{"id":69914,"date":"2021-06-12T02:40:06","date_gmt":"2021-06-12T06:40:06","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/?p=69914"},"modified":"2023-05-06T23:04:00","modified_gmt":"2023-05-07T03:04:00","slug":"chicago-sailors-celebrate-return-to-racing","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/regatta-series\/chicago-sailors-celebrate-return-to-racing\/","title":{"rendered":"Chicago Sailors Celebrate Return to Racing"},"content":{"rendered":"\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img fetchpriority=\"high\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_1215-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Photo highlights from the opening day of the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta Chicago.\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_1215-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_1215-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_1215-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_1215.jpg 1980w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Photo highlights from the opening day of the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta Chicago.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Mark Albertazi<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n<p>Courageous owners Ray Douglas and Kris Maybach jumped the gun in the opening race of the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta Chicago series, drawing an over-early penalty and forcing them to re-start behind the rest of their eight-boat J\/109 fleet. They recovered quick enough to catch the fleet right before the end of the race. \u201cSix or seven boats converged right at the finish line,\u201d says Courageous\u2019s spinnaker trimmer Aldo Caronia. \u201cIt was so close that the race committee declared a first-place tie between us and Slapshot II (a J\/109 owned and driven by Scott Sims).<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cFrom dead last at the start of the race to finishing with a split-first place\u2014it\u2019s a big win for our team,\u201d Caronia says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Courageous is currently in second place overall behind Smee Again, owned by George Miz, Peter Dreher and David Neenan, of Chicago. \u201cSmee Again is definitely fast and very strong,\u201d says Caronia, \u201cBut everything is up for grabs and it\u2019s going to be a nice fight for tomorrow.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Nearly 150 competitors enjoyed the first of three days of the Chicago NOOD, which is taking place across four racing circles set within sight of the Chicago skyline. Racing will continue throughout the weekend with winds expected to be light and challenging for the sailors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_159-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Photo highlights from the opening day of the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta Chicago.\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_159-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_159-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_159-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_159.jpg 1980w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Photo highlights from the opening day of the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta Chicago.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Mark Albertazi<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n<p>According to Richard Stearns, who is leading the J\/105 fleet on Glider with a first- and second-place finish, even though conditions were lighter than he prefers, he was excited to be sailing and racing again with friends.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p>\u201cI\u2019ve sailed with everyone on board before, but it\u2019s the first time they\u2019ve all sailed together. We have a great mix on board,\u201d says Stearns. \u201cToday the breeze wasn\u2019t that shifty; just suddenly you had some wind, or you didn\u2019t. It\u2019s wonderful to get back on the water with friends.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p>For a team that hasn\u2019t raced in two years, it only took a couple of practice jibes on the way out to the racecourse for the Beneteau 40.7 La Tempete to fall right back into step according to owner\/driver Thomas Weber. \u201cOur crew has been together for so long, everybody just knows what to do,\u201d says Weber.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<style>.embed-container { position: relative; padding-bottom: 56.25%; height: 0; overflow: hidden; max-width: 100%; } .embed-container iframe, .embed-container object, .embed-container embed { position: absolute; top: 0; left: 0; width: 100%; height: 100%; }<\/style><div class='embed-container'><iframe frameborder='0' width='480' height='270' src='\/\/www.dailymotion.com\/embed\/video\/x81y9k0?autoplay=1&#038;mute=1' allowfullscreen allow='autoplay'><\/iframe><\/div>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Weber, a previous overall Chicago NOOD winner, says the Chicago fleet of Beneteau 40.7s is more than a fleet, it\u2019s a sailing family both literally and figuratively. \u201cWe\u2019ve all been together for so many years, it\u2019s like a family of sailors. Many of us have family members on board like me.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p>La Tempete is leading the seven-boat fleet with a third, first and second today, and Weber says their racing strategy is usually more about sailing in clear air than playing the wind shifts. \u201cBut we learned in the first race about the persistent right shift, and then played the right side the rest of the day.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_901-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Photo highlights from the opening day of the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta Chicago.\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_901-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_901-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_901-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_901.jpg 1980w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Photo highlights from the opening day of the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta Chicago.