Jan302015

North Rally Race….
So you say you’re “just a cruiser” eh?  Well then the North Sails Rally is for you.  We call it a race, because well, we run regattas.  And yes, there is a prize for the boat that crosses the line first.  But what we should really call it is just a darn good time.  Picture this….a sunny Florida Saturday, your friends and family on the boat, other friends on the docks, plenty of snacks on board, you go out sailing with a mission.  Instead of just seeing where the wind takes you, you are challenged to make the wind take you where we direct you (a simple long loping course).  Then, after meeting the “challenge” we treat you to a 3 hour party at St Petersburg Yacht Club with rum and beer on tap.  One fun day!
Really, the North Rally is only as competitive as you make it.  At other events, we’ve had crew members as young as 18 months participating…and that gang had a great time.  Even if we only get a handful of boats out, it is still fun.  The whole idea is to create a fun, non-competitive opportunity to fly your sails and join the party.  We just wanted to open the regatta up to everyone, no Type A personality needed!
The NOOD has a division for those that want to seriously race their PHRF boats, the North Rally is for the rest of you.  Go ahead, get involved, and challenge that notion of “just a cruiser”.  You won’t regret it, and you might even have some fun…..
To enter go to: http://www.sailingworld.com/nood-regattas/st-petersburg to see the Notice of Race which tells you some of the details of the race, as well as link to enter the event.  Please note that if your PHRF rating certificate is not current, or you don’t actually have one, it is no problem.  We have someone at the club who will issue a provisional handicap rating…..no excuse
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