Helly Hansen Caribbean NOOD Regatta returns to British Virgin Islands

by Evily Giannopoulos on 21 Oct 2016 The largest national sailboat racing circuit in the United States, the Helly Hansen National Offshore One Design (NOOD) Regatta Series, returns to the British Virgin Islands on Saturday for the final race of the season – a championship regatta hosted by Sunsail.

Overall winners from each of the five qualifying regattas this year were invited to compete in the championship race. If a winning team was not able to participate, the second place team was asked to represent their NOOD city in the championship.

Competing teams are led by:
St. Petersburg NOOD winner John Spierling from Charter Township of Shelby, Mich.
San Diego NOOD runner-up Chick Pyle from Jamestown, R.I.
Annapolis NOOD runner-up Geoff Becker from Arnold, Md.
Chicago NOOD winner Martin Johnsson from Libertyville, Ill.
Marblehead NOOD winner Charlie Pendleton from Marblehead, Md.
Joining them is Sailing World editor Dave Reed and Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta Series tournament director Jen Davies; two-time defending champion Dr. Jim Sears from Long Beach, Calif.; and a return challenger team from Omaha, Neb., led by Stephen Hosch.

The 2016 Caribbean Championship winning team will be invited to defend their title at next year’s regatta in a complimentary charter from Sunsail.

The Helly Hansen Caribbean NOOD Championship racecourse and itinerary remain the same as previous years. The regatta commences with one day of buoy racing on Sir Francis Drake Channel, followed by three distance races between islands over four days, and one dinghy series during a two-day stopover at the Bitter End Yacht Club in North Sound, Virgin Gorda.

Operating since 1988, Sailing World’s National Offshore One Design Regattas, known as the “NOODs,” are the longest-running and most popular sailboat racing series in North America. Each regatta attracts hundreds of regional, national and international sailors to compete against the local community on their home waters, and the overall winner earns a berth at the Caribbean championship. Title sponsor Helly Hansen is a global leader in technical sailing apparel with more than 135 years of experience protecting professionals on the water.