The Helly Hansen National Offshore One Design (NOOD) Regatta returns to San Diego for the nineteenth time March 17-19, 2017. Sponsored by Sailing World and Helly Hansen, the NOOD is the largest national sailboat racing circuit in the United States. The three-day event, hosted by San Diego Yacht Club (SDYC) and Coronado Yacht Club, will feature sailing on three venues (two ocean and one south San Diego Bay), and one cruising course located in San Diego Bay.
San Diego is the second stop in the five city national tour that culminates with the Helly Hansen NOOD Caribbean Championship Regatta in the British Virgin Islands this October. Race organizers calculate an overall winner based on the strongest overall finish in the most competitive class, and that overall winner is presented with an invitation to the Championship Regatta in the BVI.
The NOOD format is largely one-design racing, meaning that sailors will compete in fleets of identical boats. The event has evolved in recent years to also host a fleet of PHRF racers. To ensure fairness for these boats, race organizers will factor in time allowances to score the boats of different sizes and designs.
Another way to be involved with this year's NOOD Regatta in San Diego is Saturday's North Rally which is a 10-20 nautical mile race in San Diego Bay. The rally is open to boats that are 25 feet or greater that hold a current PHRF certificate. This would be a great fit for fans of SDYC's Beneteau Cup or Hot Rum Series.
Upwards of 70 boats are already entered, with more entries expected in the next few weeks. The NOOD always attracts many out-of-town sailors to compete with the local talent. Some fresh names to the event are expected in this year’s NOOD which will include two new classes, the F-18s and Fast 50s.
Steve Stroebel from Mission Bay Yacht Club is entered in the F-18 Catamaran class on Wet Rodeo, and is anticipating using the NOOD to prepare for future F-18 races. “The Formula 18 class is excited to participate in the San Diego NOOD Regatta. San Diego now has the largest F-18 fleet in the country with 17 boats and we are preparing for the 2017 America’s Championship which will be held at Alamitos Bay Yacht Club in Long Beach in early September. Also the F-18 World Championships will be held in the US in 2018 for only the second time in the class’ history.”
David Servais (SDYC), the tactician on Victor Wild’s Pac52, Fox, is equally excited to race in a new class in this year’s NOOD Regatta. Fox will race with the Fast 50s, the PHRF class mentioned above.
“We are very excited to race in the Fast 50 Class at the San Diego NOOD Regatta. Having been involved in the class from the beginning we have had great fun and great competition racing the other 50 footers. This year we will be doing most of our racing in the new Pac52 Class, so we’ll miss out on most of the Fast 50 racing. Since the other Pac52s aren’t here yet, we saw this as a great opportunity to mix it up with the Fast 50s and also get a head start on the season in preparation for the new boats arriving.”
New to the San Diego NOOD last year was the Etchells Class. For the second year, the Etchells Fleet will use the NOOD Regatta as the Bill Bennett Memorial Regatta and the first event in their West Coast Spring Series. Tom Carruthers (SDYC) finished second in the 2016 NOOD Regatta on Elizabeth in the Etchells Class though he’s participated in several past NOOD Regattas on different types of boats.
“I have been participating in the various NOOD Regattas since 1993. I found that the early regattas were a strong impetus for one-design sailing. This year will be the second year that the San Diego NOOD will be part of the Etchells West Coast Spring Series, and is a great kick-off to the event. Our team’s goal is to end the hex, and win a quilt! Seriously, the event is also part of Etchells Fleet 13 Worlds Qualifying Series so there should be an even deeper fleet, making winning even more difficult. I’m looking forward to a great event, both on and off the water.”
Chick Pyle (SDYC) will race on his Beneteau 36.7, Kea, over the weekend of his 70th birthday, hoping for another chance at a trip to the BVI. “When we won our class we were told that we were runners up for the overall regatta winner which included an invite to the NOOD Caribbean Regatta. And later in the year Sailing World called to say that the winner couldn't go, so as runners up we got to go. It was fantastic fun.”
In addition to the NOOD Regatta, Pyle plans to participate in SDYC’s Yachting Cup, Opening Day Race, and Beneteau Cup, which is the Beneteau Class’s West Coast Championship. Pyle looks forward to quality family time during the weekend of the NOOD Regatta because he frequently sails with his wife and son.
Racing is scheduled to begin at 12:30pm on Friday, and 11:30am on Saturday and Sunday. Stop by the south end of Shelter Island for spectating opportunities as the boats race out and back into the bay. Weekend racing will be farther offshore, and best viewed from a private spectator boat.
The awards ceremony will be held at San Diego Yacht Club after the completion of races on Sunday, March 19 where prizes will be awarded by class.
For more information or media inquiries, please contact Emily Willhoft.