Chicago (Ill.) June 17, 2001--The record fleet of 285 boats wound up the annual Sailing World Chicago NOOD Regatta, presented by Farmers Insurance Group and Mount Gay Rum, in near perfect weather--skies so clear you could see into tomorrow with a 10-knot southerly that compared happily with the shifty breezes of the previous two days of the three-day regatta.

But the fluky lake sailing airs of the first two days suited the exuberant crew of J/29 Nemesis just as well as Sunday’s perfect wind-up. Nemesis’ crew were winners not only of their class overall but of two of the regatta’s special trophies. Co-skippered by father, Curt, and son, Chad Kasten, both of O’Fallon, Illinois, Nemesis won the Lewmar Boat of the Day Award on Friday and the Farmers Family Award, a fleet trophy presented by Farmers Insurance Group to the top family crew in the regatta.

The Kastens and their redoubtable five-person crew scored five bullets in five races, which may have had something to do with their experience with lake sailing in their home waters on Carlisle Lake.

"In Chicago they call us muddy water sailors," the Kastens joked, clearly pleased to have won on merit on Lake Michigan in a boat they’ve owned for just eight months.

The crew aimed to be first at the first mark and to stay ahead of everybody else, they said. Their secret weapon was Dan Moriarty, "key on the crew," according to the Kastens, but all seven sailors worked well together.

"We had a lot of experience on the boat," they said.

A slightly different approach worked well for the Mumm 30 class winners and winners of the Hall Spars & Rigging Boat of the Day Award, presented to Mumm 30 Fuzzy Logic for the top score in the fleet on Saturday. Skipper Tom Papanek, of Chicago, and his crew have been sailing the national Mumm 30 circuit for the past three years and put that experience to good use at the Chicago NOOD, winning the event for the second year in a row. Every one of the crew is in computers in one way or another, Papanek said. They call themselves the sailing geeks--hence the name of the boat.

Papanek’s hometown experience might have made the big difference on Fuzzy Logic. After 40 years of sailing out of Chicago, Papanek said he just had to look at the clouds Saturday morning to know what the sailing conditions would be, but, he added, since the crew is so tech oriented, they all input on tactics.

Don Rychlinski, of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, whose S2 9.1 Kato won the S2 9.1 North Americans sailed during the Chicago NOOD, was another second time Chicago NOOD winner. He credits his boat’s excellent performance to a crew that was having a good time. Incidentally they also had a couple of new sails, a well-practiced crew and played the shifts to great advantage, he said.

The S2 7.9 class also sailed a championship during the Chicago NOOD. The new Mid-West Regional Champions in the S2 7.9 class are the crew and co-skippers Don and Jean Bergman, of Holland, Michigan, who took the prize in Second Wind.

Beneteau 40.7 La Tempete, skippered by Tom and Deb Weber, of St. Charles, Illinois, is the new Beneteau 40.7 North American champion, winners of the championship sailed during the NOOD.

And in the biggest class of the 2001 Chicago NOOD--the 48-boat Tartan Ten fleet--former Rolex Yachtswoman of the Year Heidi Backus Riddle skippered her Tartan Ten Nuts to first place with 18 points.

The Chicago NOOD is presented by Farmers Insurance Group and Mount Gay Rum and hosted by the Chicago Yacht Club. The event is part of a nine-event national racing circuit organized by Sailing World magazine (Newport, R.I.). Support sponsors who joined the event in Chicago include: Hall Spars & Rigging, High Sierra Sport Company, Lewmar, North Sails, Samuel Adams, and Sunsail.

Sailors who want more information about upcoming NOOD regattas should visit www.sailingworld.com or contact: Sailing World magazine (telephone 401-845-5100; email nood@sailingworld.com).

