It’s Grand Prix of Long Beach weekend and Long Beach Yacht Club Judge Advocate Dave Weil’s power boat — Solsbury Hill — will be docked at a prime viewing spot for race weekend.
Each year, boaters can sign up for guest slips in the Downtown Marina during Grand Prix weekend.
“I was at the Marine Bureau office early on Jan. 2 when they opened,” Weil said in a phone interview, “and scored the dock next to the AquaLink.”
Weil’s boat, like many others, will be decorated with black-and-white checkerboard racing flags — a tradition for the boats berthed in the “fishbowl” area of Rainbow Harbor.
Dave Weil’s power boat, Solsbury Hill, will be docked in Rainbow Harbor during the Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Courtesy of David Weil)
Dave Weil’s power boat, Solsbury Hill, will be docked in Rainbow Harbor during the Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Courtesy of David Weil)
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Dave Weil’s power boat, Solsbury Hill, will be docked in Rainbow Harbor during the Grand Prix of Long Beach. (Courtesy of David Weil)
The owner of a luxury catamaran also secured a coveted spot in Rainbow Harbor and tickets on the boat are available. If you want that Monaco vibe of being near the track on a yacht, you can experience it locally with a donation to the Kids Diabetes Foundation, nonprofit focused on raising awareness and funding solutions to combat the growing epidemic of childhood diabetes.
The yacht will be docked on the water near the track, adjacent to the Yard House, said the charity’s CEO, William Hogarty. On board, there will be premium food and an open bar. Tickets are $500 a person on Saturday and $750 on Sunday. The experience is from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. both days and the yacht remains docked in position for the full duration of the event.
For details, email Hogarty at info@yachtliving.com or visit Kids Diabetes Foundation, kidsdiabetesfoundation.org, to learn more about the charity.
Open house
For those not attending the Grand Prix, there is an opportunity to check out membership options at one of Long Beach’s local clubs. Alamitos Bay Yacht Club will host an open house and Fleet Boat Show from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Saturday, April 18. There will be complimentary hot dogs and cold drinks. Visitors will be able to learn about the club, and there will be a special treasure hunt for prizes. For details, go to abyc.org.
Smart girl
Virgin Voyages officially arrived on the West Coast on Monday, April 6, as the 912-foot Brilliant Lady made its first visit to the Port of Los Angeles. The ship sparkled. It definitely had a Las Vegas vibe, with bright lighting along the exterior deck spaces.
The ship – in keeping with the Virgin Brand — was different from any ship I’ve been on. The ship is designed for “adults only,” with multiple dining and drinking options, including a Korean-style “cook it yourself” dining area, and multiple bars in each of the dining spaces.
The ship was designed to transit the Panama Canal with ease, with the lifeboats mounted higher and set farther in-board than on its sister ships. That design change is what allows Brilliant Lady to travel the new, wider Panama Canal locks without scraping the fenders or violating clearance rules.
The most memorable part of my visit to Brilliant Lady was the Broadway-style show “Red Hot” that was a biography — set to dance, music and acrobatics — of Richard Branson’s adventuresome life. It was the best performance that I have witnessed in on-board entertainment.
The show was a playful reminder of all the world’s records he has broken, companies he has formed and achievements he has made. The live performance also featured video highlights of Branson’s amazing life.
One local connection was Virgin Oceanic, an undersea leisure venture for which Branson partnered the late businessman Chris Welsh. Welsh was based in Newport Beach and later acquired the boat “Ragtime.” Today, Welch’s life partner, Tina Roberts, inherited the boat, which is often berthed in Alamitos Bay.
Brilliant Lady set out April 7, heading south. It now begins a season of West Coast sailings, including itineraries to the Mexican Riviera and Baja California, before heading north for the Alaskan cruise season.
Splash down
Recently, a retired Long Beach port pilot sent me a photo of the new Virgin’s Brillant Lady — the ship was in San Diego for the Artemis II splashdown. The ship’s jumbotron style lighted letters flashed “ARTEMIS,” along with a heart. Branson made history by flying to the edge of space aboard his company Virgin Galactic’s VSS Unity spacecraft.
It seems we all have space fever.
I was on a long drive and listened to the play by play of the splash down via CNN with Anderson Cooper at the mic. It felt like it did 53 years ago — before technology. Listening to geeky scientists overthink, I was holding on to every word.
Finally, Cooper confided in his audience that the conversation brought him back to his childhood playing “Dungeons and Dragons” and coming up with bizarre what ifs. I’m so glad the next generation is interested in space programs again.
Carnival clarification
Recently, I discussed updates to local sailings as Carnival Firenze gets ready to move to the EastCoast. Last week, the staff at Carnival Cruise line clarified the future plans for the ship.
Carnival will offer four new sailings for Carnival Firenze from Long Beach from Oct. 12 to Nov. 20, said spokesperson Julie Leonardi.
“These sailings are part of our Sailings Exclusively for Adults (SEA) program and will be available only to guests who receive a targeted offer,” Leonardi said. “The sailings feature a mix of Mexican Riviera destinations.”
It is interesting timing — with Virgin Voyages entering the Los Angeles market with a, “adults only” cruise line.