72nd Annual Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race (2019)

In 1947, the founding members of the Newport Ocean Sailing Association (NOSA) got this crazy idea about getting a bunch of people together to promote ocean sailing and the development of racing from Newport Beach. Members called the first race the Governor's Cup and 117 boats paid $22.50 to register for that just-for-fun race April 23, 1948. One year, the Governor actually showed up to hand out the trophy. At the time, the fastest and most modern sailboats had wooden hulls and flew natural-fiber sails. You could buy a home in Orange County for $8,000 or a gallon of gas for 16 cents. Today, the race offers a history of innovation and the rise of technology in sailing but there's still an ongoing narrative of mankind's quest to pit sailboats against fellow competitors and Mother Nature in the quest to break records or knock off an item on one's bucket list.