‘Mouse’ Is Hoping to Roar to Ensenada

Racing sailboats to Baja California on the last weekend in April is a spring tradition and a floating fiesta for many, but one boat among the 460 is on a mission in the 56th Tommy Bahama Newport-to-Ensenada Yacht Race starting at noon today off Newport Beach.

Pyewacket wants its record back.

In 1998, Roy E. Disney’s Reichel/Pugh-designed 77-foot ultralight sloop became the first boat to complete the 125 nautical miles -- 144 statute miles -- before midnight. His secret?

“It’s the mouse,” said Disney, vice chairman of the board of the company built by his late uncle Walt.

But last year, while the mouse was away setting other records in the Caribbean and Great Lakes, the race saw rare conditions of fair, consistent following winds -- and six other boats stole the cheese.

“Yeah, we do take that personally,” said Disney’s son, Roy Pat, who will serve as skipper this time while his father attends a company board meeting in Florida.

Doug Baker’s Magnitude, the Andrews 70 that led the record assault in 11 hours 23 minutes 53 seconds, has been sold and moved to the East Coast.

However, runner-up Medicine Man, the Andrews 61 sailed by Long Beach pharmacist Bob Lane, is back, along with two competitive Transpac 52s that also beat Pyewacket’s time: Bill Turpin’s Alta Vita from Santa Cruz and Mike Campbell’s Victoria 5 from Long Beach.

But Pyewacket’s strongest competition could come from a new boat more in its class: Alchemy, a sleek Andrews 77 being rushed to the line by Dick Compton of Santa Barbara for its maiden race.

Last year’s race was special. Ernie Minney, whose 68-year-old, 53-foot schooner Samarang was scored first overall on corrected handicap time, said, “We had a miracle dream race, the best ever.”

Roy Pat Disney said, “I’ve done that race 20, 25 times, and it works out that the race we miss is the windy one. The reality is that we probably would have been 45 minutes to an hour in front of them.”