Sailing : Fall Races Fall Short by Comparison : Newport Association Gets Bulk of Interest From Ensenada Event

The Newport Ocean Sailing Assn. is best known for one race: the boisterous rites-of-spring Newport-to-Ensenada regatta, held each April amid much hoopla and hype. In sheer numbers--more than 600 boats and 250 officials took part last spring--the Ensenada race is, by far, the association’s largest event.

But most of the Newport association’s events, including the anniversary of the inaugural meeting of the organization, take place in the fall, amid little hoopla and no hype.

Consider, for example, the following:

--The 31st annual Argosy Race held this past weekend, a two-day race from Newport Beach to Cabrillo Beach and back.

--The 40th annual 14-mile Bank Race Oct. 22 from Newport Beach out 14 miles to a mark place in 360 feet of water upon a seamount called Lasuen Knoll.

--The Southern California Yachting Assn. in-the-harbor competition Oct. 23 for commodores and fleet captains.

--The CHOC (Children’s Hospital of Orange County) Regatta Oct. 30, which will start in front of the Pavillion and include in-the-harbor and outside-the-harbor competition for both power and sailboats.

“It is a busy time of the year for us,” said Loren Weiss, general chairman and first vice president of the Newport association. “The CHOC Regatta is new this, year and we hope to get a good turnout because 100% of the entry fee goes directly to CHOC.”

But attracting attention--and entries--to other association events is often difficult, especially when comparing them to the Ensenada race, the largest international yacht race in the world.

The Argosy attracted 24 entries, and the 14-mile Bank Race is expected to attract about 60 boats; the Ensenada Race draws more than 10 times that number.

“Of course, the Ensenada Race is our biggest event,” said Weiss, a member of the Newport organization since 1951. “It took more than 250 committee members last spring to run it.”

Even so, the organization, which now has nearly 1,000 members, from Santa Barbara to San Diego, continues to add events to its racing calendar and accomplishments to its list of “NOSA firsts,” said Weiss.

It was among the first yacht-race organizations to require safety inspections of all competing boats. “Now safety inspections have become a standard thing,” Weiss said.

The organization was founded Aug. 15, 1947, shortly after World War II, when yachting was put on hold in Newport Harbor. During the war, pleasure boats were not permitted to enter or leave the harbor without permission.

“NOSA was founded to revive the pre-World War II enthusiasm for sailing,” said Bud Desenberg, president of the organization in 1961 and ’62 and author of a history of the Ensenada race. “It was founded to be a family-type sailing experience and to sponsor regattas and races.”

George Michaud, one of the founding members of the organization, first suggested racing from Newport Beach to Ensenada. The first Ensenada race was held April 23, 1948.

From the beginning, NOSA has been a family affair, said Doug Wall, the association’s president.

“We encourage husband-and-wife teams,” Wall said.

For example, Wall’s wife, Laura, has a name badge that reads: co-president. And Loren Weiss’ wife, Charline, serves as co-general chairwoman.

The organization also is one of only a few that actually give its perpetual trophies to winners to take home for the year. Only one of the approximately 40 trophies has not been returned at the end of the racing year, said Tom Parsons, trophy chairman.

“And that was one that was stolen from the yacht club where it was on display,” Parsons said. “We thought we had lost another one once. It was missing and we heard the boat that won it broke up and sank on the way back from Ensenada. We thought the trophy went down with the boat.”

But while having lunch at the yacht club in Newport Beach, Parsons said he spotted the missing trophy, which had somehow found its way into the club display case, and returned it to the organization.

“We’re still looking for the other one,” he said. “We haven’t given up yet.”

Beginning today, The Times will publish each Monday the results of weekend sailing regattas sponsored by Orange County clubs.