July 28, 2006

The 98th Running of Chicago Yacht Club’s 333 mile Race to Mackinac presented by Land’s End was the backdrop in which the First 36.7 fleet competed in their one-design section for the prestigious honor of the Mackinac Trophy. Billed as the longest freshwater distance race, the annual event draws over 300 boats from around the world.

With 27 boats in Lake Michigan, the 36.7 fleet has been branded "The fastest growing one-design fleet" and 2006 proved this as sixteen boats started their 48+hour journey on Saturday July 22. The 8-10 knot east/northeast breeze made way for the fleet to head to the Michigan shore and work up the eastern half of the lake. Sunday’s weather made way for lighter conditions as those fleet members who favored the western half of the lake paid dearly for their decision. As dusk fell upon the fleet Sunday evening- winds would shift to north and eventually to the northwest as winds increased somewhat while the fleet leaders crossed the 45th parallel and called in their positions. The fleet leader 'Karma'- crossed the 45th parallel at 3:58 a.m. Monday morning just 26 minutes in front of her closest Mackinac Trophy competitor-'Smokum Too' (a Beneteau First 42s7). The closest 36.7 call-in’s were Tom & Linda Orlow’s 'Northern Light' and Warren Levin's 'Program' (5:10 a.m. and 5:19 a.m. respectively).

Monday morning's sunrise brought with it an array of weather conditions: Increased winds gusting to 25+knots, storms and a wind shift to the southwest made for an exciting passage through Grey’s reef and into the Straits of Mackinac. The fleet leader Karma saw two spinnaker’s damaged by the winds, but managed to repair one, not fast enough though- eventually relinquishing their lead to 'Smokum Too' for overall top finish in the trophy division.

The first place honors went to 'Karma' owned by the Karma Sailing Group (J. Buoscio, L. Sandoval, M. Sandoval) with an elapsed time of 49:42:58. 2006 represents the third straight consecutive year that team Karma has taken the first place honors in the First 36.7 section. This year was also significant because Team Karma was the second boat in the 140+ trophy division to cross the finish line just 00:24:02 behind 2006 Overall Mackinac Trophy winner–'Smokum Too'- a testament to the boat's performance capabilities in the varied wind/sea conditions faced in the race. With ORR handicaps applied, Karma finished 7th overall in the Mackinac trophy division-1st in Beneteau 36.7 section. Second place went to Warren & Sue Levins' "Program" with third went to Tom & Linda Orlow’s "Northern Light".

First 36.7 national fleet secretary Steve Ernest of the San Diego Fleet competed in his first Race to Mackinac aboard Joie de Vie and had this comment: "I am not sure how you all get away with calling that thing a 'lake'-surely some truth in advertising rule must apply". Well Steve, it's our "little" secret. Hope to see you next year for the 99th running!

Beneteau First 36.7 Section Results:

1. Karma - Karma Sailing Group
2. Program - Warren & Sue Levins
3. Northern Light - Tom & Linda Orlow
4. Rally - Paul Stcherban

For detailed results click here.

July 23, 2006

From Regatta News

NEWPORT, R.I. – For the over 700 sailors who competed this week at New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex, today’s final races were an ideal ending to a perfect regatta. A variety of boats, nationalities and sailors were represented across seven one-design classes, where North American championships were determined in the Beneteau First 36.7, Farr 40 and J/109 classes. Additionally, those three winning skippers were also awarded a Rolex Steel Submariner timepiece for their overall performance: Takashi Okura ( Tokyo, Japan) in the Farr 40 class; Tom D’Albora ( E. Greenwich, R.I.) in the Beneteau 36.7 class; and Jon Halbert ( Dallas, Texas ) in the J/109 class.

Also crediting his crew of many years was Tom D'Albora and the Coconut team. "Most of us have been sailing together for the past 15 years," he said. "We had the best time this week. Clearly when you're winning it’s great. We’re all pretty excited."

With a third place in today's first race, D'Albora explained that it gave him confidence to have a cushion against second-place Seaweed, owned by Don Finkle (Youngstown, N.Y.). "We had a very aggressive starting situation in the second race, but we won the start and then won every mark rounding. Everything clicked for us and it gave us a real mental edge. Also it helped not to be sailing in the ocean. We're used to sailing in flat water, and we were only an hour and 20 minutes from our home yacht club. It's funny I didn’t know we’d win a Rolex. We all joked around a bit about it, and when they read our names at the awards ceremony, we looked at each other. There were a lot of great boats out there and a lot of great sailors. Winning the Rolex sweetened the deal for us."

