Roy Disney will be donating his Transpac trophy to the new Newport Harbor Nautical Museum to be on permanent loan and display.

Disney is an avid, well-known sailor who retired in 2005 from the Transpacific Yacht Race. He was going to race in this year’s competition, but pulled out at the last minute.

The Transpacific Yacht Race Course Record Trophy is 55-inches tall, and was commissioned by Disney. The trophy, to be unveiled Sept. 19, recognizes the vessels that have broken and held the elapsed time record for monohulls, beginning with Harold Sinclair’s Lurline in the inaugural event in 1906 and ending to date with Hasso Plattner’s Morning Glory in 2005. 

Morning Glory’s present record is 6:16:04:11. Disney in 1999 held the record after coming in at  7 days and 11 hours, 41 minutes.

The Nautical Museum — which used to be housed aboard the Pride of Newport in the harbor - moved to the Balboa Fun Zone in December. 

Disney has participated in 16 Transpacs. He donated the trophy to the Transpacific Yacht Club in 1999, but consented to the change of his deed of gift so it could be displayed permanently at the Nautical Museum.

Disney, former vice chairman of Walt Disney Co.,  first fell in love with sailing here in Newport during a vacation in 1957, after sitting atop a cliff in Corona del Mar and watching as a sailboats cruised into the harbor at sundown.

He’s also well known for the Newport-to-Ensenada race, which he has entered since 1959. In 2003 he broke the monohull record – which still stands – coming in at 10 hours, 44 minutes and 54 seconds.

He has entered that race so many times that organizers gave him an award for being the race’s oldest skipper. He’s entered more than 30 times.

Location: 600 East Bay Avenue, Newport Beach, CA 92661. 
Hours: 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., Wednesday through Monday (closed Tuesday).  T

Cost: here is a suggested donation of $5 for adults, children under 12 are free.

More info: www.nhnm.org.  

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- Laylan Connelly
 
 

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