Chicago NOOD

Prior to the 2014 Sperry Top-Sider NOOD Regatta Chicago, Skipper Steve Knoop had raced in the previous 25 Lake Michigan NOOD stops aboard his Tartan 10. Making his maiden NOOD appearance in the J/105 fleet this weekend, Knoop looked anything but a newcomer, sailing his way to Overall Winner honors at the country’s largest regatta series. After strong winds on Lake Michigan Sunday led to an eventual abandonment, Knoop and crew aboard Bella were awarded the prestigious honor based on their overall performance during the first two days of racing in the highly-competitive J/105 Class. “This was our first year in the J/105, before that I was with T/10 for 26 or 27 years,” said Knoop. “We took lessons learned from T/10 and brought it here. Chicago is a unique weather system, light air in the summer brings thermals out of the southeast and it’s a matter of how you play them. This regatta has been about what side of the course you were on and how it played out. Local knowledge was a huge factor.” As overall winner in Chicago, Knoop received a charter aboard a Jeanneau 44i courtesy of Sunsail, to compete in the NOOD Caribbean Championship.