SAND DABBLING : SeaFest Draws on Synergy From a Mix of Contests, Parties, Cleanups and Cook-Offs

The driving idea behind the Newport SeaFest, according to its organizer, is “synergy.” That may sound like so much California-speak, but there’s at least an element of truth to the description.

Many of the individual events now in the festival used to be all over the calendar before they were first brought together in 1989. Collected under the SeaFest banner, such events as chowder cook-offs and electric boat races gain a cachet they didn’t have on their own.

The idea, inspired by the Seattle SeaFair, was to carve a single Event out of all these disparate happenings. In the process, the local tourist industry gets a post-Labor Day boost, says Richard Luehrs, president of the Newport Harbor Area Chamber of Commerce and organizer of SeaFest.

In addition to bringing together existing events, SeaFest organizers added some new ones, most notably the Taste of Newport. This year’s Taste, which comes to Fashion Island Sept. 20 to 22, is expected to draw 40,000 visitors, Luehrs says (see story, Page 10).

The overall SeaFest begins Sept. 13 with the opening of the UCI Water Polo Tournament in Corona del Mar. Also on the menu: contests in open-ocean swimming, fishing, sailing, sandcastle building, windsurfing--and, yes, an electric boat race and a chowder cook-off.

There are long-distance bike tours, kiddie events at the Newport Library, a fund-raising beach party, a volunteer cleaning for Upper Newport Bay and a kite festival (see accompanying schedule for details).

The common ground, besides the (sometimes vague) watery theme, is Newport Beach, Orange County’s swankiest seaside address and boating capital.

It wasn’t always that way, of course. Although Newport Landing was a busy commercial wharf in the 1890s, the city of Newport Beach did not yet exist. When it incorporated in 1906, there were all of 425 residents, Balboa Peninsula was a sandy spit with little more than a few scattered tent dwellers and Balboa Island did not exist (it and other islands were constructed later from dredgings during the construction of Newport Harbor).

By 1911, the city boasted 25 motorboats, a few sailboats and about 200 rowboats and canoes. The next year, however, the Army Corps of Engineers began its survey for what it decided would be a recreational harbor, rather than a commercial one, and the city’s future was sealed.

The first real phase of the harbor’s development for recreational boating was finished as a WPA project in 1936. Today, more than 9,000 boats are docked in the harbor, and waterfront real estate is among the priciest anywhere. The late John Wayne is the most celebrated former resident, but other stars have called Newport Beach home as well.

Some of the best restaurants in the county are within a stone’s throw of the water and the Taste of Newport is having more luck each year in attracting the best of them, according to Luehrs. Spaces for the event were limited to 40 restaurants and wineries, and sold out more than two months before the event.

Elsewhere at SeaFest (in chronological order):

* UCI Water Polo Tournament. One of the country’s biggest collegiate water polo tournaments, expected to draw 15 teams and about 2,000 spectators. When: Friday, Sept. 13, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 14, 7 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Sunday, Sept. 15, 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. Where: Corona del Mar High School, 2101 E. Bluff Drive. Wherewithal: $4-$7 a day ($15 for a three-day pass). Where to call: (714) 856-5814.

* Newport Library SeaFest “Fun for Kids.” Open house and nautical exhibit, with special events for specific age groups. When: Friday, Sept. 13, and Sept. 20, 10 a.m. to 9 p.m.; Saturday, Sept. 14, Sunday, Sept. 15, and Sept. 21 and 22, 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Where: Balboa branch, 100 E. Balboa Blvd.; Newport Center, 856 San Clemente Drive. Wherewithal: Free. Where to call: (714) 644-3188.

* Pier swim. An open-ocean competitive swim, with trophies awarded in several age categories. When: Saturday, Sept. 14, 8 a.m. Where: Balboa Pier, Main Street and Balboa Boulevard. Wherewithal: $15 entry fee. Where to call: (714) 644-3044.

* Windsurfing competition. Sponsored by the American Legion Yacht Club. When: Saturday, Sept. 14, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Where: Newport Harbor, with the race starting at 15th Street off Balboa Boulevard. Wherewithal: $10 registration for individuals, $15 for families. Spectators free. Where to call: (714) 631-4108.

* Fishing tournament. The third annual tournament offers two divisions: in harbor and open ocean. When: Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 14 and 15, 6 a.m. to 1 p.m. Call for details on entry rules and location. Where to call: (714) 644-8211.

* SeaFest Sailing Regatta. As many as 100 sailors are expected to compete in the Voyagers Yacht Club Challenge Cup. When: Saturday, Sept. 14, 11:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: Starts next to the Newport Pier, Newport and Balboa boulevards. Wherewithal: $10 entry fee. Spectators free. Where to call: (714) 723-0864.

* SeaFest Regatta. This regatta, sponsored by the Lido Island Yacht Club, will comprise smaller boats and windsurfers and take place inside the bay. When: Saturday, Sept. 14, noon (11 a.m. registration). Where: Lido Island Yacht Club, 701 Via Lido Sound. Wherewithal: Free. Where to call: (714) 673-6170.

* 552 Club beach event. A fund-raising beach party held by the Hoag Hospital 552 Club. When: Sunday, Sept. 15, 2 to 7 p.m. Where: Newport Dunes Aquatic Park, 1131 Back Bay Drive. Wherewithal: $15-$50. Where to call: (714) 574-7211.

* Cycle SeaFest bicycle event. More than 2,000 riders are expected to take part in tours of 11 and 35 miles, each passing through Newport Back Bay. The event includes a health and fitness fair. When: Sunday, Sept. 15, 7:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. Where: Meet at Newport Dunes Aquatic Park, 1131 Back Bay Drive. Wherewithal: $30 for individuals, $45 for families. Where to call: (714) 644-8211.

* Chowder Cook-Off. Restaurants, individuals and community groups vie to be named best chowder makers in Newport Beach. When: Sunday, Sept. 15, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: Via Lido Plaza, Via Lido, Newport Beach. Wherewithal: Admission free. Where to call: (714) 644-8211.

* Taste of Newport. Food, wine and beer are offered by 40 area restaurants in this third annual event, expected to draw some 30,000 visitors. With live entertainment. When: Sept. 20, 5 to 10 p.m.; Sept. 21, noon to 10 p.m.; Sept. 22, noon to 6 p.m. Where: Fashion Island, Newport Center, Newport Beach. Wherewithal: $6. Where to call: (714) 644-8211.

* Clean Harbor Day II. Several hundred volunteers will assist in removing trash from the Upper Newport Bay Ecological Reserve. When: Sept. 21, 9 a.m. to noon. Where: Meet at Newport Dunes Aquatic Park, 1131 Back Bay Drive. Where to call: (714) 644-8211.

* Electric boat race. Boat owners must answer questions about Newport Harbor history in order to take part in the rally-style Duffield Marines Fifth Annual Great Electric Boat Race. When: Sept. 21, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Where: Starts at the Balboa Bay Club, 1221 W. Coast Highway, Newport Beach. Wherewithal: $75 entry fee (including lunch for four). Spectators free. Where to call: (714) 557-5100.

* Kite festival. Includes demonstrations by professional kite-flying teams and a contest open to the public. When: Sept. 21 and 22, 10 a.m to 4 p.m. Where: Balboa Park, Main Street and Balboa Boulevard. Wherewithal: Most contests free. Where to call: (714) 673-0450.

* Sandcastle contest. More than 50 sand sculptures will be created by amateurs and professionals. When: Sept. 22, noon to 3 p.m. Where: Corona del Mar State Beach. Wherewithal: Free admission. Where to call: (714) 644-8211.