Racing talks getting in gear

A plan aimed at easing tensions between sailboat enthusiasts and the Newport Beach Harbor Patrol by issuing permits for boat races is gaining momentum, but Harbormaster Deana Bergquist said Tuesday she wants more information before forming an opinion on the proposal.

“I think it would be pretty immature to make any sort of opinion yet,” said Bergquist, who heads up the Harbor Patrol. “Our job is to make sure all the users of the harbor are safe — I would definitely be against anything that would potentially compromise our ability to keep people safe.”

The Newport Beach Harbor Commission voted last week to support a plan to issue special event permits through the city for sailboat and other races in Newport Harbor. The permits would allow boaters to exceed speed limits in the harbor during races.

“I think it makes sense for the city to perform that function for permitting events,” said Harbor Commissioner Seymour Beek, who voted in favor of the plan.

But Bergquist maintains the Harbor Patrol already has its own process for scheduling and permitting special events in Newport Harbor.

“It basically gives us an idea on who’s the sponsoring organization and what special security or safety needs they have — you can imagine during the busy times of year it becomes really important to have that information,” Bergquist said.

Groups that register their special events with the Harbor Patrol have to agree to abide by all the rules of the harbor, including speed limits, she said.

Beek said he would like to see the city take over special event permits for the races because city officials are the most in-tune with what is going on in the harbor.

In years past, the Assn. of Orange Coast Yacht Clubs, a regional umbrella group for yacht clubs, would oversee scheduling races. Beek said he would like to see a similar process put in place for Newport Harbor races again.

“It was quite simple and convenient for the boating people and seemed to work out well,” Beek said.

Sailing enthusiasts and Harbor Patrol officials have clashed in recent months over the city’s 5-knot and county 5-mile-per-hour speed limits. Bergquist wants speed limits enforced, but local yacht clubs and boating enthusiasts maintain races in the harbor are part of Newport history and a time-honored tradition in the harbor.

“The racers argue that in certain weather conditions, the posted speed limit restricts the very nature of a sailboat race, which rewards the first to cross the finish line as the winner,” said Harbor Resources Manager Chris Miller in a report to the Harbor Commission.

Under the special event permit proposal, the city would allow racers to sail faster than posted speed limits in the harbor based on weather conditions and the judgment of racing committees. The plan will go next to the city attorney’s office for further research.

BRIANNA BAILEY may be reached at (714) 966-4625 or at [email protected].