event, clubs must qualify

based on their recent achievements in racing, race management, youth

development and service to the sport in general.

Competing clubs this year include Long Beach Yacht Club and Newport

Harbor Yacht Club.The regatta was originally sailed in New York-36 sloops

supplied by the host club. In 1990, the competition expanded to include

junior sailors in two dingy classes (CFJ’s and Lasers). Now 40% of the

participating yacht club’s total racing score is based on the performance

of its younger sailors and 60% based on their big boat (Catalina 27’s)

performance.

Newport Harbor High School has a strong national youth program, operated

out of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club. Newport Harbor High School has

garnered several national youth sailing championships in the past five

years. They are very tough competitors.

Clubs compete for the coveted “Baldwin M. Baldwin” trophy, which was

originally given to the winner of the 1915 Panama-Pacific International

Exposition horse show. Its namesake’s wife, the late Maruja Baldwin,

redeeded the trophy for the challenge. I guess you could call the trophy

a gift from “horse to halyards.”

On March 15, The New York Yacht Club was the site for the Rolex 2000

Yachtsman & Yachtswoman of the year awards. Dawn Riley, age 35, who

skippered the coed-crewed America’s Cup challenger “America True,” was

honored as Yachtswoman of the year. San Diego’s Eric Doyle was named

Yachtsman. Riley teamed up with Chris Coffin, a local Newport Beach

product and COO of the America True syndicate whose team knocked Dennis

Conner out of the Louis Vuitton Cup finals and Conner’s chance to

potentially race against New Zealand’s Kiwi Magic.

Much in life is unpredictable but there is one thing certain -- Coffin,

Riley and Conner have already made plane reservations back to Auckland

four years from now. In the minds of these sailors, the sea will remain

forever turbulent until the “Auld Mug,” is back on American soil.

* TERRANCE PHILLIPS column runs Mondays. He can be reached via e-mail at

[email protected] .