The Harbor Report: Don’t be another brick in the wall

The Newport Beach City Council’s ad hoc committee, which will make recommendations regarding tideland permit cost increases, has delayed its recommendation by two weeks.

That’s right, the council will be voting on this issue as early as Oct. 26.

On hearing this news, my mind flashed back a few decades to a Pink Floyd concert in Southern California. I think to myself that I have become “Comfortably Numb.”

Please go to YouTube and play one of the “Comfortably Numb” videos to understand my joke. Because I am afraid what the Newport City’s Council’s ad hoc committee is going to recommend is just that: “a joke.”

OK, so now you have a short smile on your face and you are noticing the song “Another Brick in the Wall Part II” and play that. You suddenly realize this is no joke, and “if you don’t eat your meat you can’t have any pudding, how can you have your pudding if you don’t eat your meat?”

Please call your Newport City Council members and tell them of your concerns before you become just “Another brick in the wall.”

Now let’s talk about what’s going on around the harbor this weekend: the 2010 Harbor 20 Championships out of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club. At the time of my writing, 25 boats have entered, with equal entries in both A and B classes.

Most any of the entries in A Fleet can win the Championships when you notice names like Bill Menninger, Bob Yachts, Tom Corkett, Tom Schock and Jim Kerrigan.

I am friends with all of these guys and to pick one name out of all 13-plus people is a difficult bet to place.

So, if I was going to bet a cookie on who was going to win A fleet, I would have to go with Diane and Bill Menninger. Team Menninger was fast last weekend, winning both BCYC and NHYC warm-up events.

Like always, consistent finishes is what wins regattas, but blend in the amount of current and large charter boats we had last weekend and anyone can win.

So, no pressure, Bill, now that I placed your name in print and have bet a cookie on you.

Are you interested in who I would like to see win A Fleet this year? That would have to be Carter Ford and Judy Weightman. Because with Carter Ford taking home the Pickal Dish that’s like giving Gen. Patton a headline in the paper, things will improve in the harbor.

In B Fleet it appears there are 12-plus contenders, and I am not going to bet on this fleet because I will be racing with Mary Bacon onboard the Rascal II.

We raced in last week’s BCYC event and sailed very well up until when Mary asked me if I wanted to drive one race. We did not realize it was a Harbor 20 High Point regatta.

By allowing me to helm we disqualified ourselves from that race. Anyway, we were just out to have fun, right? Right.

Speaking of fun, this Saturday is the 14 Mile Bank/BYC 66 Series. Looking at the results of the 66 Series there is still a race for first place in A Fleet between Tango, Dare and Radical Departure.

This will be a good race to watch because it appears that in the class B Amante and class C Whistler boats have the series wrapped up. No pressure, Buddy and Pete!

The weather is great, and there is a lot of good racing going in and around our harbor. Take a look at the “padddle4Life” website. Jack might be coming in this weekend and it would be great if everyone would go out and greet him.

I also need to give another shoutout to Bronny Joy of Joysailing for the photo again.

Please call your council members.

LEN BOSE is an experienced boater, yacht broker and boating columnist.