For Immediate Release
Detroit (Mich.) June 2, 2002 – The Sailing World Detroit NOOD (National Offshore One-Design) Regatta–the seasons first major sailing regatta in the region, hosted May 31 to June 2 by Bayview Yacht Club–was all about perfect timing.
First, there was the weather: the pace of weather patterns moving over Lake St. Clair was right on target to deliver an opening day of racing with strong 15- to 20-knot winds, temperatures in the 70s, sun, and a near-cloudless sky.
Then there were the class winners: those who triumphed made quick decisions at the starts and crew moves at the right split-second to edge out the competition. For one, the crew on J/35 FALCON (Warren, Mich.) had their timing dialed in for a win.
“We had good consistent starts, great crew work, and we got out in front early,” said an elated Ed Bayer, who helmed FALCON to a win in the Level 35 class. For Bayer, John Bayer, and Mike Welch–the trio who own FALCON–three is a very magic number.
These Michigan racers have owned their J/35 for three years, and theyve competed at the Detroit NOOD three times–each time edging up in the class rankings with a third in 2000, a second in 2001, and a class win this year.
Fortune smiled on another trio of Michigan owners. David Lattie, Lyndon Lattie, and Barron Meade (Grand Blanc, Mich.) found out-of-the-box speed on a brand-new J/105 they launched only last Tuesday. The NOOD was their first race–and their first sail onboard the new boat; according to David Lattie, as they prepped the boat before it splashed into Lake St. Clair, they
agreed that a top-5 finish would be a good target to shoot for. Their aim was better than their intentions: the crew on PATRIOT won the 20-boat J/105 class after six races.
PATRIOT had a lot of catching up to do after Fridays opening races. J/105 DETOUR, owned by Chuck Stormes (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.), won the first three races and the Hall Spars & Rigging Boat of the Day Award on Friday, a fleet prize given to the crew who logs the best performance on opening day. DETOURs 13th place in Sundays final race sealed their fate.
Winds on Saturday, Day 2, softened to 8 to 12 knots. On both Friday and Saturday, winds were generally consistent in direction but varied in velocity throughout both days, making headsail choices for the larger boats a big part of the game. Sundays wind started at 10 knots, but deteriorated into a light, shifty breeze.
Dale Marshall (Grosse Pointe Woods, Mich.) topped the 20-boat Cal 25 class. Although this sailor has competed in a Cal 25 for 23 years, this years NOOD represented a comeback.
Marshall lost his Cal 25 two years ago, in a fire. He found a new Cal
quickly and got right back on the racecourse. But it took time to master the feel of the new boat, which has a different balance with a slightly different interior layout. This is Marshall’s first win at the NOOD in his new CLYTIE.
“I think the Cal 25 is one of the toughest classes out there,” said
Marshall. “We took second last year, and this year, a first. I am pleased about that.” Among Marshall’s crew were his wife Jenny and Fred Anderson, who has raced with Marshall for 16 years.
“This win is big,” said Anderson. “The last time we won the NOOD [in 1995] we also won the Nationals.” The Cal 25 class will compete for their Nationals in August.
Lake Michigan racer Rich Stearns (Wilmette, Ill.) won the largest class in the regatta, the 25-boat Tartan Ten class. Stearns sailed his LS 10, NEW TEN, with a pick-up crew of sailors who had not raced together before. According to one crewmember, the only spinnaker practice this crew had was a quick set and a few gybes, in 20 knots of wind, before Fridays first race.
The next major class contest for Stearns will be the Chicago NOOD, held on Lake Michigan in mid-June. Some 50 Tartan Tens are expected to compete in Chicago.
Eric Deeds of San Francisco preserved a long-running family tradition by winning the Express 27 class, which was also the class Great Lakes Championships. Racing onboard LORAX, the Deeds family reunites each year in Detroit to compete at the NOOD. Siblings take turns helming LORAX each year, and the family rotation has worked for a string of championship titles.
For complete fleet results and daily race reports, visit
www.sailingworld.com. The NOOD Regattas next move to Lake Michigan for the Chicago NOOD, hosted June 14-16 by the Chicago Yacht Club.
The NOOD (National Offshore One-Design) regattas are a nine-event racing circuit organized by Sailing World magazine of Newport (R.I.). Support sponsors who joined Sailing World and host Bayview Yacht Club in Detroit included: Frederiksen, Hall Spars & Rigging, Marlow Ropes, North Sails, Raymarine, Ronstan, Samuel Adams and The Boston Beer Company, Sea Wynde Rum, and Sunsail.
