How far will you go in 2020?

When it comes to offshore racing in California, there may be four points on the compass, but there is only one direction to go. When you hit land going east, head upwind going north, endure nastiness going west … going south is a no-brainer.

Wherever you stand in California, the comfort index invariably rises going south, and when you go really far south… into Mexico, it gets better yet. Warm gets warmer, and once you arrive, the drinks more refreshing and the food more delicious.

So the only decision is how far to go.

• You can take steps south as is offered in the 2020 Newport to Ensenada International Yacht Race which starts April 24 from the Balboa Pier in Newport Beach, CA. There’s a 14-mile race to Dana Point, a 60-mile race to San Diego, or go for the full enchilada (pun intended) on the 125-mile overnight race to Ensenada in Mexico. Details.

• Or you can go all in with the 1000-mile Puerto Vallarta Race from San Diego to Puerto Vallarta, Mexico. The 35th running in 2020 has staggered starts on March 5, 6, and 7 for the smaller and bigger boats to even out the arrival times, which is a good thing as this edition includes a slew of speedsters that will be in a hurry for the Corona and Carna Asada. Details.

After a steady (monotonous?) diet of windward leeward racing, how far will you go in 2020?