Newport to Ensenada Race 2026 Preview – J/Boats Fleet Ready for West Coast Classic
(Newport Beach, CA)- The 78th Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race will take place on Friday, April 24th, 2026. With more than 800 competitors and 76 yachts registered, this iconic event is considered to be one of the largest and most challenging sailing races on the West Coast. While many consider it to be a simple “sprint” down the coastline to a Mexican border town, it’s anything but that when you consider how the super-hot heating of the land affects the offshore winds!
Competitors are divided into 5 classes based on boat performance and competition class. Seventy-six yachts are in the PHRF divisions; fifteen of them are J/Teams (20.0% of the fleet)!
“The City of Newport Beach is excited to welcome the over 800 competitors racing in over 75 yachts in the 78th Annual Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race,” said Newport Beach Mayor Joe Stapleton. “This race continues to be one of the largest sailing events on the West Coast, and it features many of the extremely competitive yachts tuning up to race to Hawaii.
Some of the leading offshore J/racing programs will be pointing their bows south across the beachfront starting line this weekend.
In the 30-foot category, sailing will be Chuck Bowers’s J/29 RHUMB RUNNER, Bill Miller’s J/30 RUFFIAN, and two J/92S- Brian Kerr’s DOUBLE DOWN and David Newland’s DREAMLINE.
In the 35-foot category, heading to Mexico will be a trio of J/111s (John Staff’s OBSIDIAN, Ed Sanford’s CREATIVE, and Derek Hebb’s GURLI) and Bob Dekker’s J/105 CUCHULAINN.
In the 40-foot range, chasing down more tacos and cervezas will be the hungry rail meat on two J/120s (Bob Kraak’s KOOKABURRA & Steven Zeis’s STELLAH), Mike Thompson’s J/40 KATSUO, and two J/122s (William Scott Wildman’s RESOLUTE & Mark Stratton’s CHEEKY).
Finally, joining the fleet are Scott Torrance’s J/124 FORGIVENESS and Dean Stanec’s J/130 NIGHTS WATCH.
For more Newport to Ensenada Race sailing information
https://nosa.org/