The Soverel 33 class had the strongest showing among those classes vying for class titles with 11 boats at the start. Soverel 33 class president Bill Adikes, who comes from nearby New Rochelle, is racing his boat Saucy Girl in the event said, "I'm happy to see the turnout, we haven't had this many boats since the old Newport NOOD regattas some 14 years ago. The strong turnout did not deter 1999 Soverel 33 National Champ, Erik Will and his Bushwacker team from Sodus Bay, NY from collecting 3 straight wins to open the regatta in style. "I had a starting strategy and the crew executed it flawlessly," said Will, a tool and die worker from upstate New York. "Besides it's my 53rd birthday and the guys worked real hard to give me a birthday present." Bushwacker leads local favorite and 3 time Soverel 33 National Champion, Iris Vogel's Deviation, by 4 points.

Larchmont NOOD 2001, Saturday September 8th

The high-pressure system holding over the Northeastern United States created a second straight day of gorgeous weather and spectacular race conditions for the Larchmont NOOD. Southwesterly breezes oscillated across the two race circles off of Larchmont NY with wind velocity from 9 to- 14 knots but the 40 degree shifts made for tactically challenging racing.

Richard Jones from Mathews, NC made things interesting in the Soverel 33 class by winning two races and pulling into second place behind Erik Will's Bushwacker who maintains a 4 point lead going into tomorrow's racing for the Soverel 33 National Championship.

Larchmont NOOD 2001, Sunday September 9, 2001

The third and final day of the Larchmont NOODs saw a delay in racing until noontime when the wind filled in enough out of the SSW to get off one race. One hundred and thirty boats circled idly waiting for the competition to begin and many crew members swam in Long Island Sound to cool off from the unseasonably warm 80-degree weather. But when the warning guns sounded on the two circles the final racing of the series got even hotter.

1999 Soverel 33 champion Erik Will from Sodus Bay, NY, won the Soverel 33 National title again. Will's Bushwacker team has been sailing together for many years. "The secret to my success," said Will, "are the dedicated friends who have crewed with me for almost 20 years. We face some stiff handicap competition on Lake Ontario but you can't beat one-design racing. Almost every boat in the class had speed at one time during the regatta, we just got some awesome starts and stayed consistent."

The final day of the Sailing World Larchmont NOOD, a three-day sailing regatta hosted by Larchmont Yacht Club, was one of suspense. It wasn't simply a question of who would win the Long Island Sound leg of this national racing circuit: it was a question of whether the wind would arrive in time to sail the final battle.

While there was only one Nationals winner, every competitor had a sense of accomplishment for garnering the largest turnout the Soverels have had in 14 years. Erik Will (Sodus Point, NY) captured the National title for the second time; he credited his success to crew, who are friends he has sailed with for some 20 years. "Everyone was up on everyone else in speed at some point during the regatta," said one Soverel crew of the evenly matched fleet. "The win went to the skipper who could maintain that consistency in speed--and make the fewest mistakes."

Larchmont NOOD Details

One hundred thirty boats competed in 14 one-design classes - sailing from 10 states and Canada. The Larchmont NOOD was expanded to three days of racing this year. Nine classes started racing on Friday; five classes joined the racing on Saturday. Friday's classes completed three races; three races were held Saturday; a final race was held on Sunday. Regatta trophies were presented on the lawn of the venerable Larchmont Yacht Club.

The Larchmont NOOD is the eighth stop on the National Offshore One-Design (NOOD) circuit, a nine-event racing circuit organized by Sailing World magazine. The Larchmont NOOD joined the circuit in 1999; fleet participation has grown by some 50 percent since the Larchmont regatta's inception. Support sponsors who joined event organizer Sailing World magazine (Newport, RI) included: Hall Spars & Rigging, High Sierra Sport Company, Lewmar, North Sails, Samuel Adams, and Sunsail.

18^th Soverel 33 Nationals in 2002

It was decided by majority vote at the 2001 AGM that the 18^th Soverel 33 Nationals in 2002 will be held again at Larchmont at the NOOD next September

Results | Photos