SAILING / NEWPORT BEACH-TO-ENSENADA RACE : Disney, Fossett Finish in Near-Record Times

ENSENADA —  Consistent winds carried Roy Disney’s Pyewacket and Steve Fossett’s trimaran Double Bullet to within minutes of the records for monohulls and multihulls in the 48th Newport Beach-to-Ensenada race Saturday.

Pyewacket, a former ULDB 70 that has been “supercharged” out of the class rating, finished the 125-nautical mile run in 12 hours 15 minutes 39 seconds, only 2 minutes 6 seconds over the record set by Saga in 1983.

Lakota was first to finish overall in 8 hours 40 minutes--11 minutes slower than the record set by Dennis Conner’s Stars & Stripes catamaran last year.

The winds, building to 20 knots from Friday’s noon start, were so reliable that several of the auxiliary powered sailboats in the more casual cruising class finished in time for breakfast Saturday. By midday, boats were finishing in clumps of 30 or 40, and most of the 418 starters were expected to be in before late Saturday night. Ten boats dropped out because of equipment problems, but no serious incidents were reported.

Trophies are to be presented at 3 p.m. today.