Harry Wood Memorial to celebrate 40th anniversary

NEWPORT BEACH — Balboa Yacht Club in Newport Beach will celebrate the 40th Anniversary of the Harry Wood Memorial Regatta, as the second stop of the Lido 14 District 1 High Point Series comes to Central Orange County, March 25.

Entries are officially open, with organizers hoping to have 40 Lidos on the water to commemorate the regatta’s 40th anniversary.

Last year’s regatta featured 21 sailors competing in two divisions. Balboa YC’s Porter Killian won the A Fleet division; Kevin Thomas and John Gresham, both of Alamitos Bay Yacht Club, finished second and third, respectively, in the class.

Balboa YC’s Greg Boudreaux and Susie Mulcaire won B Fleet, followed by Dennis Holland and Denise Ogier; Holland and Ogier were also part of the Balboa YC contingency in the class.

The first Harry Wood Memorial was held in 1978; the regatta’s namesake was a Lido 14 national class champion three times (1962, 1965, 1967). Harry Wood himself became a lifeguard with the city of Long Beach in the 1940s; he remained a lifeguard there for more than 30 years and was inducted into the Long Beach Lifeguard Hall of Fame in 1996. Balboa YC eventually decided to name a regatta in Wood’s honor.

The Lido 14 fleet, named after Newport Beach’s Lido Isle, was established in 1957 to promote racing and sailing amongst family and friends.

Registration for the regatta is now open. Visit balboayachtclub.com for more information on registration and the regatta in general, or contact organizers at sailing@balboayachtclub.com or 949-673-3515. Balboa YC is at 1801 Bayside Drive in Newport Beach.