We are thrilled to announce that the NAF-18 class will be getting a start at this year's inaugural NOOD regatta in Seattle. We'll be racing Sat and Sun May 17, 18. Check http://www.sailingworld.com/nood_regatta.jsp?location=2637. NOR and On-line registration should be availabe soon.

Our other big F-18 regatta this summer is the Canadian Grand Prix in Comox, BC June 5 - 8. Four days of racing in one of the most beautiful parts of North America. Prize money for the top 3 finishers, lunches, 2 dinners provided, fantastic giveaways. NOR and Registration info here:
http://www.islandcatsailing.com/cms/index.php?section=18

We expect 12 - 15 boats from Seattle and Vancouver will be racing these weekends. If anyone is looking for a great event to travel to in the Northwest, these are them. Both locations will offer tons for the whole family.

Scott, this is great news. Who did you need to talk to to arrange a start for the F18s? It would be great if we could get beachcat representation at some of the other NOODs. I've poked around the NOOD website and there doesn't seem to be a lot of information.

Mark.

This particular event has been running for a number of years as SOCKS (Seattle One Design Centerboard and Keelboats Regatta) and has been open to cats. Up until this year, only the regional A-Cat Fleet has attended. It was on our calendar until we heard SOCKS was being replaced by the NOOD. Luckily, Seattle Yacht Club decided to keep the small boats too, so we'll be racing with lasers, tasers, 505s, I-14s etc. It seems that the I-14s are included in the San Diego NOOD, so I would think the F-18 fleet in SoCal should be able to get a start there if they were interested. You'd have to check with the local organizers of the other NOODs to try to get a start.

In the past, the Seattle Hobie Fleet scheduled their Hobie 101 clinic the same weekend and didn't attend. This year they changed the sched to not have a conflict. I am hoping that the H16, 17s and 18s decide to place some importance to this regatta too.

These are the types of events that cat sailors need to have attend if we want to grow the sport. Lots of other classes, lots of youth sailors, show them how exciting our boats are.

Thanks Scott. I've found a contact for the Chicago NOOD here, so I'll see what I can find out.

Hey All,

I think this is great news for the PNW F18 fleet and a great opportunity to gain valuable exposure in what will be one of the two most publicized events of the year in the PNW. I think a lot of credit for keeping the trapeze dinghys goes to dinghy fleet captains that really pressed CYC and SYC to not abandon the dinghy racing that was traditionally contested at SOCKs (a dinghy event so strong that it once considered for OCR status). Traditionally, midsize OD keelboats comprise the majority of the NOOD events around the US and hearing that NOOD was replacing SOCKS I was concerned this would be a big hit against the dinghy calendar. Fortunately this was not the case.

Now I mention exposure because as an ex Tornado sailor and very active racer competing around the world, I did not even know there was and F18 fleet in the PNW/West Coast until I read an article at www.thedailysail.com about the impressive turnout and fleet cap at the upcoming F18 worlds and searched for North American fleets. The inclusion of the F18 at the NOOD was one of the key reasons for me stepping up my purchase of my Hobie Tiger last week and I am looking forward to racing my new boat this year as much as possible. I also hope to bring in two additional new boat owners and the exposure at the NOOD event is going to be critical in grounding the F18/Tiger in people’s purchase decision set.

I also believe a critical component in youth sailing (in the past I have organized several youth coaching clinics such as ORCA) is showing that there is much more to sailing than struggling slowly upwind in a Laser or crewing on a slow midsize lead mine. If sailing is to inspire youth to participate then they need to see modern alternatives such as the 29r, 49er, I14, A Cat, ad F18s at Yacht Club events, on the water and to have access to the sailors. NOOD will be a good opportunity for this. My own indoctrination into the world of multiple hulls began at dinghy club in the mid-west that supported Sharks and Tornados as well as Snipes and Lightings and I consider myself to be very lucky to have had the opportunities that the Yacht Club and fleet support afforded me (e.g. World Championships, Olympic Trials, etc.).

I look forward to meeting everyone this year and looking to get involved in promoting what is arguably one of the fastest growing fleets in the world.

New F18 fleet member/owner, leadmine program manager, dinghy racer…..

Paul

Registration is available online and is functioning properly.
http://www.sailingworld.com/nood-regatta...1000057659.html
There is also an online list of registered skippers. It is immediately updated when you register.
http://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_fleetsplit_nood.php?regatta_id=1756
The first two entries were F18’s!