Top Four Final Results

Beneteau 36.7 North American Championship - Final Results >>> See More Results

1. 52911 - Coconut - D’Albora 32pts
2. 52397 - Seaweed - Finkle 39pts
3. 51920 - Elan - Hammel 54pts.
4. 52134 - Whirlwind - Purdy 57pts

July 21, 2006

From Regatta News

Outstanding, challenging conditions greeted the 102-boat fleet on the first day of one design racing at the New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex. Three races were run on each of three race circles in 10-12 knots of wind, building to 17-18 knots by the third race. Major championships will be determined this weekend including the North American Championships for the Beneteau First 36.7, Farr 395, Farr 40 classes and the J/109, which is holding its inaugural North American Championship. The Melges 32 class is sailing for its first-ever National Championship. Also sailing are classes for J/105s and Swan 45s. All will be gunning for a chance at a coveted Rolex timepiece to be presented at the Award Ceremony on Sunday, July 23.

The Beneteau First 36.7 class, one of the largest at 17 entries, is led by Chuck Bayer (Detroit, Mich.), who sailed consistently with his Grizzly and posted results of 2-1-5. A two-time 2006 Land's End NOOD Regatta class champion (Annapolis, Md. and Detroit, Mich.), Bayer credited his success to having the same crew - all from Michigan's Bayview Yacht Club - onboard for the season. "We seemed to have had good boat speed all day," said Bayer. "However, the level of competition is great and there are five or six boats that are in contention. Any of them could win it; there's still a lot of racing left."

Only one point separates the top three and the rest of the fleet is very close behind. John Finkle's Seaweed (Youngstown, N.Y.) is in second with nine points and Foxtrot Corpen, owned by James Keen (Solomons I., Md.), is in third with 10 points.

After Day 1

Beneteau 36.7

1. GRIZZLY, Chuck Bayer, Detroit, Mich, 2-1-5, 8
2. SEAWEED, Don Finkle, Youngstown, NY, 4-3-2, 9
3. FOXTROT CORPEN, James Keen, Solomon's Isl., Md., 3-6-1, 10

June 4, 2006

From Sailing World
By: Tony Bessinger

"Top boat in the 16-boat Beneteau First 36.7 class was Chuck Bayer's Grizzly. Bayer has sailed in 10 NOODs, the past three years with his 36.7, and won the Lands' End Annapolis NOOD earlier this year. After a collision during Friday's racing, Grizzly was effectively out of the regatta. "All the Beneteau owners helped get my boat back together," said Bayer. "If it wasn't for them, and the camaraderie in the class, we wouldn't have been able to sail Saturday, and we wouldn't have been able to win. We needed a new pulpit, stem fitting, and a spinnaker pole. Guys lent us parts and tools, and the local Beneteau dealer took parts off a brand-new 36.7 so we could race. We may have won, but it was because of them." Now, Bayer is a little worried. "Now we have a double bulls-eye on our boat. Since we won this event and Annapolis, we'll be a target at the 36.7 national championship in Newport this July."

For detailed results click here
or visit Sailing World - Lands' End Detroit NOOD.

May 29, 2006

By: Jen Hyla

Memorial Day was the scene for the 2006 Olympic Cup and kickoff to the 2006 Racing Season for the Lake Michigan Fleet. With a fleet that has grown in size to 27 boats- The Lake Michigan Fleet bills itself as the fastest growing one-design fleet.

You couldn’t have asked for a nicer day for the first 36.7 one design event of the summer. The 10 boats on the line included one of the newest members of the 36.7 family, Manuel Cordero’s Agitator. The lake was flat as glass, the breeze was 10-15 S/SW and it was about 90 degrees. After about an hour delay (the race committee couldn’t set a course, but proved to be quite entertaining over the radio) the racing began. After the start the section split, half going right and half left. Tried and True was the first boat around the windward mark with the rest of the section converging at the mark and following around. There was a gate at the leeward mark, most of the section went windward, but Bella Luna decided to button hook around the leeward mark and it really paid off. She was the first boat back up the course around the windward mark and to the finish for the first gun of the season. Tried and True followed for second and Agitator third.

The second race of the day proved to be more challenging, The race committee set up a course of .75 miles for the short mark and 1.0 miles for the long. The 36.7 start coincided with the T10 leeward mark rounding. Program got off the line at the boat end in the first row. She tacked away and sailed in clean air for most of the race, which ended up being more of a sprint. Program finished first followed by Tried and True and Joie De Vie.

