The Commodores Club of the Newport Beach Chamber of Commerce with assistance from the Balboa Yacht Club will present the Flight of Newport on Sunday, July 14, 2024, in Newport Harbor.
Originally called the Flight of the Snowbirds named for the wooden boats participating in the race, the event was renamed Flight of the Lasers in 1975 after organizers decided to replace the aging, wooden crafts with more modern, fiberglass boats, known as Lasers. The Lasers were seen in small boat races at the time including in the Olympics. In 2020 the race was again renamed, the Flight of Newport, to be more inclusive, opening entries to ILCA (formerly known as Lasers), Harbor 20 and Tera RS boats.
The Flight of Newport will begin at 1 p.m. near the Balboa Pavilion and it will take about 90 minutes to complete the course, which circumvents the entire bay. The first-place winner in the ILCA fleet will receive the Albert Soiland Trophy, named after the first Commodore of the Newport Harbor Yacht Club along with a new sail provided by Vela LA. Other placing racers first to cross the finish line in these categories will also receive prizes: ILCA fleet, the First Girl, Youngest Boy, Youngest Girl, Oldest Person and First Married Couple.
For course of race map click here.