July 26 – 29 for the 123^rd Running of Marblehead Race Week

Marblehead, Mass. – The largest and most storied sailboat racing tour in the United States, the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD (National Offshore One Design) Regatta series, as part of the 123^rd running of Marblehead Race Week, will cruise into the greater Boston area of Marblehead, Mass., on July 26-29, 2012, for the seventh of its eight-city tour. Nearly 1,000 sailors will hit the waters of Massachusetts Bay, just offshore of Marblehead Neck, to contend for the event’s top prize – an invite to the British Virgin Islands to compete in the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Championships.        

During the four-day event in Marblehead, sailors within 10 different boat classes will compete in a series of up to 12 races, accumulating points based on placement in each individual race. The boat finishing with the fewest total points will be declared the winner of its respective class.

Race officials from Sailing World and the race committee will determine the regatta’s overall winner, based on the strongest finish in the most competitive class. 

The overall winner in Marblehead will be invited to participate in the Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Championships in the British Virgin Islands at the end of the season to compete aboard Sunsail 44i’s against the other overall winners in the 2012 series.      

Last year, Marblehead-native and local skipper William Lynn and his boat, Shooting Star put on a captivating performance to finish first place in the J/105 boat class and claim the overall win on Massachusetts Bay.

The 2012 Sperry Top-Sider Marblehead NOOD Regatta will feature four days of racing from July 26-29. Racing will run from 12 noon to 5 p.m. during the first three days of the regatta, while Sunday, July 29 will only run from 12 noon to 2:30 p.m.   

In addition to Marblehead, the 2012 Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta series was also held St. Petersburg, Fla., San Diego, Calif., Annapolis, Md., Seattle, Wash., Detroit, Mich., San Francisco, Calif. and Chicago, Ill.

For more information on the 2012 Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta, visit www.sailingworld.com.

Sperry Top-Sider is the national title sponsor of the NOOD Regatta series, which is presented by Mount Gay Rum and Sailing World. Support sponsors include: Gill, Sunsail, North Sails, Regatta Network, West Marine, Steiner Binoculars, Leighton O’Connor Photography , New England Ropes, Waterline Systems and Coral Reef Sailing Apparel.