On the eve of the 70th N2E

FAMILIAR FACES IN THE CROWD at Balboa YC last evening as racers from across the USA gathered with their teams in anticipation of today's 1100 start of the venerable Newport to Ensenada dash down the coast, including esteemed former AC sailors Greg Tawaststjerna, Greg Prussia and David Vietor. The big topic was the weather, as the crews compared forecasts for an unusually breezy and bumpy race, at least at the outset. These 12M vets were stoked about the possibility of seeing something more than the usual 10-12 knots. Some forecasts were showing NW 20-30 knots, with accompanying 9-12 foot seas. Perhaps there will be that much breeze, but well outside the race's normal coastal track? Time will tell.