Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race | California Travel Tips

California travel guide Veronica Hill heads to Balboa in Newport Beach for the kickoff of the 2013 Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race. Held the weekend before the big Newport to Ensenada race, this family-friendly event is packed with things to do. You can watch plein-air and sidewalk artists create new masterpieces, go on a horse-drawn carriage ride around the square, or head inside ExplorOcean for some model boat building.

Be sure to arrive at Balboa's kickoff party with an empty stomach. Their Stroll, Sample and Sip serves up small bites from the area's best restaurants, from crab cakes with mango salsa at Newport Landing to a decadent coconut-crusted salmon from Harborside Restaurant. And if you're in need of a cold beverage, the Stella Artois Beer and Mt. Gay Rum Garden is just steps away.

Held since 1947 by the Newport Ocean Sailing Association, the race started as a "fun run" after World War II. It ends with a festive post-race party at the Bahia Hotel in Ensenada. This is the world's largest yachting race, running 125 miles from Newport to Ensenada. More than 20 classes compete, from ultra lights to maxi yachts. The current record was set in 1998 — at 6 hours, 46 minutes and 40 seconds.

Roy Disney, Humphrey Bogart and Walter Cronkite are among the celebrities who have taken part in the race. Bob Kettenhofen, owner of the Beck 60, Dare, gave us a preview of his boat, which was chartered by Roy Disney for a Trans-Pacific Race. Kettenhofen often takes Sea Scouts out on the boat, and was among the boats competing at the 2013 Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race.

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