The 2006 Lands’ End National Offshore One Design (NOOD) Regatta Series made its second stop of nine events this past weekend, with more than 160 boats and 1,500 sailors competing in South San Diego Bay.
In its 18th year, the NOOD is considered one of the premier racing events in the world.
“Sailing World Magazine started the series and (they) really started what’s called ‘one design racing,’ where boats of all the same build compete against each other,” event Public Relations Manager Patrick Wampler said. “It takes away the possibility of you having a better boat than somebody else and putting it all on the fact that your sailing abilities are better.”
Wade McDaniel of Phoenix, Arizona and Tim Batcher of San Diego were the best sailors in the Buccaneer 18 class, one of 17 divisions out on the water. The two men share about 65 years of competitive sailing between them.
“We made more mistakes today than yesterday by like ten fold,” McDaniel said of his Sunday race. “All kinds of sail handling problems and boat handling problems, but I think it was blowing so hard and storming so hard it just kind of wore down the crew on the other boats yesterday. I think we just kinda hung in there and did what we needed to do.”
For the second year, the NOOD series is naming an overall champion at each yacht club, which leads to an informal national championship in the Virgin Islands. This year in San Diego, John Vincze and Bruce Edwards were named overall winners. The two will receive a Beneteau Oceanis 393 charter for the race in November, not to mention a week of sailing and hosting four guests free of charge.
Wampler said San Diego has some of the best sailors in the country.
“Among other guys, Dennis Conner has competed (in San Diego) before and you have Olympic competitions here and
America’s Cup qualifiers. There is a very high level of competition. It might be a little higher than an area like
Chicago or Detroit, where they just can’t get out as much or do as much. I think San Francisco, San Diego, Boston, and Annapolis, Maryland are the places where your best sailors are at, and a lot of professional sailors.”
This is the fifth year the NOOD has been held in San Diego. The regatta series now moves on to Annapolis, Maryland, Detroit, Chicago, Toronto, Marblehead, Massachusetts, Larchmont, New York and finally Galveston Bay, Texas on September 22.
Fortunately, the weather cooperated Friday through Sunday.
Well, better a little too much wind than too little.
“The conditions were very abnormal for San Diego”pretty high winds,” McDaniel said. “We were at South Bank, just south of the Coronado Bridge, and it was basically stormy conditions both Saturday and Sunday. It makes it a little exciting. You know, boats are wiping out and capsizing and breaking their masts and all that kind of stuff. There was a lot of that this week.”
Sailors came from as far away as New York, Ohio, Rhode Island, Michigan, Georgia and Canada to compete this year.