NOOD no more in Houston

[Rob]

Read it in your mail.

[Christopher]

Heard there was a survey going around about next years list of venues.  Houston was not on the list.  Have not seen survey nor yet received mailing and could not find anything about it online.
Strange.  I wonder why - lack of participation, lack of wind, lack of....
C

[BJSailor]

The NOOD is a profit center for Sailing World.  100 boats is their break even point.
This year we had less than 70 boats.  Last year was a no-go because of Ike (yet there were costs for SW).  And so on...
There just wasn't enough draw in Galveston Bay to sustain the event.
Sailing World has agreed to stay in touch and re-evaluate the situation in a few years.

Brian H.

[Charles]

Looks like that gives us another weekend to run an regatta locally... better event, less cost!!
Charles

[Bee]

Less cost yes, but less recognition as well.  I took a quick look at the "other" NOODs.  Almost all had 100+ boats with some pretty exotic types that we never seem to see here.

I organized a J105 Texas championship in conjunction with the NOOD.  Had commitments from at least a couple outside the area boats but they never showed up.   Costs too much to transport the boats and most owners seemed to think that the venue was not worth the effort.  No blue water, and no big time competition.  Was really disappointed.

If things don't look up we will probably be limited to small local OD classes, PHRF, and ORC in the HMR.

[Bee]

Hmm.  Thinking a bit more, why don't we organize our own local OD regatta.  Set up a range of both PHRF and OD classes, encourage people to enter and see what we get.  If we could possible pool the resources of HYC, LYC, and GBCA and maybe even the local OD classes, we should be able to put together something at least as good as the NOOD.

[Bee]

I've always thought that Texas Race Week should be a big time event.  Maybe partially in the bay and then the rest in the Gulf.  We do have almost blue water out there.  Get the conservatives to allow gambling and away we go.

[marc]

Good riddance, I've never understood the appeal of that regatta. All except one year that I can think of it's a total floater. If you looked at all 52 weeks out of the year and tried to pick the absolute worst week to run a regatta on Galveston Bay you would come up with the last week of September. Of course, it is the peak of hurricane season, so there's always that hope for wind.

I love the idea of a Galveston Bay One-Design regatta, but at a better time of year and with better post racing activities.

Marc

[Bee]

We might be able to get away with a bunch of Texas Championships --- Catalina 22, J80, J22, J105, J109, Viper, Level PHRF ---.  of various types and even have some smaller style stuff on Clear Lake at the same time.  Let's think big here.

[ChrisK]

Some good ideas, with the OD, etc. Keep them coming.

It does open up the schedule but September is still September.

GBCA has been working on something along the lines of what Bee mentioned long before the NOOD pulled out.
Much more affordable and twice as fun, of course.
It's really early in the game, too early for details.

[Bee]

I would love to push for the 2011 J105 North Americans.  We have been offered this before and I am willing to put a lot of effort into it.  Just need to find a date when we think the wind Dogs (spell it backwards) will be favorable.

[marc]

I think the J80 Fleet would agree that late October is a good time to race on Galveston Bay.

[Bob H]

Sorry to see it's gone. I tried a little one year to see if they would open it up for some smaller centerboard one-designs. It was tough to get them interested.

It would be great to get a race week going - I recall Buddy Brown had an idea for something like that during the spring break time frame. I had floated the idea to some of my Day Sailer friends up north, they seemed like they liked the idea. sounds like there's potential.

[STuma]

Agree with Bee about a Texas One-Design (TOD) regatta...  If we can get with all the clubs in Texas and express the idea of this concept, I am sure they will jump on board... What about having a day of windward/leeward, a day of triangles, and a day of distance (40 miles)... give this some variety... Combine the NOOD, old Fall Series with Charge Cup?  This would definaitly test our skills; tight mark roundings, short tactics, long tactics and weather changes... Do what Texans do best, take what someone else has, and make it better!!! 

[BJSailor]

How about GBCA, LYC, and HYC cooperate and put on a three day event on the NOOD dates.  Big boat and PHRF line north of Red Bluff and one-designs south for the racers, and a third line south of Seabrook #2 that is the start/finish for a cruising course around Government marks and platforms.  Competitors Briefing at one club on Thursday, party and another on Saturday, and awards at the third on Sunday.

I wonder if the three clubs might work together on this one?