Galveston Bay Sailing World NOOD Regatta - Overall

by Chris Pastore on 25 Sep 2000 On the opening day of the Sailing World NOOD (National Offshore One-Design) Regatta on Galveston Bay -
hosted September 22-24 by the Lakewood Yacht Club - 60-degree windshifts,
breeze that ranged from light zephyrs to 18-knot gusts, and heavy-rain squalls
rolled over the 135 boats competing at this three-day event. With more of the
same type of weather predicted for the remainder of the regatta, competitors
were ready for a series where big shifts in wind velocity and direction would be
the wild cards they'd need to play to earn a top standing in this national
sailing series.

But competitors' worries were for naught: steady, teen-strength breeze and
prime sailing conditions moved onto Galveston Bay for the remaining two days
of this event. Winners in 16 classes were crowned on Sunday night,
September 24, at Lakewood YC. Five classes used this event to compete for
national and regional championships.

The steadier winds that blew on the second and third days of this event put a
higher premium on skill, compared to the wild luck of being in the right place
at the right time in Friday's changeable conditions. Many class leaders vowed
that a conservative, middle-of-the-road tactical game was their key to staying
in the front of the class.

"Consistency was our key: we didn't do anything radical," said Jay Lutz,
tactician on Roland Arthur's J/80 WILD THANG. After an eight-race,
one-discard series, WILD THANG (Roanoke, Texas) was crowned the 2000
J/80 National Champion.

The WILD THANG crew opened the series with a win in Race 1; but Martin
Kald's MONSTER LADY stuck close in the point scores to this Texas
crew--until the final third of the series. Consistency and conservatism helped
Arthur, who helmed the boat, and Lutz keep their frontrunning position in this
17-boat class. Kald of East Elmhurst (N.Y.) finished second in the J/80
Nationals, which were sponsored by North Sails.

A fleet of nine Ultimate 20s also used this regatta to settle the score for their
National Championships. Defending National Champion Kent Morrow of
Anacortes (Wash.) successfully defended his title in this class' six-race
series. Morrow, with tactician Fred Abelman, also took an early lead in the
series and played a tactically conservative game to maintain their standing.

The J/80s and J/22s, both with 17 boats, were the largest classes at the
NOOD. Austin (Texas) sailor Bonner Cordelle and the crew on SLO POKE
successfully defended last year's win in the J/22 class. According to SLO
POKE's helmsman Eric Faust, speed was not their secret weapon, but
consistency was. SLO POKE never dropped below a third-place finish in the
first four races to edge the competition out by a safe margin of five points.

On the first day of the regatta, Houston sailor Yandell Rogers and his crew on
Etchells 22 BABY DOLL were deemed the fleet's top performer with the
SailNet.com Boat of the Day award. Rogers won the opening two races in the
Etchells class, and then proceeded to finish the series with a strong score of
1-3-1-1 in the remaining four races to win the 14-boat Etchells class. Support
sponsor SailNet.com recognizes the fleet's overall performer on opening day
at each stop on the NOOD circuit.

Fred Lindsey (Canyon Lake, Texas) and his crew on Tartan Ten TLT was the
only boat that put together a perfect string of first-place finishes for a class
win. Lindsey won the six-boat Level 123 class after six races.

Three other classes contested for class championships at the NOOD. The
husband-and-wife team of Gene and Cathy Ferguson of Arlington (Texas) and
the crew on BULLETPROOF won the Catalina 22 Texas State
Championships. The battle in this class went down to Sunday's last race: The
Fergusons' win in the final race gave them the championship by a slim,
one-point margin.

The Hobie 33 Gulf Coast Championship was won by Scott Self of Rockwall
(Texas). Self, who is the mayor of Rockwall, campaigns his Hobie with
co-owner Nigel Brown. This Hobie 33 crew relied on strong boat handling and
crew work to give them an edge in the standings.

Solings battled for their Southern Regional Championships; Richard Kinney of
Greenfield (Wisc.) captured the class title, winning three individual races.

The Texas NOOD regatta, presented by Mount Gay Rum, is part of a national
circuit of nine events organized by Sailing World Magazine of Newport (R.I.).
Support sponsors who joined host Lakewood Yacht Club included: Gatorade,
Hall Spars & Rigging, High Sierra Sport Company, Lewmar, North Sails,
Propel-The Fitness Water, Quokka Sports, SailNet.com, Samuel Adams, and
Sunsail.

The NOOD on Galveston Bay is the final event of the 2000 series. Next year's
circuit begins on Florida's Tampa Bay; the St. Petersburg Yacht Club will host
the St. Petersburg NOOD, February 16-18, 2001.