The final standings for the day of racing showed: Robert Foley’s Tried n True in 1st, followed by Warren Levins’ Program and Joe Hyla’s Bella Luna.

For detailed results click here.

April 6-9, 2006

Charleston Race Week Presented by Seabrook Island finished with a perfect close Sunday at the beachfront awards ceremony. The 1000+ sailors in attendance experienced better than expected race weather as winds rarely went below 12knots and saw a high of 25knots in Saturday's racing. 14 of 15 classes enjoyed six full races to compete for the top spot in this year's event.

Five 36.7's competed in this year’s race. Eric Rosenbaum's ‘Frequent Flyer' endured the six races to claim the top spot in the section. Two points behind was Angie & Dean Forbis' 'Echo' in the second place spot followed by Eddy Parker and the crew of 'Brown-Eyed Girl'.

For detailed results click here
or visit www.charlestonraceweek.com.

April 12, 2006

The 2006 NAC Chairman Sandy Lindenbaum reports on behalf of his committee that there are 23 committed boats for the 2006 event. Plans are underway to make this year’s event memorable and full of good racing.

For More Information Click Here.

March 17-19, 2006

Don Finkle, Gary Tisdale and the crew of the chartered 'Fandango' were the boat to beat as they took the top spot in this past weekend's Land's End San Diego NOOD regatta. The victory did not come easy though, as Tom & Lois Hirsh 'Tangerine' valiantly took second and Chick & Alexis Pyle's 'Kea' saw their three bullets in the series net them a collective total of 24 points for third place.

The title came down to the last race with the top three boats separated by just two points. The Finkle/Tisdale team from Buffalo had a one-point advantage over the local favorite and defending champion 'Kea' skippered by Chick Pyle.

Disaster struck the Finkle/Tisdale team, when they had a spinnaker wrap in the second and final race of the day. Kea became buried deep in the ten boat pack and relinquished their tight margin to the Finkle/Tisdale team who now found a fateful opponent in Steve Ernest’'s 'Aimant de Fille'. Tom & Lois Hirsh 'Tangerine' also improved their position in the regatta by taking a second in the final and deciding race. The Finkle/Tisdale team hung on to take a third and squeaked out an overall win by one point among the tough competition.

Finkle would later comment: "The competition in our class was great. We don't get ocean swells like this, so to have them and wind chop on top was fun. To get three days of racing, we were really happy with that."

For more information on a First 36.7 OD NOOD regatta near you click here or visit www.sailingworld.com.

Who Says You Can’t Sail in the Middle of Winter?

February 18-19, 2006

The Southern California fleet was the winter envy of boat owners in the Northern Hemisphere, as seven 36.7's gathered at the Midwinter's hosted by Balboa Yacht Club off of sunny Newport Beach, CA.

Congratulations go out to Steve Ernest and the crew of 'Aimant de Fille' for their top performance and first place finish. Chick & Alexis Pyle’s 'Kea' and Marty Burke's 'Bella Vita' resulted in a tie for 2nd. The tie-breaker went to the 2005 NA Champion 'Kea'.

The 2006 event marked the first time the So Cal fleet traveled outside of the San Diego area for the event. Five boats traveled the ten hour delivery to Newport beach, a picturesque setting with horizon views of Catalina Island, Saddleback mountain and the snow crusted Sierra Madre. The 2006 event also marked the first time the So Cal fleet held a midwinter's regatta. The event had a total of eight boats registered-seven of which competed.

One-Design Racing Extended; IRC added

January 25, 2006

North American championships for four one-design classes - Beneteau First 36.7, J/44, J/109, and Farr 395- and National championships for two one-design classes - Farr 40 and Melges 32 - will be determined at the biennial New York Yacht Club (NYYC) Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex. Set to take place July 14-23, 2006, the popular regatta is known for its split format, with the first half of the week, July 15-18, devoted to handicap racing under IRC, PHRF, NYYC CR and Classics, as well as the 12 Metres, and the second half, July 20-23, dedicated to one-design racing. A distance race around Conanicut Island, that draws competitors from all divisions, takes place mid-week, July 19, and is scored separately.

"We've added to the one-design portion of the event, expanding from three to four days" said Steven Wolff (Fairfield, Conn.), chair of NYYC's Sailing Committee, "and this is the first time the week will host IRC racing. Race Week at Newport takes advantage of two weekends and the days in between, offering competitors an abundance of choices: handicap, one-design and distance, in modern or classic yachts."

