‘This is quite a sight’

Elia Powers

The race boat Genuine Risk pulled into Newport Harbor around 2:15

p.m. Thursday with all the pageantry expected for a prize race horse

strutting into the winner’s circle.

The 90-foot silver yacht from San Diego decelerated quickly as it

approached the temporary docks stationed near Carnation Cove.

With tunes from Green Day blasting from the boat’s interior, some

of the 10 crew members leaped onto the dock and muscled the vessel

into its resting spot.

The Balboa Yacht Club welcomed the largest boat in this weekend’s

First Team Real Estate Invitational Regatta with a waterworks show on

one of its smaller boats.

Regatta co-chairmen Jay Swigart and Jim Madden were on hand to

greet the boat’s captain, New Zealand native Duffy Lidgard.

“This is quite a sight,” said Swigart as he introduced himself to

the boat’s crew. “These type of boats have never come to this bay

until now.”

Lidgard, wearing a red windbreaker and dark shades, looked

refreshed, even after a six-and-a-half-hour ride up the coast.

“Looks like the spotlight is on us,” Lidgard said as he unloaded

material from the boat.

He said he planned to relax Thursday night in preparation for the

three-day regatta, which begins today.

Neil Barth, an oncologist at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian,

was busy tending to his yacht, America’s Challenge II, when Genuine

Risk made its entrance into the harbor.

Barth emerged from the lower section of his vessel and threw a

sail onto the blue-carpeted dock. He brought the 65-foot boat from

Long Beach on Wednesday and said he was planning to go on a test run

with crew members Thursday afternoon.

“We’re just trying to make sure everyone is comfortable with their

spots,” he said.

America’s Challenge II was built in 1997 to sail in an

around-the-world event. Barth said he is excited to be racing in his

own backyard.

“For the yachting community, getting these boats in is

phenomenal,” he said. “It’s nice not having to travel hundreds of

miles to race.”

Barth has more than 10 crew members, many of whom have been with

him for 25 years.

That includes Mesa Verde resident Hartley Turpin, a senior member

of Barth’s crew who took time Thursday to take in some sun.

“This is going to be fun,” said Turpin, wearing a floppy hat and a

blue shirt lined with tropical fish. “This is a great venue and a

nice way to go sailing with your friends.”

But Thursday was mostly a day of heavy-duty lifting and unloading,

particularly for Ryan Rawlings, whose brother’s company installed the

temporary docks.

Rawlings estimated he had spent at least 80 hours at the docks

since Friday.

Alice McCormick, a volunteer from Hoag Hospital’s 552 Club, said

she was expecting an eight-hour day as a makeshift security guard.

Other than asking co-chairman Swigart to identify himself, it was

smooth sailing for McCormick.

“Nothing I’m doing is work,” she said. “Who wouldn’t like standing

out here and watching the boats come into place?”