Hi, I'm currently waiting to hear from the Chicago Yacht Club and/or the NOOD organizers about whether they will allow catamarans to participate in this year's Chicago NOOD regatta, June 13-15. This could be a great opportunity for us to give multihull sailing some visibility at a high profile, well attended, traditionally monohull event. The precedent being set by the F-18s and A-class at the Seattle NOOD this year gives us some hope, but it will depend on having sufficient interest from cat sailors. It would help me to hear from anyone who might be interested in participating so I can gauge potential attendance. If you think there is any possibility of you attending, could you please either PM me or email me at mark dot thomson at ieee dot org.

Thanks.

Mark,
I would definately be there if the F18 class was given an invitation. It is a great opportunity to get our class out there and visible to the mainstream sailing communtity that normally would not give multihulls much consideration. Hope everone in our area feels the same, please let Mark know if you do!

We have raced the A's in the Seattle race for the past 4 years. Average around 10-12 boats. Registration was something like $40-50 and included pizza and beer. Now it is the NOOD race and registration is $75, plus another $40 for social, and you have to bee a US Sailing member. Cost might be a factor in how large the fleet is this year.

Mark,

Would that be run under "Open Class/Portsmouth" format. Mark Schneider and I were the first "Beach Cat" to compete in the NASS Race here on the Chesapeake. That is an open weekend in our schedule this year. Maybe we could drag my P-19mx w/spin to Chicago

I like being able to claim "Plankowner" status!!!

Keep us informed
HarryMurphey

Harry, I should have mentioned in my original post - NOOD is basically a one design / level rating regatta. I think there may have been PHRF divisions for keelboats before, but I don't see any likelihood that we could get cats in based on Portsmouth. Considering the distribution of cat sailing in the Midwest, I suspect that F-18s, N-20s and possibly F17s are the most likely possibilities. In case you're interested, here is last year's NOR. The criteria defined there plainly rule beachcats out - which is why I'm lobbying for a change in the criteria to enable cats to compete.

From my mono days I can tell you that the NOOD (National Offshore One Design) runs straight up boat for boat. OD classes get their own start. PHRF boats are lumped to gether classes based on number. We raced a boat with a PHRF of 78 and were lumped with boats ranging from 65 to 84 in what was called the Level 70 class. The sad thing is we beat these boats often times heads up regardless of rating.

How we made it "happen" here on the Chesapeak for "Open" class in all these "one-design" regettas was simple ... Mark Schneider volunteered to do the scoring!!!

What we proposed was that we would come ... pay our $$$$'s and handle all owr own scoring ... all the race commitee has to do is take "record/times". We even told them we didn't want trophies ... So we elimenated all the issues/costs. After several years of our attending ... seeing our boat handling skills ... good sportsmanship ... rubbing elbows ... we are now part of the show!!!!

And the big boat sailors now CHEER the "Beach Cats" as we charge past (we start last in the NASS) ... chasing the PRF-A0 boats ... "DONNEYBROOK" and "ZARAFFRA".

In the small boat events the YC's have learned how to do handicapp scoring for us as we are usually their largest class except for OPTI'S and Laser

Mark Schneider did a little extra and made it work!

HarryMurphey
H18mag/#9458, Fleet54/Div11
P19mx w/spin /#86,Crac

Thanks for sharing that Harry and kudos to Mark for the achievements in the Chesapeake. I think it's very helpful for us to share strategies from different parts of the country that we find effective in advancing the sport. I'll keep this suggestion in mind as I work the possible NOOD opportunity. At this point, just getting the length/accommodation restrictions relaxed will be a challenge. But if we can't get enough interest to support a single OD fleet, it'll be hard to make that argument given how fundamental OD is to the way the whole of this national series is defined. At the moment I have had expressions of interest from 4 F18s and 1 each of N20, F17 and F16.

Just tell them it's about SPEED not waterline length!

Or are they afraid a Beach Cat will finish first and drink all the beer!!!

"Yachting is a function of BRAINWAVE LENGTH not WATERLINE LENGTH" -Harry Murphey

Sail Flat, Sail Fast
HarryMurphey
H18mag/#9458, Fleet54/Div11
P19mx w/spin /#86, CRAC