Rolex timepieces will be awarded to the yachts with the best overall performances in IRC and PHRF divisions, as well as one-design classes competing for their North American or National championships that meet minimum entry levels. A timepiece will also be awarded for best overall performance during the one-design segment of the regatta.

Racing will take place on Rhode Island Sound and Narragansett Bay with up to three racing circles for the handicap and one-design portions of the week. A minimum of eleven races are planned per division.

Shore-side activities will be hosted at Harbour Court, NYYC's clubhouse on Newport Harbor with unrivalled views of the city front and the Newport Bridge.

"With this fifth running of Race Week, we have expanded both the racing schedule and social activities for all three phases of the regatta," said Wolff. "Sailors can enjoy daily awards, cocktails and food each evening under the tent and the nightlife of downtown, which is just minutes away."

Other one-design classes competing are the J/105, J/120 and Swan 45. Additional one-design classes are also expected to compete.

The New York Yacht Club Race Week at Newport presented by Rolex extends the partnership established between Rolex and New York Yacht Club in 1994 and joins the calendar of prestigious Rolex sponsored sailing events including the Rolex Farr 40 World Championship, slated for Newport in September; the Rolex Sydney Hobart Yacht Race; International Rolex Regatta; Rolex IMS Offshore World Championship; Rolex Big Boat Series; Rolex Antigua Sailing Week; and Giraglia Rolex Cup.

For more information, visit www.nyyc.org or contact the New York Yacht Club Sailing Office, Harbour Court, 5 Halidon Avenue, Newport, R.I. 02840; phone 401-845-9633; fax 401-846-3303; email sailingoffice@nyyc.org.

First 36.7 One-Design class association announces the selection of Newport, RI and the NYYC Race Week as the venue for the 2006 First 36.7 North American Championship.

With over 200 boats sold in North America, the Farr designed First 36.7 has become the fastest growing One-Design Class in North America. The 36.7 North American Championship returns to the East Coast after successful regattas in San Diego, Chicago, Lake Ontario and Annapolis.

Regatta Format:
Four-day event with 3 – 4 buoy races each day for a total of 11 – 12 races for the regatta on Rhode Island Sound and/or Narragansett Bay.

Sandy Lindenbaum and John Hammel will serve as regatta co-chairmen. Sandy and John are forming a regatta committee to organize activities. Interested class members should email Sandy Lindenbaum or John Hammel.

More details on dockage, moorings, lodging and regatta details will be posted on the class website.

For information on the New York Yacht Club use the link provided: www.nyyc.org

With the NYYC history of running world-class regattas, Newport as a the venue, the 2006 36.7 North American Championship holds promise of having a high turnout in terms of participants, fun, camaraderie, and competitive racing.

Regards,

Martin Sandoval
36.7 Class President

November 5-6, 2005

The 14 boat B36.7 Mid Atlantic Championship regatta held in conjunction with the IRC Mid Atlantic Regatta was held off Annapolis on Nov 5-6. Conditions for the first 2 races were wind 8-12 knots from the SSW with a slight chop and moderate to strong current. Don Finkle chartering Amritha, got off to a good start and lead to the finish with Art Silcox’ KA'IO and Garth Hichens’ Seahorse close behind. In the second race the lead switched multiple times on each leg on the double windward -leeward course with Seahorse 1st , Richard Reid’s Zingara in 2nd and KA'IO in 3rd . Sunday dawned with blustery conditions starting with a steady 16 knots that built throughout the day to 24 knots with seas around 3 feet. The racing with #3 jibs was spirited with Seahorse, KA'IO Zingara and Jubilee mixing it up in close quarters for the first 2 races. The 5th and final race saw the conditions test most crews especially during gybes. Several boats were seen broaching. Competitors reported downwind surf speeds at 10+ knots. In the finish it was Bump In The Night in 1st, Jubilee in 2nd and Seahorse in 3rd.

The race courses presented by the Storm Trysail Club were excellent and the RC work was flawless and all competitors look forward to next years event to be held on Nov 4-5 2006 off Annapolis.

Final Results

1 Seahorse -- Garth Hichens -- Annapolis, MD
2 KA'IO -- Art Silcox -- West River, MD
3 Zingara -- Richard Reid -- Toronto CN
4 Jubilee -- Cal Huge -- Charleston,SC
5 Bump In The Night -- Maury Niebur -- West River, MD

Fun in the Sun for the So Cal Fleet!

