Southland Sailing : February Is a Busy Month on Yachtsmen’s Calendars

It may be the middle of winter, but February promises to be one of the busiest months of the new sailing season.

Leading off is the Southern California Marine Assn. Boat Show, which began a 10-day run at the Los Angeles Convention Center Friday.

Four major events are scheduled next Saturday, among them the start of San Diego Yacht Club’s biennial Manzanillo race, in which 28 ocean craft will make the 1,100-mile run.

Los Angeles Yacht Club has chosen the same date for its 85th opening-day ceremonies at its aging clubhouse on Terminal Island. The club’s 1986 officers will also be installed. They are Elliott (Joe) Cutting, commodore; James H. Brenner, vice commodore; Christopher M. Moore, rear commodore, and Albert Garnier, fleet captain.

Newport Harbor Yacht Club and Balboa Yacht Club will join forces Feb. 8 for the inaugural race of Newport’s Ahmanson and Dickson series, and Balboa’s 66 series.

Long Beach Yacht Club will join the activity with its Midget Ocean Racing Class Invitational Regatta Feb. 8 and its Nine Marks race for International Offshore Rule (IOR), Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF) and Catalina-25s the next day.

The biggest event of the winter season, the Southern California Yachting Assn. Midwinter Regatta, is scheduled Feb. 15-17. It is expected to draw more than 800 boats in more than 100 classes.

A week later, Los Angeles Yacht Club will inaugurate its 1986 Whitney series for IOR yachts, the Los Angeles Times series for PHRF boats, the Little Whitney series for MORC, and the Todd Pacific series for small PHRF yachts. The first event is the Around Catalina Island race for the Brokaw trophy.