Sailing : Winds Push Yachts Toward Puerta Vallarta

Strong northwest winds Sunday were pushing the 28 yachts in the Marina del Rey-to-Puerta Vallarta, Mexico, race down the Baja California coast at a record pace.

Led by the 84-foot sloop Christine, all of the Class-A boats had logged more than 200 miles in the first 23 hours of sailing. The race started Saturday at 1 p.m. and the position roll call was at noon Sunday.

Fred Preiss, skipper of Christine, reported a 258-mile run, placing him off San Quintin, Baja California.

Joss, a MacGregor-65 skippered by Dick Daniels of Long Beach had logged 259 miles but was considerably farther out to sea, placing her four miles behind Christine on the rhumbline (most direct course).

Charlie, the scratch boat in the International offshore division was 243 miles from he start. The Class-A leader on corrected time was Reuben Vollmer’s Santa-Cruz-50 Elusive out of King Harbor Yacht Club with 233 miles under her keel.

Race officials at the sponsoring Del Rey Yacht Club are calculating that the elapsed time record of 5 days 8 hours could be shattered by more than a day if weather conditions remain favorable. Most of the Class-A yachts are averaging 11 knots.