Around Town: Statue of fallen lifeguard Ben Carlson to be unveiled July 6

A statue honoring late Newport Beach lifeguard Ben Carlson is scheduled to be unveiled at 7:30 p.m. July 6 during a public ceremony at the Newport Pier.

The 9-foot stainless-steel likeness of Carlson, who died in July 2014 while helping a struggling swimmer, was approved by the Newport Beach City Council last year. It will stand in McFadden Square near the pier.

Carlson, 32, was the first lifeguard in the Newport Beach department’s history to die in the line of duty.

The statue, by artist Jake Janz, Carlson’s brother-in-law, will depict Carlson clutching a rescue tube and fins in his left hand while his right hand shades his eyes as he gazes toward the ocean.

The artwork is funded through donations to the Benjamin Carlson Memorial & Scholarship Foundation, a nonprofit formed by Carlson’s family and friends after his death.

Sabot Nationals bring boat racers to Newport

Balboa Yacht Club hosted the annual Senior and Masters Naples Sabot Nationals boat races last weekend in the turning basin near Newport Harbor Yacht Club.

Racers representing 10 yacht clubs from San Diego to Santa Barbara competed in four divisions.

The Senior division (over age 18) included 10 racers, with Chuck Sinks of San Diego Yacht Club placing first.

In the Masters division (over 40), Scott Finkboner of Mission Bay Yacht Club placed first among 16 racers.

The Clydesdale division, for racers weighing more than 220 pounds, had three entries. Mike Pinckney of Balboa Yacht Club and Bahia Corinthian Yacht Club was the winner.

There were three entries in the Grand Masters division (over 65), with Merideth Blair of San Diego Yacht Club placing first.

The regatta for adults who race the 8-foot-long Naples Sabot began in 1972 and has been held every year since, rotating among Southern California harbors. Mission Bay Yacht Club will host the 2017 edition.

Irvine church to host ‘A Taste of Greece’ festival

Traditional Greek cuisine, live music, dancing, boutiques and more will be part of the festivities at the 38th annual “A Taste of Greece” next weekend at St. Paul’s Greek Orthodox Church in Irvine.

Hours will be from 5 to 10 p.m. June 24, noon to 10 p.m. June 25 and noon to 9 p.m. June 26. The church is at 4949 Alton Pkwy.

Admission is $3 (free for children younger than 10, and for senior citizens 65 and older from noon to 5 p.m. June 25).

For more information, call (949) 733-3102 or visit irvinegreekfest.com.