Sailors competing at the 2014 Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta in Seattle returned to shore elated with the racing conditions on Puget Sound today. A consistent 10- to 15-knot southerly allowed some classes to complete as many as five races.
“That was about as good as it gets in Seattle,” said local Melges 24 skipper Herb Cole, who’s team on Midsummer Hai Yai! stands second overall in its 14-boat fleet, 3 points behind Kevin Welch’s Mikey. The two teams were battling throughout the day, with Cole conceding that Welch’s squad was sharper with its boathandling, and faster overall around the racecourse over three races. “They’ve been sailing a lot this winter,” said Cole. “We haven’t been, and there were moments today where it really showed.”
Pat Dore’s local team on the J/24 Baba Louie, which won four of five races in the the 16-boat fleet, was the standout team of the day. “We had a really good day,” said Dore’s tactician Chris Snow, a professional sailmaker from San Diego. “It was a great day of sailing. It was a lot of fun, especially to be able to get in that many races. The left side of the course was really favored because the wind accelerates over the headland, so the key was to work that side.”
Seattle 6-Meter
