Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week starts tomorrow

Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week © Bronny Daniels

Competitors are making their final preparations as Ullman Sails Long Beach Race Week gets under way tomorrow. More than 1,000 sailors are expected to participate in the regatta hosted by Alamitos Bay Yacht Club and Long Beach Yacht Club.

"It's a 3-day event, which is a lot of fun. It's a great place to sail, so we're looking forward to it," says skipper Morgan Paxhia, who will compete aboard Melges 15 Enigma.

Enigma will join 15 other Melges 15s and be among 12 competitive one-design and PHRF fleets racing on 2 circles and a distance "Random Leg" course.

"We're out to have fun and enjoy ourselves on a quick boat," says TP52 Favonius 2's Greg Dorn, who will be skippering an all-amateur 14-person crew that includes his son, Nick. Together, they'll be sailing the Random Leg course.

Dorn says he expects this weekend's conditions to play a major role in his and other competitors' ability to create an early lead. Currently, Friday's weather predictions show a light 7 to 9 knots of southwesterly breeze followed by building winds that back around from the south on Saturday and Sunday.

"We're slippery and light, so light air conditions could work to our advantage," says Dorn, optimistically. "It all comes down to finding the shifts."

Along with tactical considerations, sailors are also hard at work preparing their boats and making last minute adjustments, including Rick Locke who has plans to add a brand-new sail to Farr 400 Coquille 400's arsenal in time for Friday's start line. After suffering a heartbreaking loss during last year's Long Beach Race Week to long-time rival Dan Murphy aboard the J-125 Javelin, Locke says he is locked in and ready for a rematch.

"Last year was a light year too. We watched Javelin throw up their R1 and just smoke by us," he says. "We're all very close on our ratings, all within 5 to 7 seconds. Whoever is the best prepared and makes the fewest mistakes wins."

Murphy, who is the defending 2025 Random Leg A winner as well as the Vice President of PHRF of Southern California, says he's looking forward to the challenge from Locke.

"We race every Wednesday night in Marina Del Rey. Our boats our good competitors, though we tend to edge them out," Murphy says.

The on-water rivalries heat back up starting on Race Day 1 tomorrow afternoon, supported by Ullman Sails, Clarke Marine Garvey Insurance Services, the City of Long Beach, The Oriana Shea Group, Tom Walker Photography, Pirates Lair apparel, Cabrillo Boat Shop, Durant Design and Construction, and Mount Gay Rum.

Competitors will head to their assigned racing areas for the first warning signal at 12:55 PM. Multiple races are scheduled through Sunday. For complete event details, entry list, and schedules, visit lbrw.org.