MARBLEHEAD — Spectacular sailing conditions marked the second day of the Helly Hansen National Offshore One Design (NOOD) Regatta at Marblehead Race Week. Gentle breezes and moderate seas made for a full day of close racing, as crews stayed on the water late in order to fit in the maximum number of races possible.
Among the eight classes competing on Friday were the popular J/70s. The pro-laden 57-boat fleet is the largest of the regatta and, for them, this regatta has an added layer of importance. In addition to vying for overall prize, teams in this class are training for the world championship in Marblehead this September.
Local skipper Jud Smith, who leads the fleet after three races, said this event is critical for J/70 crews to get a feel for the rest of the fleet and get used to the venue — even local sailors, like himself.
“We’re sailing in an area we don’t normally sail in,” Smith said. “And there’s nothing like sailing in a big fleet. The starting line is especially challenging.”
Smith and his team on Africa haven’t been sailing together long and are hoping to continue working out the kinks this weekend as they prepare for the class championship.
“We’re trying to get better at starting and be more consistent,” he said. “It’s just about getting used to working together and everyone doing their job. We’re happy with how we’re going, and we’re happy with our boat speed, so the biggest thing is to start more consistently.”
Before leading his own crew, Smith served as strategist on the J/70 world champion team in 2017 alongside skipper Peter Duncan, who currently holds the second spot in the fleet only three points behind team Africa.
For Duncan, the Helly Hansen Marblehead NOOD is a fun opportunity to go head-to-head with his friend and former teammate, and a can’t-miss opportunity to train for this year’s championship.
“It’s so wonderful to have an event where you can get nearly 60 boats on the starting line in advance of a world championship in the venue you’re going to be sailing in,” Duncan said. “It’s nice because there are a lot of boats here, a lot of foreign boats and most of the top Americans. That makes for great racing and you get to learn a lot.”
In the Rhodes 19 class, David Nelson, of Stoughton, Mass., had a runaway day, winning all four races. He leads the fleet by a considerable margin, but the rest of the top 10 are extremely close in this hyper-competitive fleet. Likewise, Marblehead local Charlie Garrard had a strong day in the J/105 fleet and now holds a two-point lead in a very tight top five.
The final two classes, Lasers and Laser Radials, will join the regatta on Saturday. The Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta at Marblehead Race Week continues through July 29.
