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24 March 2005, 02:10 pm

Magnitude 80 Takes Line Honours

Newport Beach to Cabo San Lucas Race 2005

Cabo San Lucas, Mexico

Over half of the boats have arrived in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico having finished the Newport Beach to Cabo San Lucas Race 2005. Magnitude 80, from Long Beach, took the line honours but it looks like the smaller, Peregrine will win on corrected time.

Racing started from Newport Beach, California on 19 March at 1200 hours (Pacific Standard Time) with around fifty competitors from across the USA taking part.

Two major trophies are up for grabs - those awarded for the First on Elapsed Time Overall and the First on Corrected Time Overall. In addition there will be trophies for level-rated classes and for each PHRF class will be awarded based on corrected time and the number of entrants.

On the opening day not everything was smooth sailing. Merlin, who had come all the way from her homeport in Honolulu, was dismasted shortly after the start. Early in the afternoon local boat, Alchemy was holed and started taking on water. Early on the second day the boats were reporting winds of 15-20 knots from west northwest and seas of one to three feet. Genuine Risk had to withdraw with a keel problem.

By the following day weather conditions had improved across the race track with steady winds at 20-25 knots from west northwest. There were bright skies and six to ten foot seas. The smaller boats were leading on corrected time whilst San Diego's Falcon reported hitting something, perhaps a whale or fish, and losing her steering. With assistance from the US Coast Guard and the Mexican Navy Falcon was able to make the repairs she needed and got back underway.

On Tuesday Magnitude 80 and Peligroso, both from Long Beach, and local boat Scout Spirit finished in the early morning hours. Weather conditions remained relatively unchanged with winds of 20 knots from northwest and seas of one to three foot providing great sailing weather. The small boats were doing well with class E boats projected to finish first, third, fourth and fifth in the fleet.

On day four of the race conditions remained excellent with moderate seas, wall to wall sun and west northwest winds at 15-20 knots. In taking line honours at 0131 on 22 March, Magnitude 80 appears to have broken Blondie's elapsed time record by approximately eight and a half hours. More than half the fleet has now finished. The smaller boats continue to dominate on corrected time. Peregrine, a Hobie 33 from San Diego, appears to be the overall winner with a corrected time of 41 hours, 36 minutes and 59 seconds, about three and a half hours ahead of second place Tabasco and third place Between The Sheets.