2016 NOOD kicks off in St. Pete

Published on January 19th, 2016

St. Petersburg, FL (January 19, 2016) – The largest national sailboat racing circuit in the United States, the Helly Hansen National Offshore One Design (NOOD) Regatta series, will launch its 28th season in St. Petersburg, Fla., on February 12-14. The St. Pete NOOD will be the first stop on the five-city circuit, with about 1,000 sailors competing on Tampa Bay for the event’s top prize, a trip to the British Virgin Islands to compete in the Helly Hansen NOOD Championship Regatta, hosted by Sunsail.

During the three-day event hosted by the St. Petersburg Yacht Club, sailors participate in “one-design” racing, where similar types of boats race against each other in their own classes. Points are accumulated based on finishing position in each individual race, and the boat with the fewest total points at the end of the regatta wins their respective class. An Overall Winner is chosen based upon the strongest finish in the most competitive class.

With typically sunny skies and temperatures in the 70’s, the St. Petersburg NOOD draws talented sailors from every corner of the country to compete on the waters of Tampa Bay. The St. Pete area is home to a strong contingent of amateur and professional sailors who will be relying heavily on their local knowledge to edge out the visiting competition on their waters.

“When winter rolls around, Florida is the place to race, these days,” said Dave Reed, Sailing World’s editor. “Tampa Bay has been kind to us with two years of great breeze and sun so I expect the same. The NOOD is a favorite for the locals as much as it is with out-of-town teams making the most of their southern migration. The racing is excellent and downtown St. Pete is a young city with a lot more nightlife these days.”

The St. Pete NOOD regatta is a spectator-friendly event and the races can be seen from the Municipal Pier or aboard private boats. Race start times are dependent on wind and weather, but are scheduled to begin at approximately 10:00 a.m. each day.

The Overall Winner of the St. Petersburg NOOD will be invited to travel to the British Virgin Islands to compete against the other overall winners in the 2016 Helly Hansen NOOD Championship Regatta, hosted by Sunsail.

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