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Mark Albertazi<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n<p>In the J\/88 fleet, the top-four boats are only separated by 3 points, with Dave Tufts and Mike Wilde\u2019s <i>Gaucho<\/i> leading. The team, from Rochester, New York, posted two first places and a fifth place today.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Wilde attributes much of their performance to great boatspeed. \u201cWe had three solid starts today and worked the slow but persistent right shift in the first race,\u201d Wilde says. \u201cIn the second race, we felt like there was more pressure on the left and split from the fleet on the first leg, but it just didn\u2019t pay off and we ended in fifth. It was nice to come back and finish the last race with a win.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n        <section class=\"hydra-container\">\n\n\t\t\t                <div class=\"hydra-canvas\">\n\t\t\t\t\t<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"800\" height=\"533\" src=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_719-1024x682.jpg\" class=\"hydra-image\" alt=\"Photo highlights from the opening day of the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta Chicago.\" sizes=\"(max-width: 1400px) 100vw, 1400px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_719-1024x682.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_719-300x200.jpg 300w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_719-768x511.jpg 768w, https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/NOODChi_719.jpg 1980w\" \/>                <\/div>\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\n            <figcaption class=\"caption margin_top_xs full border_1 hydra-figcaption\">\n                <span class=\"hydra-image-caption\">Photo highlights from the opening day of the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta Chicago.<\/span>\n                <span class=\"article_image_credit italic margin_right_xs\">Mark Albertazi<\/span>\n\n\t\t\t\t            <\/figcaption>\n        <\/section>\n\t\t\n\n\n\n<p>In recent years, the J\/88 fleet has enjoyed a resurgence in popularity spurred by former dinghy sailors, especially here in Chicago where at least three younger sailors now own J\/88s. \u201cFive years ago we were struggling to even have a J\/88 fleet at the NOOD,\u201d says Andy Graff, the Chicago J\/88 fleet captain and owner\/driver of the second-place boat Exile. \u201cNow we are one of the most competitive fleets.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Wilde compares the J\/88 to an oversized dinghy, saying, \u201cIt\u2019s a blast to sail. A high-performance sportboat, but it\u2019s still dinghy-like enough where you need to roll tack and jibe, and you don\u2019t need to have professionals on board to do well.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<p>Racing continues tomorrow morning and continues through Sunday, when an overall winner will be decided and advance to the NOOD\u2019s season championship in the British Virgin Islands in October.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Gallery: Friday Photos<\/h3>\n\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Opening day at the Helly Hansen NOOD Chicago was light, but that only made it easier for teams that have been unable to sail during the pandemic.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":34226,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"BS_author_type":"BS_author_is_guest","BS_guest_author_name":"Laura Muma","BS_guest_author_url":"","hydra_display_date":"20210612","hydra_display_updated":false,"_yoast_wpseo_primary_category":"157","_yoast_wpseo_metadesc":"Racing got underway at the Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta Chicago across four circles for nearly 150 competitors. Here's the day's recap from Friday's races.","_yoast_wpseo_title":"","_yoast_wpseo_meta-robots-noindex":"","arc_story_id":"3ST7HLEAK5AKHOPLD32IBJHAII","arc_website_url":"story\/nood-regattas\/chicago-sailors-celebrate-return-to-racing\/","custom_permalink":"","arc_subtype":"right-sidebar","arc_exclude_from_feeds":false,"sponsored":false,"sponsored_label":"Sponsored Content","sponsored_display_label":false,"sponsored_image":0,"post_right_rail":true,"post_right_rail_ad_1":true,"post_right_rail_ad_2":true,"post_right_rail_ad_3":false,"post_right_rail_ad_4":false,"post_right_rail_recirc":true,"fixed_anchor_ad":true,"post_top_ad":true,"post_off_ramp":true,"post_taboola":false,"labels":false,"apple_news_api_created_at":"","apple_news_api_id":"","apple_news_api_modified_at":"","apple_news_api_revision":"","apple_news_api_share_url":"","apple_news_coverimage":0,"apple_news_coverimage_caption":"","apple_news_is_hidden":false,"apple_news_is_paid":false,"apple_news_is_preview":false,"apple_news_is_sponsored":false,"apple_news_maturity_rating":"","apple_news_metadata":"\"\"","apple_news_pullquote":"","apple_news_pullquote_position":"","apple_news_slug":"","apple_news_sections":"\"\"","apple_news_suppress_video_url":false,"apple_news_use_image_component":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[157],"tags":[181,202],"class_list":["post-69914","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-regatta-series","tag-helly-hansen-sailing-world-regatta-series","tag-helly-hansen-sailing-world-regatta-series-chicago"],"acf":[],"apple_news_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69914","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=69914"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/69914\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/34226"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=69914"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=69914"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sailingworld.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=69914"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}