NOOD no more in Houston

[Jonsey]

Hearing the NOOD's not going to be back is bitter-sweet.  It would be great to have another 3-day regatta on the bay..  bit more breeze would be nice.

Make it happen guys...  please coordinate with other major events around the state so we dont have a conflict, add rum and the Vipes will be there!   

[marc]

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?

I think that's the way to do it with all 3 clubs, but you would be crazy to use the same dates. That was 80% of the problem.

[Kaos]

I too was glad to see the NOOD go. For the cost of the entry and the timing of the event it was not worth the cost.  I think doing something later in October after the Bank did very well for us with the 80 NAs. The weather temp was aewsome, the winds were good all weekend.  I suggest if we do a replacement regatta for the NOOD, that it is 2 days not 3 days. This allows people to work, those that travel in gives them a extra day of work or school in the week as well. Maybe do A Great Pumpkin Regatta!!

[Burns]

Great idea BJ but move the OD to the north, J and C 22's, 24's 80's and Ensign's sail with the motor off.  HYC is s better venue.  I'd also look at adding another course up there for dinghy's, not just juniors but Thistle, Lightning, Flying Scot etc.  Those boats can travel and putting on a good 3 day event might just attract some of them.  Maybe the Viper types would like that kind of line, have to ask them.

Some of the best racing I have ever done here was back when the T-10 fleet signed up for the old HYC Olympic Circle instead of the Big Boat line at HYC regattas.  Maybe the 105 guys would be intrigued by really short courses and would come back out for something different.

And then there are the beach cats.  One of the other problems with the NOOD was it limited who you could invite, open it up to everybody.   

Loosing the NOOD might just be a good thing.

[Chris P]

I think it sounds great. I pitched an idea to Chris for a fun, fund raising event and look forward to a reply when the board processes all the input.

And I firmly believe the best race format for OD, even up to the bigger boats like 105's, is shorter courses and shorter periods between fleet starts. - More of a college racing flavor. Let's face it, the action is at the starts and the mark roundings, so let's have the most fun and maximize everyone's chance for redemption (success) with more starts and roundings. Over the years I have found this format to be less stressful, more fun for skippers and crew, and an all around better experience. And if the weather poops out for the second day of a 2 day event, well, you've completed enough races for everyone to leave thinking they gave their best.

If you have never experienced this, then try it. It'll ruin you for what happens at so many sailing events - overly long legs, too much time between starts, wind shifts way the heck to windward but not anywhere near the starting line so the RC and mark set boats spend lots of good racing time sorting it all out, etc., etc. And again, this can work for the bigger boats, too (Ok, we're not gonna get a bunch of 40' racer-cruisers short tacking up the bay, but you catch my drift).

Try it - you'll like it!
Chris P

[Jonsey]

Viper types...  ? 

We'd favor sailing closer to HYC assuming we could base there.   More races, shorter courses is a BIG plus.   Your dead on in saying that the most exciting part of a race is the start and mark roundings.   

Charleston Race Week was a great example of super-fun event.   We ran 1 mile legs, 5 races one day when the breeze was on.  32 vipes, several melges 20's and a handful of Laser SB3's..  ripping down-hill at +15 knots, zigging and zagging.  Good times.  If you've never been to that event, i highly recomend it.  Rumor has it a handful of 80s will be making the trip this year prepping for the worlds.

I dont think it would make sense to put us anywhere near the J22's or J24's...  maybe the 80s.    However, were not picky..  build it and we will come.     

Question is.. how do we create a CRW-type regatta on the bay?   Goslings was a major sponsor of our NA's and CRW.   Approach those guys, they certainly know how to make sure everyone has a good time.

[Bee]

There are two problems with J105's sailing up by HYC.  One is water depth and the other is short courses with little boats on the line.

Water depth is certainly the bigger issue.  Ask Malcolm Bremer about the time this year he was in striking distance and then planted Babe's keel in the mud.  He actually had to hoist the chute on the upwind leg to get off.  As far as I know the only 105 still up at HYC is J-Teez.  Tichenor has not raced his boat in quite a while.  The only time it gets out is when someone else "charters" it for one of our class races.  I think all of us prefer to run in deeper water.

As to the smaller boats:  I don't remember the venue but we did run with the smaller boats on what is normally called the OD line.  The course lengths were on the order of .5 - .75 miles.  Regardless of how we started we usually managed to round the marks with the 22's or the Ensigns and with our big sails almost always screwed them in some form or fashion.  I have been yelled at quite loudly for passing to windward of someone and pretty much stalling them in their tracks. 

I am quite sure that most of the 105 owners prefer to be on the bigger boat line.  Having said that I think building our own TEXAS NOOD is a sparking idea.  Proceed with all do haste.

[jayhefty]

Perhaps call it the TOOD. Texas Organized One Design. Wouldn't want to end up in a New York Superior Court for some kind of intelectual property issue.

[Bee]

I like that.  TOOD!

[BJSailor]

GOOD Regatta?  Galveston (bay) Organized One Design?

TOAD Regatta?  Texas Open All-Design?

GLH Regatta?  Gbca Lyc, Hyc Regatta?

SOAK Regatta?  September One-design All-Keelboat (centerboards welcome!)

Don't focus on One-Design.  Non-Spin and PHRF welcome!  Windward / Leeward courses for some, Rig Racing for others. 

Heck, while we're at it, let's get Seabrook Sailing Club and TCYC involved too!  Do you think the Sonars would like to sail too, or the Sunfish and Lasers?  There are a ton of youth sailors in this area who would love to sail their Lasers against their Dads.

If this ends up getting enough traction, I'm stating right now that I WILL NOT WORK RACE COMMITTEE!!!  This is one event that you will find me on the water.  I may crew on all 3 (or 4) lines, but I will sail this event.  This is a golden opportunity for the different sailing organizations around here to pull together and hold a stellar event.

[Bee]

One of the things to worry about is how we get "foreign" boats commissioned and de-commissioned.  Last time I checked this was more expensive then Key West.  If we pool resources we should be able to get a really good deal from the local establishment.  We would want this to be on the order of a few hundred bucks per boat --- even if they are 34 feet or longer.

[Chris P]

Oh man - the TOAD has GOT to be it! The event's T-shirt/trophy/mug/visor mascot could be a caricature of our old, now seldom seen friend, the Horned Toad or some other toady amphibian. Wow, this could be FUN!
With regard to the shorter courses, I did not mean to imply that we all get together on rolling starts on a single short course. I think 2-3 separate courses, designed for each group of boats (fleets), AND insisting on shorter courses with almost no down between between races is the key to maximizing fun. And let me just tell you right now - it'll take concentrated effort to keep the courses from getting too long. And as a racer, here's another thing for the over-worked Rc crews: I come to race; so if the wind shifts and the line isn't exactly square, I really don't care.   I appreciate the effort (I really do - I have worked RC too many times not to). But this ain't the Olympics. Let's have a sailboat race. Set is as best as you can, and pull the trigger. (Should probably state that intent in the SI so other sailors with less flexibility don't get their shorts wadded up. We gotta manage expectations from the start.)

And when was the last time FUN was the overall theme emenating (sp?) from a regatta that captured such a wide audience? Woo-hoo!