MARBLEHEAD — Ten fleets of one-design race boats gathered in the ocean off Marblehead for the 2019 Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta at Marblehead Race Week. Light winds and shifting currents had teams battling for top honors and a chance to earn a trip to the British Virgin Islands in late October for the NOOD Caribbean Championship sponsored by Sunsail.
Erica Beck Spencer helmed her boat Sea Bags Women’s Sailing Team to a pair of firsts to lead the J/24 fleet after the first day of racing.
“Jess Harris and I put the team together after the 2014 Worlds in Newport, RI, where we were frustrated to only see two all-female teams competing,” said Beck Spencer (Portland, ME). “It’s been such a great journey for us, and being sponsored by Seabags makes it all possible.”
Four crewmembers aboard the Sea Bags Women’s Sailing Team are from Maine. They are in their fifth season sailing together and aim to peak at the J/24 World Championships in Miami later this year.
“There was a moment when we realized how much we’ve learned,” said tactician Hilary Noble (Newport, RI). “We take something away from each race, which is why we love the sport and love sailing with each other.”
Bill Zartler (Houston, TX) and his crew lead the J/105 fleet with a pair of wins of their own. With a veteran team, it’s easy to come out swinging on the first day of an important event.
“Our team has been sailing together on and off for 15 years in a bunch of different boats,” said Zartler. “We’re all good friends who’ve been sailing together for a long time.”
Zartler and crew are preparing for the J/105 North Americans in Marblehead in September. Sailing in the NOOD will prepare them for the unique winds and challenging current this sailing area is known for.
“(Friday) we had light air, but it was pretty steady,” Zartler said. “There was current, but it wasn’t as bad as Annapolis (Maryland), where you get it in a bunch of different directions. The wind went right all day, but it still paid to be on the left side of the competition, so we were kind of scratching our heads about that one.”
Zartler has been sailing in the NOOD Regatta series since the early 1990s, and competed in the Annapolis NOOD in early May.
“It’s great competition out here,” said Zartler. “The first three boats are just a couple of points apart so it’s going to be tight racing. Hopefully we get a little more breeze out there (Saturday).”
At 18 years old, Cam Farrah (Destin, FL) is only a point behind the leader in the Viper 640 fleet. Having grown up sailing multihulls at Fort Walton Yacht Club, Florida, Farrah had her father, Cliff, trimming spinnaker, and her friend, Eric Heilshorn doing bow on the three-person sportboat.
“The racing today was awesome,” said Farrah. “It was really close, and it was so shifty that it really made for good, tactical sailing. The whole fleet condensed at the gates, so it was really important to keep the boat moving and to sail smart.”
Farrah enters Tulane University in the fall, where she’ll compete on the college sailing team while also launching an Olympic campaign for the Nacra 17. The Viper 640 is a good in-between boat for her to go out and compete in, she said.
“I love to go fast,” said Farrah, “and the co-ed aspect of the Nacra is really cool. I’ve been sailing multihulls for a long time now, so it seemed like the next logical step for me.”
The Helly Hansen NOOD Regatta at Marblehead Race Week continues through the weekend, with the Laser, Laser Radial, and 2.4 Meter fleets joining the action on Saturday.