Sailing in the NOOD Equals High Pressure
April 24, 2009
Sailing in the nude is dangerous, but sailing in the NOOD is really fun. The Annapolis National Offshore One Design (NOOD) regatta kicks off tomorrow. This annual event is the first big event on the Annapolis racing calendar and attracts a huge number of one design racers. I am sailing the event with the venerable Dakota Girl Team and look forward to some great big boat one design racing.
I am a firm believer that most races are won on sound strategy (sailing to the expected shift, sailing in better pressure, avoiding adverse current) and therefore it pays to start collecting data early so that an initial game plan can be developed.
Last night, shortly before the start of the first Annapolis Yacht Club Wednesday Night Race, high pressure arrived on the Chesapeake. It signaled its arrival with a brief squall, big Northwesterly breezes, bright clear skies and cooler temperatures.
Now that High has established itself as the major influence this weekend, will move offshore and bring light southerly breezes which should be reinforced by the sea breeze – if the temps kick up.
Atmospheric or Barometric pressure is the pressure exerted by the atmosphere at a given point. Its measurement can be expressed in several ways. One is in millibars. Another is in inches or millimeters of mercury (Hg). It is a good indicator of the weather to come. The pressure is on the rise – so I am optimistic.
Here is what the NOAA Marine Forecast has to say about the next few days:
ANZ532-231945- CHESAPEAKE BAY FROM SANDY POINT TO NORTH BEACH- 351 AM EDT THU APR 23 2009 SMALL CRAFT ADVISORY IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS EVENING TODAY NW WINDS 15 TO 20 KT. GUSTS UP TO 25 KT... INCREASING TO 30 KT THIS AFTERNOON. WAVES 2 TO 3 FT. A SLIGHT CHANCE OF SHOWERS THIS MORNING. TONIGHT NW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS TO 20 KT... BECOMING W 5 KT AFTER MIDNIGHT. WAVES 1 FT. FRI S WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. WAVES 1 FT. FRI NIGHT S WINDS 10 TO 15 KT WITH GUSTS TO 20 KT. WAVES 2 FT. SAT S WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. SAT NIGHT SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. WAVES 1 TO 2 FT. SUN SW WINDS 10 TO 15 KT. WAVES 1 FT. MON SW WINDS 5 TO 10 KT. WAVES 1 FT.
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I am the owner of Gale Force Sailing and write about all things related to coaching, instruction and team building. contact me>>
Folks -
There are lots of racing coaches on the Chesapeake Bay, but few, if any, compare to the triple threat of KB’s communication, tactics and boat handling/trimming skills. Dakota Girl’s results in the NOOD do not do justice to the amount of skill, hard work, thoughtfulness, FUN and positive attitude that KB brings to his work as a coach. My team could have left these three days of racing (after earning an 8th place) completely demoralized. Instead, because of KB, they are even more committed to the boat and the program – and were clamoring for just one more race because they knew they could win.
If you are thinking about hiring a racing coach, you can do no better than KB. He is a joy to sail with and I hope to count him as a friend and mentor for many, many years.
Next time, KB, we WILL be on the podium so you can properly rewarded for the incredible effort and skill set you possess.
Stephanie (aka “Dakota Girl”)