October 29-30, 2005

The first annual Beneteau Cup regatta was held off the coast in San Diego, CA on October 29-30 for the Beneteau First 36.7, First 40.7, and PHRF class boats. The five race regatta hosted by San Diego Yacht Club was held in near perfect conditions with sunny skies, flat seas, and solid 12-15 knot breezes…and kelp.

The 36.7 fleet used the regatta as their 2005 West Coast Championships with seven boats participating. The fleet saw a changing of the guard as Steve Ernest of Dana Point and his crew aboard "Aimant de Fille" won the championship with a convincing victory. They finished with only 6 points, as they scored 4 bullets and one second place finish. Second place went to the 2005 North American Champions, Chick and Alexis Pyle aboard “Kea”. Andy and Camille Rasdal, “Valhalla”, rounded out the top three with a very consistent third-place finish in each race. Last year’s West Coast Champ “Bella Vita” finished in fourth place.

After the first day "Kea" was behind the eventual WCC champ "Aimant de Fille" by one point which set up the duel for day two. But the regatta was over at the start of race four as "Kea" got jammed by "Valhalla" which allowed "Aimant de Fille" to shake loose and sail her own race. By the start of the last race there were too many points separating "Aimant de Fille" from the rest of the fleet, and so "Kea", "Valhalla" and "Bella Vita fought like junkyard dogs over the scraps at every mark rounding.

Both the First 36.7 and First 40.7 fleets used the Beneteau Cup regatta as the final regatta in their 2005 High Point scoring (highest accumulated point total of all designated High Point regattas). Chick and Alexis Pyle, "Kea" repeated their 2004 performance with another solid year winning the First 36.7 High Point Trophy going away, with two victories including NOOD/36.7 NAC and Yachting Cup.

The regatta was a great success with the sparkling conditions allowing the racers to truly compete without excuse. Special thanks goes out to San Diego Yacht Club for their gracious hosting of the event and providing the race committee. Thank you to Beneteau USA for supplying the trophies and co-sponsoring the event, Southwestern Yachts for their regatta sponsorship, and to Karl Strauss Brewery for post regatta beverages.

September 3-5, 2005

Six -First 36.7’s from the Chesapeake Bay Fleet spent 3 beautiful days this past weekend at the Annapolis Race week regatta. Sea conditions saw the breeze from the NNE at 8-14kts with a little chop and an ebbing tide at 1-3 kts. We had our own class start and had 5 classes on our circle which made for some moderate challenges on the windward/leeward courses. All boats were competitive and lead at least one leg of the of this one-design race which was held on a race circle with five other classes. In the end it was Art Silcox’ KA'IO in 1st , Jim Keen's Foxtrot Corpen in 2nd, and Pete Firey's Pegasus in 3rd.

The Chesapeake Bay Fleet looks forward to hosting the Ben 36.7 Mid Atlantic Championship Regatta Nov 5-6 and hopes that all boats from the East Coast and perhaps the great lakes would take part in this event. Annapolis is a great place to sail and has multiple yards in which to winter. --- For info visit www.stormtrysail.org.

Lake Michigan Fleet sees a great weekend of Racing!
August 19-21, 2005

The twelve First 36.7 competitors in this year’s Verve Cup hosted by Chicago Yacht Club saw a variety of wind conditions that proved to be a great weekend of racing for the fleet. With 275+ entrants from across the Great Lakes, the competition was hot on the 36.7 section with several boats having the opportunity to win races throughout the weekend. The overall honors for the weekend went to the Karma Sailing Group’s Karma. Second place went to Marty and Donna Hasting’s Joie de Vie while third place went to Paul & Alex Stscherban Rally.

The Lake Ontario Beneteau First 36.7 Championship
July 23-24, 2005

This event was held in conjunction with the Youngstown Level Regatta on July 23-24. A record Twenty-one 36.7s showed up for the five race series, sailed on windward-leeward courses on Lake Ontario. Competition was top-notch, with Paul Johnson's excellent team from Lake Erie bringing home the silver on Myouri. Winds were light to moderate. The rest of the top five included Gary Tisdale on First Today and Don Finkle on Seaweed, both from Youngstown, followed by Tom Lewin on Hammertime from Buffalo, and Rick Sherk on Sea Breeze from Niagara-on-the-Lake Ontario.

