Southland Sailing : 110-Mile Race to San Diego Launches a Busy Schedule

Only 197 sailboats, the smallest number in the 19-year history of the event, will get underway today at 11 a.m. in the 110-mile Marina del Rey-to-San Diego race.

Interest in the race, co-sponsored by Windjammers Yacht Club of Marina del Rey and Southwestern Yacht Club of San Diego, has been slowly dwindling since its heyday, when nearly 400 yachts would enter the race. Last year, there were 225 entries.

The race is just the start of one of the busiest weeks in yacht racing in many years, with three other major regattas scheduled.

On Sunday, Balboa Yacht Club will defend one of the oldest yachting trophies in West Coast yachting in a match race with St. Francis Yacht Club for the San Francisco Challenge Cup, which dates back to 1895.

BYC will defend the title with the 39-foot Impact, skippered by Tom Wilson, in a sudden-death race with the 38-foot Wall Street Duck with John Bertrand at the helm. The race starts at 1 p.m. off the Newport Pier and the club will have several spectator boats on hand for those wishing to attend.

More than 60 Cal-20s are expected at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, Long Beach, Monday for the week-long 25th national championship for the class. Several of the Cal-20 crews will be competing Saturday and Sunday in ABYC’s Fourth of July Regatta as a tune-up for the nationals. The nationals will consist of fleet team racing on Monday, the junior championship Tuesday, an elimination series Wednesday, and the championship-consolation series Friday and Saturday.