NEWPORT BEACH, Calif., March 8, 2010 – It’s a mad dash to Mexico, with over 400 sailboats of every imaginable size and shape racing 125 miles down the Pacific Coast to be the first across the finish line in Ensenada.  And one little red towboat – equipped with 900-hp engine and loaded to the gills with towlines, spare fuel, oil, pumps and other support gear — will again be escorting the fleet just in case some assistance is needed at the 63^rd Annual Newport to Ensenada Yacht Race which starts on April 23.

While the world-class racers at the front of the pack vie for the lead, Capt. Eric Lamb will be behind the helm of the Vessel Assist towboat Shelter Island monitoring VHF radio communications and ensuring everyone makes it safely across the finish line. The towboat will then accompany the fleet back home to Southern California after the race is over.

A veteran of six Newport to Ensenada races, Capt. Lamb says he expects to keep busy.  “In last year’s race we had about 44 requests for assistance, mostly for the same reasons sailors call us on any Saturday afternoon — fuel issues, battery problems or engine troubles,” said Lamb.  “Most of these vessels are no different than your average sailboat — some will be maintained better than others.  Most of the boats will use engine power to head back to the states, but if there are heavy headwinds some may run out of fuel, requiring us to drop off a few gallons at sea,” he added.

As a sponsor of the race, Vessel Assist will also be providing complimentary water taxi service in Newport Harbor for racers on the day before and morning of the departure.  “It helps racers complete their provisioning, registration, and safely get to the kick-off parties the night before the race,” said BoatU.S. Towing Services Vice President Jerry Cardarelli.  Participating racers can hail Vessel Assist via VHF radio channel 78A or by calling 800-391-4869.

For more information about BoatU.S. Towing Services, visit www.BoatUS.com/towing , or call 800-391-4869.

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About BoatU.S. Towing Services:

Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatU.S.) is the nation's leading advocate for recreational boaters providing over half a million members with a wide array of consumer services, including on-the-water towing assistance provided by TowBoatU.S. and Vessel Assist Pacific. Combined, these two towing fleets offer North American boaters the largest network of U.S., Canadian and Bahamian towing ports with over 290 locations and over 600 towing assistance vessels — more than double that of any other service provider.