SoCal’s holiday boat parade winners of 2018 announced

SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA —If there’s one thing Southern Californians know, it’s a good boat show. Not to mention, we are spoiled with choice and 2018’s parade schedule was no exception.

Though 2018 saw its fair share of major news stories, including one boat-parade-related item that saw an intoxicated young man steal a yacht during Newport Beach’s festivities, the fires did not see any cancellations this year.

Boaters in Marina del Rey, Redondo Beach, Los Angeles, Long Beach, Huntington Beach, Newport Beach, Dana Point, Oceanside, San Diego, Santa Barbara and Ventura took to the waterways and decked their vessels with the brightest of lights and most festive of decorations to celebrate the holidays.

Participating boaters in these floating parades win recognition or even awards for their efforts in creating a winter wonderland on water. The names released for a handful of the 2018 boat parade champions are listed below. May 2019 sparkle and congratulations to the winners!

 

ORANGE COUNTY

Dana Point Harbor Boat Parade of Lights
Best Crew: less than 30 feet – Radical Sea Monkey
Best Crew: less than 30 feet runner up – Rider Pride
Best Crew 30+ feet – Besame Mucho
Best Crew 30+ feet runner up – Good Times
Best Animation: less than 30 feet – Furlough Daze
Best Animation: less than 30 feet runner up – Amber Marie
Best Animation: 30+ feet – Prime Time
Best Animation: 30+ feet Runner Up – Cetacean
Best Use of Color: less than 30 feet – Drummer Boy
Best Use of Color: less than 30 feet runner up – Deep Color
Best Use of Color: 30+ feet – Hair of the Dog
Best Use of Color: 30+ feet runner up – Sea Wind O
Best Use of Lights: less than 30 feet – Doheny Doll
Best Use of Lights: less than 30 feet runner up – Sparkle
Best Use of Lights: 30+ feet – Rapscallion
Best Use of Lights: 30+ feet runner up – Teaser
Most Original: less than 30 feet – Fish Tales
Most Original: less than 30 feet runner up – San Clemente
Most Original: 30+ feet – Sea Wind O
Most Original: 30+ feet runner up – San Mateo
Best Theme: less than 30 feet – Mer Sea
Best Theme: less than 30 feet runner up – Radical Sea Monkey
Best Theme: 30+ feet – Besame Mucho
Best Theme: 30+ feet runner up – Rapscallion
Best Sailboat: less than 30 feet – Mer Sea
Best Sailboat: less than 30 feet runner up – Dulce
Best Sailboat: 30+ feet – Besame Mucho
Best Sailboat: 30+ feet runner up – Relentless
Best Powerboat: less than 30 feet – Doheny Doll
Best Powerboat: less than 30 feet runner up – Fish Tales
Best Powerboat: 30+ feet – Sea Wind O
Best Powerboat: 30+ feet runner up – Cetacean
Yacht Club with Most Entries: Dana West Yacht Club

 

Newport Beach Boat Parade and Ring of Lights
Best Powerboat: Two are Better Than One
Best Sailboat: Mayflower
Best Boat, less than 30 feet: Seaswirl
Best Lights: Valor
Best Lights: Balboa Bay Club/Alexander Marine
Best Lights: Simply Bliss
Humor and Originality: Sea Schooner
Humor and Originality: Fan Tail Jr.
Humor and Originality: Amazing Grace
Animation & Special Effects: Seas the Day
Animation & Special Effects: #Lighttheworld, The Church of Jesus Christ Latter Day Saints
Animation & Special Effects: Time Bandit
Best Music: Velocity
Best First-Time Entry: Mayflower
Best Yacht Club Entry: Fan Tail Jr.
Yacht Club with Most Entries: Balboa Yacht Club

 

LOS ANGELES COUNTY

Marina Del Rey Holiday Boat Parade
Best Overall: Stiletto
Best Power: Ensoille
Best Sail: Ellis Island II
Best Yacht Club: Pau Hana (Pacific Mariners Yacht Club)
Best Organization: Bella Vita (Women’s Sailing Association of Santa Monica Bay)
Best Charter: Tiki Two
Best Individual: Senia Jade
Best Theme (Holiday Water Wonderland) First Place: Trinity
Best Theme Second Place: Love The Journey
Best Music First Place: Ellen
Best Music Second Place: Jambo
Best Spirit First Place: Reyna Del Mar
Best Spirit Second Place: Lolita
Best Live Band First Place: Plan B
Best Live Band Second Place: Ellis Island II
Best Lights First Place: Malaga
Best Lights Second Place: Diana
Best Animation First Place: Charles Hathaway (California Yacht Club)
Best Animation Second Place: Katrina

 

Naples Island 72nd annual Boat Parade

Large Boat Parade Winners:
Grand Prize Boat: Tenacious
Theme: Star Ship 5
Lights: Enchantress
Spirit: Los Primos
Costumes: Blazing Paddles
Originality: Emma E
Honorable Mention – Best Tree Display: Baby Jane
Honorable Mention – Best Flag Award: Maui Diamond

Small Boat Parade Winners:
Grand Prize Boat: Cerritos Bahia Yacht Club
Theme: Santa’s Tunnel
Lights: Shock and Awe
Music: Wilson Band
Costumes: Woody
Originality: Blazing Paddles
Honorable Mention – Most Creative: Sabotage
Honorable Mention – Most Humorous: Huntington

 

VENTURA COUNTY

42nd annual Ventura Harbor Parade of Lights
People’s Choice Award: Disco Dinghy (AKA Swept Away)
Showstopper (Power 25 feet and smaller): Bait N Wait
Showstopper (Sail 29 feet and under): YOLO
Sweepstakes (Sail 30 feet and larger): Goldie
Sweepstakes (Power 26 feet and larger): Girly Girl
Power (26 feet and larger) First Place: Kokoro
Power (26 feet and larger) Second Place: Surf Rider
Power (25 feet and under) First Place: Quick Time
Dingy/Duffy First Place: Diagamma
Dingy/Duffy Second Place: Dark Side Dingy
Commercial Boat First Place: Island Spirit
Commercial Boat Second Place: Dreamers Dream
Sailboat (30 feet and larger) First Place: Forget Me Knots
Sailboat (30 feet and larger) Second Place: Luck Star

 

SANTA BARBARA COUNTY

32nd annual Santa Barbara Parade of Lights
Grand Prize Winner: Perserverance
Commercial Fishing: Perserverance
Commercial Other First Place: Channel Cat
Commercial Other Second Place: Channelkeeper
Commercial Other Third Place: Whisper
Human Powered First Place: Peddle Boat Casino
Human Powered Second Place: Kayak of the Island
Human Powered Third Place: Wet & Wild West
Power First Place: Arboleda
Power Second Place: Isla
Power Third Place: Polaris
Sail First Place: Could Be Trouble
Sail Second Place: Eclipse
Sail Third Place: No Agenda
Golden Bilge Pump Award (Last Place): Bad Seaman

 

(Partial List)