Some notes:

Membership in US Sailing is a requirement for at least one person on the boat.
You can join US Sailing online and obtain a membership number without paying anything at first. You will get a membership number that you can use to register for the regatta.
A discounted membership is available through the Multihull Council. You have to print out the form and write a check, with a stamp and everything.
i. http://www.ussailing.org/multihull/ga_form.asp is the link to the form.

ii. Then send your Golden Anchor discounted membership to John Williams per the instructions.

Registered, see you there.

Just wanted to clarify. Canadian entries are not required to be US Sailing members. We do have to be CYA members however (or US Sailing if we so choose)
Most yacht club members in Canada are CYA members, you just have to get your card and number.

http://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_fleetsplit_nood.php?regatta_id=1756

The F18 Class is the first class to meet the 6 boat registration requirement. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

We are doing our best to establish a positive precedence for you guys trying to get a foot in the door for the other NOOD events. <img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

For those of you thinking of coming, the registration fee goes up by $50 after May 5th. That date will sneak up on you, so get on it now!!!

It is official - F18s have a fleet start at the Seattle NOODs... 12 boats so far.

Thanks to all those that pre-registered - this was critical to get us our own start.

Congratulations, that's great. Incidentally, NOOD unfortunately declined our request to run an F-18 class at the Chicago event, despite us having expressions of interest from six boats - the requirement for Seattle I believe. They declined without explanation (although I did ask). We'll try again next year.

Every part of the country is a bit different so I am curious,

Why do you think participating in the NOOD is good for your class?

My experience on the east coast is that these big events are very expensive for what you get, the parties are a bit of PIA and you don't get much PR value out of it.

(The New England Fleet declines the Newport Regatta while the Hobie fleets decline CORK in Kingston)

We race on the same weekend as the NOOD about 1 mile further south and had 25 A cats and 7 N20's plus the 15 5o5s

I don't think anyone thought we should be racing as part of the NOOD.

Lots of SA discusion about the cost benfits for Etchels, J22's and Melges 24's in a NOOD event as well in Annapolis.

Is this the only big boat race that guys could compete in out there?

My $00.02 ...

This event will be a high profile event for the area, with potential for media coverage. It will also be run by two large yacht clubs.
Our particapation will help to get the visibility we desire to build the class.
It will also let the organizing groups see that we are serious and established. This, I hope will open doors for more event particapation in the future.

I agree with your take, Don. I'd actually looked hard at making the 18-hour drive to sail with you for that because I feel it is a good "foot-in-the-door." I understand where Mark is coming from on this, but I tend to feel that the entry fee is pretty reasonable (even though higher than average) and the exposure the F18s stand to gain is priceless.

It looks like you have a great turn-out. You're our ambassadors in the NOOD - keep in mind that several of us in SoCal are hoping that we can use your example for the San Diego event next year.

Well done, Don et. al.

<img src="http://www.catsailor.com/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

This is the only event of the year where dinghys have interaction with the keelboat fleets.

First, for the NOOD in Seattle over a third of the boats are dinghys and cats.

Second, this is the best opportunity of the year to showcase the ACats and F18 in a yacht club surrounding with 1000+ sailors to see them.

NOOD exposure tied in with other cat focused fleet builidng events will be very good for the F18 fleet. We are putting a lot of effort this year to driving this class in the PNW and with 10+ boats at our first event in BC and then 12+ pre registered at the NOODs - we are showing some good numbers for a year 1 push.

Hopefully excitement and fleet size will only move upward for the F18s and I hope this exposure will help push the two keel boat sailors I know sailing NOOD that have hobie 16s to move up to F18s.

WOW.... That is a lot of non offshore boats.

Sounds like you have a great plan...

once again.. all regions are different.

http://www.regattanetwork.com/clubmgmt/applet_fleetsplit_nood.php?regatta_id=1756

This is the direct link to the particapants list. You'll see the mix and the numbers.

There was a lot of hand wringing going on when NOODs was anounced. NOOD with SYC/CYC blessing replaced SOCKs which was Seattle's premire centerboard and keel one design regatta. We were fortunate that the NOOD officials did not kill the dinghys.

The cost has nearly doubled for the small boats but in my opinion the good news is that NOODs historically have the best RC for a non-championship events. I am hearing rumors that we have a US Sailing Team/Olympic Silver Medalist running our course and the events I have run with that person have always been very well managed.

Will they bring in RC PRO's for your event to lead your existing RC teams?

In Annapolis NOODs, , Eastport and Annapolis YC provide the same A and B team RC's that they normally provide to run the 4 circles. It's not clear what Sailing World actually does here..... other then brand the event and do the PR. I can't see Easport or AYC giving up the leadership to somebody else.

Since you already had a succesful event in the spring... Was the PR factor of Sailing World NOOD the big draw?

Mark