Dixon gets his fourth top-fuel victory

Thomas coached for 34 years in the community about 80 miles northeast of Des Moines and had guided several players to the NFL.

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SAILING

Transpac Yacht Race begins today

Forty-eight vessels in various classes will set sail this week to begin the fabled Transpacific Yacht Race from Los Angeles to Honolulu.

The 2,255-mile biennial competition will feature 1 p.m. starts today, Thursday and Sunday from Point Fermin on the Palos Verdes Peninsula.

Notable entries include Ragtime, which is owned by Chris Welch and competing for a record 15th time; Roy P. Disney's Pyewacket, and Challenged America's BQuest II, skippered by Urban Miyares, who is blind.

The larger, faster boats, which will start Sunday, will be gunning to break the fastest elapsed-time record for a monohull: 6 days 16 hours 4 minutes 11 seconds by Morning Glory in 2005.

-- Pete Thomas

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BASEBALL

Lake Elsinore beats High Desert, 33-18

The Lake Elsinore Storm and High Desert Mavericks combined for 51 runs and 57 hits in a California League game won by the Storm, 33-18, in Adelanto.

Lake Elsinore, a Class-A affiliate of the San Diego Padres, had 33 hits and five home runs, including two by Matt Clark, who went five for six.

High Desert, a Seattle Mariners affiliate, hit five homers.