Reuniting with an old Mexican friend

The southern California offshore racing scene has a long affinity with Mexican finish lines. Starting from San Diego, Newport Harbor, Long Beach, or Marina del Rey, the calendar was packed with biennial races each spring and fall.

But various reasons led to the demise of all but one – the 1000 nm San Diego to Vallarta International Yacht Race (though even this got scratched in 2026 due to drug cartel activity).

The previous cancellation was the 2025 Newport Beach to Cabo San Lucas which got nixed due to an inability to secure marina berthing. This 810 nm course had been a staple since the early 1970s, and host Newport Harbor Yacht Club is getting back in the game.

The NHYC 2027 Invitational Yacht Race to Manzanillo, Mexico will start on March 5 and cover approximately 1,100 nm. The Notice of Race is expected to be published by late October 2026, and it will be a return to the port that received nine editions of the San Diego–Manzanillo International Yacht Race from 1976 to 1992.