Three nearly perfect days of sailing greeted the six Beneteau 40.7's that attended the 2005 San Diego NOOD regatta, held March 18th, 19th, and 20th at SDYC. While stormy conditions were forecast, in true southern California fashion there was more sun than rain, and conditions that, for the most part, were nearly ideal.

Racing opened Friday with two 6-leg races held on the "near" ocean course in the Coronado Roads. Conditions were overcast and generally light, with 7-9 knot winds from the south and an occasional few rain drops. The 40.7's got the first start of NOOD, and quickly showed two characteristics that would hold throughout the weekend: Very tight racing, and dominance by Estelle-B. All 6 boats tended to be clustered together 2-3 legs into each race, with every boat showing the others it's stern at one time or another. It was Estelle-B, sporting a new set of Elliot/Pattison sails, that set the standard, sailing two flawless races and taking two bullets. Wiki Wiki finished 2nd in both races, following closely by Silhouette and French Toast, who were 3rd and 4th in both races. First Light and Changes In Altitudes brought up the rear, swapping 5th and 6th places.

The rain and wind arrived Friday night. Saturday morning looked like it might be a repeat of Midwinters, with squalls and a strong southerly wind, along with 2-3 foot chop in the channel, greeting the sailors. However, by race time the rain had quit and the sun came out part of the time as broken clouds drifted by, and the only remains of the storms were a leftover and decreasing chop, a westerly swell, and a lot of broken up kelp. All three races Saturday were 4 legs with varying distances. Race 3 started with 14-16 knot winds, and again Estelle-B raced off to a bullet pursued by French Toast, while WIki WIki and Silhouette battled for 3rd and 4th, and First Light and CiA battled over 5th and 6th. Race 4 was started in 12-14 knot winds with shorter legs, with Estelle-B winning her 4th straight bullet. French Toast held off First Light to secure 2nd place, followed by Changes In Altitudes in 4th place, Wiki WIki in 5th, and Silhouette in 6th. The final race of the day started in 9-12 knot winds and a shorter course again. For the first time in the regatta
Estelle-B struggled, getting buried at the start. Wiki Wiki and French Toast broke from the pack, with WIki WIki going on to win with French Toast 2nd. First Light and Estelle-B spent a good part of the last leg in a jibing dual with First Light hanging onto 3rd, Estelle-B 4th, Silhouette 5th, and CIA in 6th.

Sunday, the last day of winter, was the sort of day San Diego sailors live for. Bright sun, 12-16 WNW knot winds, and good sea conditions (albeit with a fair amount of kelp) were the order of the day.  Race 6 was run on a 4 leg course with lively wind, and once again Estelle-B climbed to the top of the fleet. Silhouette bounced back with a 2nd place, followed by French Toast in 3rd, First Light in 4th, Wiki Wiki in 5th, and CIA in 6th. The 7th and final race was run on a 5 leg course giving an upwind finish closer to home. Estelle-B gained an early lead and stretched out to a comfortable win, followed by Silhouette, First Light (despite hitting the pin end of the starting line and doing an immediate 360), CIA,  Wiki WIki, and French Toast.

With 6 bullets in 7 races, Estelle-B was the obvious regatta winner with only 10 total points. Wiki Wiki took second in a tie breaker over French Toast, followed by Silhouette, First Light, and CIA. Only 6 points separated 2nd from 5th, demonstrating how close the racing was. Although Wiki Wiki was the only boat other than Estelle-B to hear a gun, 4 different boats finished last at one time or another, and 4 boats (Estelle-B, Wiki Wiki, French Toast, and First Light) beat every other boat at least once.

The fleet would like to thank SDYC for nearly perfect race committee work and great race organization, and Sailing World and Land's End for bringing one of the best run regattas in the country to San Diego. The next class event is San Diego Yachting Cup on April 30th and May 1st.