FINAL RESULTS (top 3 in each class)
[Skipper, Hometown, Boat Name (Boat Type), Finishes, Total Points]

25' CLASS (7 boats)
1) John Burgess, Gulfport, MS, Outtasight (Wavelength 24), 2-2-1-3-2, 10
points
2) Steven & Caron Choate, Robert, LA, THE BEAR (Wavelength 24),
1-3-3-1-3, 11
3) Jeff Conwell, Dallas, TX, ANONYMOUS (Olson 25), OCS/8-1-2-2-1, 14

CATALINA 22/Non-Spinnaker (8 boats)
1) Bryan Keathley, Arlington, TX, CALIENTE, 1-1-1-1-2, 6 points
2) Barney Terrell, Golden, TX, ASPASIA, 2-2-2-2-4, 12
3) Veit, Gentry, III, Spring, TX, WINDCHARM, 4-3-4-4-1, 16

*CATALINA 22/Spinnaker (6 boats) State Championships
1) Gene & Cathy Ferguson, Arlington, TX, BULLETPROOF, 1-4-4-2-1, 12
points
2) Gary Bourgeois, New Braunfels, TX, Triple Nickle Surfboard Ranch,
3-3-1-3-3, 13
3) Ted Owens, Austin, TX, MOJO, 6-1-3-1-5, 16

ENSIGN (5 boats)
1) Dick Baxter, Houston, TX, CRUSADER, DNC/6-DNC-6-1-1-2, 16 points
2) David Curtin, Kingwood, TX, THUMBELINA/ Do It, DNC/6-DNC-6-2-2-3, 19
3) Dwight Hollister, Kingswood, TX,SUNDANCE, DNC/6-DNC-6-4-4-1, 21

ETCHELLS (14 boats)
1) W. Yandell Rogers III, Houston, TX, Baby Doll, 1-1-1-3-1-1, 8 points
2) Gary Ross/Mike McCann, Houston, TX, Lone Star, 3-4-2-1-3-2, 15
3) Fred McGinnis, Houston, TX, CRUEL CHRISTY, 5-2-6-2-7-5, 27

*HOBIE 33 (5 boats) Gulf Coast Championships
1) Scott Self, Rockwall, TX, Soap Opera, 1-4-3-1-DNS/6-1, 16 points
2) Mike Naugher, Grand Prairie, TX, COYOTE, 2-1-1-5-DNS/6-2, 17
3) Steve Vaughan, Austin, TX, Red, 4-2-2-2-DNS/6-3, 19

J/105 (5 boats)
1) Hal Haltom, Houston, TX, CAYUSE, 2-1-3-1-1-1, 9 points
2) Robert Sittel, Denton, TX, Mariah V, 4-2-1-3-3-2, 15
3) Bob Wright, Houston, TX, Rare Breed, 1-3-4-2-2.8-4, 16.8

J/22 (17 boats)
1) Bonner Cordelle, Austin, TX, SLO POKE, 3-2-1-2-8, 16 points
2) Terry Flynn, La Porte, TX, TEJAS, 5-3-2-1-10, 21
3) Eugene H. Walet III, Pass Christian, MS, Pequode, 2-5-5-5-4, 21

J/24 (9 boats)
1) Robert Todd Lant, The Woodlands, TX, White Lighthing, 4-1-3-2-1, 11
points
2) Ernst Kraemer, Bedford, TX, AUDACITY, 1-5-1-3-2, 12
3) Brian Hawboldt, Seabrook, TX, Silver Bullet, 2-3-4-5-5, 19

*J/80 (17 boats) National Championships
1) Roland Arthur, Roanoke, TX, Wild Thang, 1-2-[5]-1-3-1-1-3, 12 points
2) Martin Kald, East Elmhurst, NY, MONSTER LADY, [4]-1-2-2-2-4-3-4, 18
3) David Balfour, Austin, TX, KICKS, [RET/18]-3-3-4-5-2-2-1, 20

LEVEL 105 (7 boats)
1) Thompson/Brownback, Houston, TX, Map II (J/29), 1-4-1-1-2-1, 10 points
2) Greg Howard, Carrollton, TX, Scoots (J/29), 3-2-2-3-3-3, 16
3) Brad Van Tassel/Roger McBride, Bellaire,TX, ALCHEMIST (Beneteau
38s5), 5-3-3-2-1-4, 18

LEVEL 123 (6 boats)
1) Fred Lindsey, Canyon Lake, TX, TLT (Tartan Ten), 1-1-1-1-1-1, 6 points
2) Horne, none given,,Drip Dry, 2-3-3-3-3-3, 17
3) Dexter Reed, League City, TX, GOTCHA (Tartan Ten), 4-4-4-2-2-2, 18

LEVEL 70 (6 boats)
1) Tom Sutton, Houston, TX, LEADING EDGE (J/35), 4-1-2-2-1-1, 11 points
2) Charles Buckner, Morgan's Point, TX, Heat Wave (Beneteau 42 S7),
3-3-1-1-2-3, 13
3) Fred Prelle, Houston, TX, PREDATOR (Tripp 36), 2-2-4-4-3-2, 17

SAN JUAN Juan 21 (5 boats)
1) Kelly Holmes, Decatur, TX, Tannemara, 3-2-1-1-1, 8 points
2) Ben Sanders, Kaw City, OK, Salty Dog, 2-1-2-DSQ/6-2, 13
3) Arthur L. Caples Jr. Oklahoma City, OK, no name, 1-4-4-3-3, 15

*SOLING (9 boats) Southern Regional Championships
1) Richard Kinney/Dolan, Greenfield, WI, Spouse Sabbatical, 1-3-1-1-2, 8
points
2) John Walton, San Diego, CA, no name, 5-1-3-2-3, 14
3) Steve Brownsea, San Diego, CA, no name, 2-4-5-3-1, 15

*ULTIMATE 20 (9 boats) National Championships
1) Kent Morrow, Anacortes, WA, Mad Dog, 1-1-2-1-1-4, 10 points
2) David Crall, Loveland, OH, Pandemonium, 4-2-1-4-2-2, 15
3) Don Corey, Cornelius, NC, Antics, 5-3-3-6-4-1, 22