MARBLEHEAD — After a yearlong hiatus, the 2021 Helly Hansen National Offshore One Design (NOOD) Regatta at Marblehead Race Week returns to town this weekend, running from July 22-25.
Eastern Yacht Club will host more than 100 teams across 12 fleets.
Marblehead is one of the top ocean venues in the country and it is the fifth and final stop to determine the challenger for the NOOD Championship in the British Virgin Islands in October, where one team from St. Petersburg, Fla., San Diego, Chicago and Annapolis face off head-to-head in an island battle for the national championship.
Past Olympians may show up in Marblehead for the NOOD as the excitement for the return to local racing is hyped this weekend, where the racers will cheer on favored U.S. Sailing Team Olympic sailors at the Opening Ceremonies in Tokyo for the Games.
Kim Pandapas of Marblehead is a favorite among a number of top teams in the Rhodes 19 Class, which is the largest fleet and a long-standing fixture of the Marblehead NOOD.
“We have a whole bunch of combinations of family members sailing together,” said Pandapas. “Most boats sail with just two people, so the barrier for entry is much lower than the bigger boats.
“Most of the Rhodes 19s in the fleet were built before 1965, but the fleet remains relevant today,” Pandapas added. “They’re relatively slow compared to some of the newer fleets, but there’s a lot of nuance to sailing them. The Rhodes 19 fleet has always emphasized community, social activities and good-old-fashioned fun. They are just as competitive as any boat in town. The longevity of class is proof of that.”
The Marblehead Racing Association (MRA) and Sailing World Magazine work across all three area yacht clubs — Eastern Yacht Club, Boston Yacht Club and Corinthian Yacht Club — to set up numerous race courses across four days of racing. The coordinated effort across three clubs is a longstanding tradition to bring excellent on-the-water competition to sailors from across the country.
Racing begins on Thursday for some classes and runs through Sunday, with double-handed teams sailing on North Sails Saturday only.
