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It Hurts So Good to be in the NOOD Unbelievable – 80°+ and 14 knots of wind. What a perfect setting for what we hope is the first of many Sperry Top-Sider National Offshore One Design (NOOD) Regattas in Seattle. Coinciding with the Seattle Yacht Club’s Opening Day theme of a Three Ring Circus, 16 keelboat fleets hit the water on Friday (May 16), and another 8 fleets joined them on Saturday to put on quite a show of sail on Puget Sound. I’d quit doing the close, round the buoy stuff years ago, but the lure of sailing in such a big regatta, especially doing one design racing, was too much. I was lucky enough to get a ride from an old friend Pat, on his C&C 115. With six boats in the class it promised to be some fun racing. Now where are those kneepads?It was funny, as you walked down the docks the first day, to see northwest sailors looking at the sky and wind and shaking their heads. It was only 9 AM but everyone was ready to go, “It’s too perfect, let’s go now before it all goes away.” But it didn’t go away and the sailing was great. I got on a winch and ground my little heart out. The racing was fun but I hurt all over. Only one thing to do – hit the hospitality tent for some Mount Gay pain reliever, then off to the hot tub.  The next two days were pretty much the same, except even more competitive as skippers and crews applied lessons learned racing the days before and strategy sessions in the tent. Unfortunately, racing on the north course was suspended because of light winds Sunday, just as we were ready to make our move. We drifted around and watched the little boats off West Point scoot around as they got in more races. Over 230 boats sailing – fantastic. C&C’s, J-boats, Beneteaus, T-Birds, 29ers to Mini 12’s, you name it. A rousing cheer for the CYC and SYC committee boats and staff who managed 24 fleets and over 200 races. Terrific job! Thanks to name sponsor Sperry and Sailing World for bringing the fun, and to support sponsors Mount Gay Rum, Gill, Sunsail, North Sails, ClearPoint High Definition Weather, Active.com, Fisheries Supply, Maritime Pacific Brewing Co., Shilshole Marina, and Furuno for their contributions to this event in Seattle. Will it be here again next year? It was announced to a cheering crowd at the Sunday night get together at Seattle Yacht Club that, YES, there will be another NOOD regatta in 2009. I’ll be ready, although this time I’m adding lots of Alleve and a hot tub to my sailing gear. |
