Competition Set for Classic Sailboats

Yachts will glide through the waters off Channel Islands Harbor on Saturday in the 22nd annual McNish Classic Yacht Race.

The McNish Classic allows those who adhere to traditional sailing techniques to race classic wooden boats of all sizes in one event. This year, yachts will range from 17-foot thistles to 70-foot cutters.

Tailored for true competition, the race has staggered start times for the various vessels to ensure that the big boats don’t blow their smaller counterparts out of the water. If the boats’ handicaps are assigned properly, most of the boats should finish within a matter of minutes of each other.

But it’s not just the handicaps that make this event one-of-a-kind. Organizers and participants alike agree that the major draw is the attitude and atmosphere of the race.

“Loving a classic vessel joins these people together,” said Louise Ann Noeth, the race publicist. “It’s really a friendly and fun race.”

After the starting air horns sound around noon, the yachts will begin leaving from the mouth of Channel Islands Harbor at varying intervals, according to their handicaps. The course will take the competitors out near the Channel Islands, then back toward the Mandalay Bay Power Station.

Noeth said the last leg of the race, parallel to the beach between the power station and the harbor, is the most spectacular. That is when the yachts, passing each other frequently, will raise their colorful spinnakers and make the mad dash toward the finish point.

“Literally, they’re like museum pieces in the water,” said Noeth.

Between 25 and 40 entrants will compete in Saturday’s race. Noeth said the number of competitors is usually uncertain until the day of the race.