(Chicago, IL)- Wind, waves, and sunshine greeted competitors at the
first day of racing at the Sperry Top-Sider Chicago NOOD Regatta. This
past weekend the Chicago Yacht Club hosted the annual NOOD regatta. The
wind was up on Friday, lightning a bit heavy on Saturday morning and
the wind finally came in for the races on Sunday. The RC's PRO and team
were able to get in 9 races in total, with 7 boats on the line for the
J/111s. The J one-design classes on the other courses had similar
experiences, with great breezes and good competition.
For
the J/111 fleet, despite what the final cumulative score reflected, the
Chicago NOOD's featured incredibly close racing all the way until the
final day with 5 boats separated by only 7 points going into Sunday-- it
was any one's regatta to win. With 4 separate boats scoring a first in
at least one race and a consistent shuffling in the standings at the end
of each day it goes to show how competitive J/111 Fleet 1 can be. The
starting line and mark roundings were very interesting places to be
every race and it forced every boat to sail with focus. One bad
spinnaker hoist or douse had the potential to set a boat back 3 or 4
spots. On Saturday afternoon's last race, 5 out of the 7 boats were
called over early, however 2 of those were still able to place 2nd and
3rd. The wind was as shifty as ever on Lake Michigan and was the cause
for some exciting comebacks. It was a fantastic regatta where the J/111
really got to display all of its glory. In fact, every downwind leg on
Friday's races was an amazing show for all on the course with 4-5 ft
waves offering up fantastic surfing opportunities. The trio of
Brummel/Henderson/Mayer on KASHMIR took first overall, followed by
William Smith's WOOTON from Bay Harbor YC in second, Steve Dabrowski's
NIGHTHAWK in third, Paul Stahlberg's MENTAL fourth and Rich Witzel's
ROWDY fifth.
Sailing Photo Credit- Tim Wilkes.com For
more Sperry Topsider Chicago NOOD Regatta sailing information
