J/70 New Englands Preview(Marblehead, MA)- The last of the major Helly Hansen NOOD Regattas for the sailing season is taking place in Marblehead, MA this coming weekend. The NOOD events have proven popular in some venues and the Marblehead edition continues to be one of highlights of the summer season in New England. With large one-design fleets of J/24s, J/70s and J/105s the regatta will again look like a mini-J/Festival!
The J/70s are running their New England Championship in conjunction with the NOOD. With twenty-three teams on the starting line, things could get exciting, even for the veteran racers that are entered. Recognizable vets include Jud Smith on AFRICA, Frank McNamara’s CHINOOK, Sam Altreuter’s LEADFOOT, Henry Brauer & Stew Neff’s RASCAL, John Brim’s RIMETTE, Will Welles’ SCAMP, Dave Franzel’s SPRING, Bruno Pasquinelli’s STAMPEDE (traveling from Fort Worth Boat Club in Ft Worth, Texas!), Brandon Flack’s TORQEEDO, and Bodo & Nick con der Wense’s TURBO DUCK. Newcomers that could be a factor in the leaderboard may be Tyler Doyle on USA 245, Holly Fabyan on ASTERIA and Nancy Glover on WINTER WIND.
With an eighteen-boat turnout, the J/105s will once again enjoy excellent racing offshore. Familiar boats often challenging the top boats in the fleet are Fred de Napoli’s ALLEGRO SIMPLICITA, Ric Dexter’s CIRCE’S CUP, Charlie Garrard’s MERLIN, Steve Hollis’ SCIROCCO, Mark Lindquist’s STERLING and Mark & Jolene Masur’s TWO FEATHERS (another entrant from the Fort Worth Boat Club in Texas!).
The J/24 class continues its long-standing tradition of support for big Marblehead events. The nine-boat class may not be huge, but it makes up for the numbers with a competitive fleet. Top dogs include Carter White’s SEA BAGS SAILING TEAM from Portland YC, John Wells’ SHELDON J and John Denman’s AIRODOODLE from Jubilee YC in Beverly, MA. For more Helly Hansen Marblehead NOOD regatta sailing information
|