With the Annapolis NOOD Regatta on the immediate horizon (April 29 - May 1), one-design sailors need to start taking stock. Have you been hitting the gym lately? What’s your overall crew weight looking like? Remember where your rig tuning guide is? Think you can get the crew together to practice a few sets and roll tacks before April 29 comes around?
If the thought of any of these questions causes a bead of sweat to appear on your brow, have no fear. The Annapolis Yacht Club (AYC) One Design Regatta falls on April 23 of this year, bringing in five one-design classes for a great NOOD tune up race. If you’re a part of a J/22, J/30, J/70, J/105, or Etchells team, this is a weekend you want to have on your calendar.
But don’t expect this to be a locals-only regatta. “We very often find we have traveling boats coming straight from Charleston Race Week,” says Linda Ambrose, race director at AYC. “They come here to get a better understanding of our wind and crazy currents.” After a long winter, even the local diehards will admit that they need a tune up in that regard.
The party following the regatta is always a low-key affair, with sailors hanging out around a keg, swapping stories, and building strategy for the coming weekend. It’s a great place to get a sailmaker to tell you what he saw on the water, and to find a local legend and get some ideas for what shore to hug, which corner to bang.
For more information and to register, visit annapolisyc.com
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