That’s the Spirit

Lindsay Sandham

So far, it’s been nothing but smooth sailing for the Scout Spirit.

Since the 78-foot Maxi Turbo Sled racing boat was donated to the

Newport Sea Base in December, it has been used in one race -- the Del

Rey Yacht Club’s Berger Series Race I Malibu and Return. Scout Spirit

took line honors, meaning it was the first boat to cross the finish

line.

The boat was donated by former U.S. Securities and Exchange

Commission Chairman Richard C. Breeden. It was previously named

Bright Star and before that Zephyrus IV. The Newport Sea Base Sailing

Committee voted to rename the boat Scout Spirit, in honor of the Boy

Scouts of America, the organization that owns and operates the

facility.

“This facility has been here since 1937, and annually our total

overall attendance, youth and adults, has been over 25,000,” Sea Base

Executive Director Catherine Malm said. “What we offer as a facility

is far more than just sailing.”

There is a wide range in program fees, but Malm stressed that they

pride themselves in making it accessible to the community.

“We do a fair amount of outreach and have scholarship

opportunities available,” she said.

Ian Vickers, sailing chair of the executive sailing committee,

said the facility’s goal is to serve as many kids as possible per

year and break even financially, as it is a nonprofit organization.

Although the facility offers a wide range in programs and courses,

such as canoeing, kayaking, marine biology and oceanography, it is a

very sailing-focused organization. Sailing classes range from the

beginners level to the extremely advanced. The Scout Spirit is used

in the most advanced classes because of the size and the nature of

the boat, Vickers said.

“I guess you could say that Scout Spirit is at the pinnacle of the

sailing program we’re offering here,” he said.

Seventeen-year-old Corey Kemp of Westminster has been taking

sailing classes at the Sea Base since he was 13. He was a participant

aboard the Scout Spirit in the Malibu race and said it is definitely

bigger than any boat he’s ever raced.

“It’s teamwork,” he said. “If one person doesn’t do something, it

really messes up everyone else. You need a team on that boat.”

The boat will be participating in the upcoming Marina del Rey to

Puerto Vallarta Race Feb. 18.

“For this race, most everybody on board has had pretty significant

offshore experience racing boats,” Vickers said. “It takes a lot of

experience to learn how to sail that boat.”

The crew for the Malibu race on the Scout Spirit consisted of

about half youth sailors and half adult advisors. Vickers hopes that

by next year, youth and juniors will outnumber advisors on the boat.

Kemp, who has applied to the Coast Guard Academy, said racing on

the Scout Spirit is a really good experience and can open doors for

people.

For more information, visit https://www.newportsea base.org.