—Cynthia
Goss/reporting by Stuart Streuli
RESULTS (top-3 in each class)
[Skipper, Hometown, Boat Name (Boat Type), Total Points]
C&C; 35 (8 boats)
1) Brian Geraghty, Grosse Pointe Shores, MI, SIOCHAIL, 18 points
2) John Konechne, Mt. Clemens, MI, WALLOON, 21
3) Gary P. Graham, Grosse Pointe Park, MI, CONTENDER, 24
Cal 25 (20 boats)
1) Dale T. Marshall, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI, CLYTIE, 19
2) John Bianco, Grosse Pointe Park, MI, Nemesis, 23
3) J. David Holme, Grosse Pointe, MI, HOLME BREW, 28
Crescent (10 boats)
1) David Hume, Detroit, MI, Utopia, 17
2) Stephen Hume, Detroit, MI, Manon, 19
3) Geoff Blake, Grosse Pointe, MI, NUTS, 19
Etchells (9 boats)
1) Tom Dawson/Kevin Germain, Grosse Pointe, MI, The Crippler, 15
2) William Zemmin/Feldman, Grosse Pointe Park, MI, Big Game, 17
3) Chris Clark, Birmingham, MI, LIFE IS GOOD, 23
Express 27 (9 boats) Great Lakes Championships
1) Eric Deeds, San Francisco, CA, Lorax, 13
2) Peter Fortune, Grosse Pointe, MI, Air Force, 26
3) Harold Kolter, Harper Woods, MI, DAS BOOT, 28
Grand Prix A (7 boats)
1) Herbert Misch, Bloomfield Hills, MI, Tiki II (Frers 45), 9
2) Curtis Kime, Grosse Pointe Farms, MI, Victrix (Condordia 47), 18
3) Tim Schley, Fraser, MI, Promotion (Frers 50), 19
Grand Prix B (9 boats)
1) H. Burton Jones, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI, BURDEN IV (custom 38), 9
2) Mark Symonds, Rochester Hills, MI, Pterodactyl (Evelyn 42), 12
3) David Hudgel, n/a, Bounder (Sydney 36), 21
J/105 (20 boats)
1) David Lattie, Grand Blanc, MI, Patriot, 18
2) Chuck Stormes, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI, Detour, 21
3) Con Ruffing, Grosse Pointe, MI, C-Jem, 32
J/120 (9 boats)
1) Robert Amsler, Clinton Township, MI, MERLIN, 19
2) Gerry Hines, Cambridge,Ont., Canada, Irresistible Too, 22
3) Matthew Songer, Marquette, MI, Perseverance, 24
J/24 (8 boats)
1) Josh Kerst, Ann Arbor, MI,INSTANT KARMA, 14
2) Jim Van De Velde, Macomb, MI, Mind Games, 14
3) Harold Stackpoole, Grosse Pointe Park, MI, Suicide Blonde, 28
Level 114 (7 boats)
1) Tom Kleinhardt, Farmington Hills, MI, FORTE, 13
2) Donald Cochran, Troy, MI, XS, 19
3) Bill Gispen, Amherstburg,Ont., Canada, Sorceress, 21
Level 141 (7 boats)
1) Brian Lang, Bloomfield Hills, MI, Marksman, 10
2) Nat Towle, Bingham Farms, MI, FREEDOM, 22
3) Dave Black, Mississauga, Ont.,Canada, Jet, 25
Level 35 (14 boats)
1) Ed Bayer/Mike Welch/John Bayer, Warren,MI, Falcon, 15
2) Winston Beckett, Toronto, Ont.,Canada, Crime Scene, 26
3) Robert Pethick, Orchard Lake, MI, BRETWALDA, 33
Melges 24 (10 boats)
1) Mike Dow, Traverse City, MI, FLYING TOASTER, 16
2) Thomas Roop, Traverse City, MI, KT Express, 18
3) Jim Pearson, Wheatley,Ont., Canada, Slippery, 25
NA 40 (8 boats)
1) John S. Barbour, Detroit, MI, VELERO VI, 9
2) Marc Hollerbach, Grosse Pointe Park, MI, Mandalay, 13
3 Bill Alcott/Peter Griffin, Grosse Pointe Park, MI, KEMOSABE, 16
S2 7.9 (10 boats)
1) Bill Jenkins, Grosse Pointe Park, MI, Crime Scene, 8
2) Sam Irwin, Windsor, Ont.,Canada, Half Baked, 17
3) Michael Bremer, Holland, MI, Frequent Flyer, 25
Tartan Ten (25 boats)
1) Richard Stearns, Wilmette, IL, New Ten, 28
2) Bill Buckles/Simon, Lorain, OH, Liquor Box, 46
3) Len Chamberlain, Vermilion, OH, WILDCAT, 47
Ultimate 20 (12 boats)
1) Paul Hulsey, Birmingham, MI, Dynamo Humm, 18
2) Don Corey, Cornelius, NC, Uh-Huh, 24
3) Christopher VanTol, Grosse Pointe Park, MI, El Minator, 28
Warhorse (10 boats)
1) Ray & Winnie Adams, W. Bloomfield, MI, EPIC (Beneteau 42s7), 11
2) John Trost, Grosse Pointe Woods, MI, PENDRAGON (Contessa 43), 11
3) Dane Christy, Bloomfield Hills, MI, HELLION (C&C; 43-2), 18
-ends-