July 25, 2005

The Centennial Race was a 36 mile circuit on Lake Ontario, with the 36.7 Night Owl winning the PHRF-2 class, followed by Seaweed. In the 130 mile Freeman Cup race held on Wednesday July 27, Seaweed finished first in class and second overall to the Beneteau First 44.7 Odyssey. On Friday, Saturday and Sunday, July 29-31, fourteen 36.7s competed in the Great Lakes Championship. Ten races were sailed, again in light-moderate air and chop. Competition was fierce, and in the end Dave and Dan Shriner aboard Legend of the Bayview YC in Detroit managed a one point series win over Rich Cunningham and crew aboard Bob from Ithaca, NY. Three-time Great Lakes Champ Gary Tisdale on First Today ended up third, just ahead of Tom Lewin in Hammertime and Don Finkle on Seaweed. Hammertime was judged One Design Boat of the Day on Sunday for their 1-2 finish, judged to be the best performance of all the one design classes competing that day. Seaweed crew was awarded the LYRA Overall One Design Boat of the Year for their combined finishes in all the LYRA events, including Centennial, Freeman and Course Racing. Skipper of Seaweed for the distance races was Jeff Carver.

July 17, 2005

July 17th brought light winds to the start of the 97th running of the longest Freshwater distance race. A fleet of twelve first 36.7’s started a race that ended in strong winds and downwind reaches with hull speeds of 13-14kts. The Karma Sailing Group’s-Karma- took home the top honors after racing 333 miles and finishing on Monday July 18 with an elapsed time of 47:28:15. 2005 posed the second year in a row that Karma has won the 36.7 section. Second place went to Chris Lamb’s Padawan 2- who finished with an elapsed time of 47:44:45. Third place went to fleet newcomer’s Paul & Alex Stscherban Rally with an elapsed time of 48:00:29.

June 24-26, 2005

As the inaugural NOOD regatta for the Toronto racing fleet, the Beneteau First 36.7 fleet had 15 boats on the line. Contestants in the fleet hailed from Detroit, Rochester, Niagara River and the Toronto area. The wind conditions were variable and shifty at best. Leads in the race were exchanged several times with the day-to-day leaders changing throughout the race. On the final day-Richard Reid’s Zingara ended up holding off the fleet of 15 to take top honors. Second place went to Jeffrey Jones’ Bummin’ and third to David Shriner’s Legend.

Sailing World awarded Zingara the Overall winner for the Toronto NOOD Fleet and provided them with a trip to Antiqua for owner & crew to compete in the NOOD finals in January 2006.

June 17-19, 2005

The Chicago NOOD regatta saw great racing weather on Lake Michigan as a fleet of 11 Beneteau First 36.7’s competed for First Place. Robert Foley’s "Tried & True" held off the fleet to win their third NOOD regatta title in as many years. The thriving 36.7 fleet hosted friendly competition as newcomer to the fleet, Warren Levins "Program" took second, followed by the Karma Sailing Group in third.

April 7-10, 2005

The first ever 36.7 One-Design class racing drew entries from as far as Jacksonville, Florida and New Bern, North Carolina along with the factory boat - Winds of Freedom. However, it was the new local boat Jubilee that won all nine races to take top honors over the three day event. Bubba Futch’s Isle Sea YA, took second and Eddy Parker’s Brown Eyed Girl captured third. Start 2006 off at Charleston Race Week in our inaugural Southeast Regional Championships.

March 21, 2005
By: Stuart Streuli of Sailing World

Chick and Alexis Pyle and their team on Kea (top, rounding a windward mark, bottom, in the tent) made an impressive comeback in the Beneteau 36.7 class, from eighth on the first day to first after the final race. They won the class's North American championship and were named the Overall Winner of the 2005 Lands' End San Diego NOOD.

Click here to read more...

June 3-5, 2005

The Detroit NOODs sparked an awakening of the 36.7 fleet drawing eleven entries in the One-Design class from across the Eastern Great Lakes. Top Honors went to Dave Shriner’s Legend followed by the Freeman Eckley boat- Freckles and Third going to Chuck Bayer’s Grizzly. Competitor’s came from as far away as Canada to compete in this three-day regatta.

April 28 - May 1, 2005

Wes Siegner’s Abino - held off a fleet of ten 36.7’s in this three day regatta to earn top honors. Second place went to Richard Reid’s Zingara, followed by Garth Hitchen’s Skebenga. The regatta drew racers from throughout the Mid-Atlantic seaboard for a weekend of great One-Design racing.