---Gail Scott/reporting by Tony Bessinger

RESULTS (top 3 in each class)
[Complete fleet results and daily reports are on www.sailingworld.com]

FLEET PRIZES:
Farmers Family Award: NEMESIS, Curt & Chad Kasten, O’Fallon, IL
Lewmar Boat of the Day: NEMESIS, Curt & Chad Kasten, O’Fallon, IL
Hall Spars & Rigging Boat of the Day: FUZZY LOGIC, Tom Papanek, Chicago, IL

1D35 (8 boats)
1. HIPPY CHICK, David Bowen/Tim O_Neil, N. Muskegon, MI, 7 points
2. JACAIBON, John Musa, Ft. Collins, CO, 9 points
3. DÉTENTE, Kirk/Gale, Chicago, IL, 16 points

33’ Class (8 boats)
1. COYOTE, Mike Naugher, Grand Prairie, TX, 12 points
2. ASSASSIN, Robert Sansome, Chicago, IL, 13 points
3. DRACO, Michael Vanderpoel, Chicago, IL, 15 points

Beneteau 40.7 (8 boats)
1. LA TEMPETE, Tom & Deb Weber, St. Charles, IL, 13 points
2. DR. DETROIT, Peter Karl, Chicago, IL, 15 points
3. UFF DA, Ric Erickson, Dunlap, IL, 17 points

Beneteau 42 (8 boats)
1. CANCAN, Clemens Boltz, Elk Grove, IL, 9 points
2. PHANTOM, Tom Rickelman, Wheaton, IL, 16 points
3. OUTRAGEOUS, Jeff Comeaux, Winnetka, IL, 17 points

Corsair (12 boats)
1. HIGH PRIORITY 2, David Shneider, Okemos, MI, 10 points
2. GAMERA, Matt Scharl, Chicago, IL, 15 points
3. TRI_N, Greg Kaplan, Hinsdale, IL, 23 points

Farr 40 (15 boats)
1. VOODOO, Gavin Flinn, Chicago, IL, 21 points
2. NITEMARE, Tom Neill, Berkeley, IL, 26 points
3. FLASH GORDON IV, Helmut Jahn, Chicago, IL, 27 points

Great Lakes 50 (8 boats)
1. GOBLIN.COM, Lindy Thomas/Bob Verb, Chicago, IL, 10 points
2. CRITERION, Roger Mitchell, Chicago, IL, 13 points
3. INSATIABLE, Tom Ritter, Bloomfield Hills, MI, 16 points

Great Lakes 70 (11 boats)
1. PIED PIPER, Dick Jennings, Evanston, IL, 12 points
2. RENEGADE, Stephen Gagne, Palm Beach, FL, 20 points
3. HOLUA, Peter Thornton, Chicago, IL, 21 points

J/105 (20 boats)
1. CARESS, Jon Weglarz, Chicago, IL, 20 points
2. PRONTO II, Tom & Marilyn Edman, Montgomery, IL, 24 points
3. GIGI, David Wagner, Chicago, IL, 25 points

J/24 (14 boats)
1. PIPE DREAM, John Mollicone, E. Greenwich, RI, 8 points
2. STIRRED, NOT SHAKEN, Kenneth Gray, East Grand Rapids, MI, 11 points
3. RA, Thomas Harrison, Winnetka, IL, 21 points

J/30 (8 boats)
1. SALACIOUS, Dan Darrow, Libertyville, IL, 11 points
2. PLANXTY, Dennis Bartley, Oak Park, IL, 17 points
3. HULLABALOO, Tex & Susan Hull, Chicago, IL, 19 points

J/35 (10 boats)
1. NOBLE BUFFALO, Jim Maltman, Winnetka, IL, 6 points
2. RAGTIME, Mike Sterenberg, Grand Haven, MI, 17 points
3. SOCIABLE, Bob Arzbaecher, Brookfield, WI, 19 points

Level 35 (8 boats)
1. FIDDLER 2, Jules Altenberg, Waukegan, IL, 8 points
2. BLUES BREAKER, George Miz, Palos Park, IL, 12 points
3. EAGLES WINGS, John J. Gottwald, Overland Park, KS, 12 points

Level 60 (7 boats)
1. REGARDLESS, Team Regardless, Oak Park, IL, 9 points
2. SPITFIRE, James K. Hellquist, Libertyville, IL, 13 points
3. FOLIE A DEUX, Larry T. Kwiat, Arlington Heights, IL, 16 points

Melges 24 (8 boats)
1. DEEP POWDER, Victor John Chigas, Chicago, IL, 7 points
2. FLYING TOASTER, Mike Dow, Traverse City, MI, 10 points
3. HOT TUNA, Jim Stuursma, Macatawa, MI, 15 points

Mumm 30 (8 boats)
1. FUZZY LOGIC, Tom Papanek, Chicago, IL, 5 points
2. ILLUSION, John Podmajersky, Chicago, IL, 14 points
3. ASYLUM, Eric Wynsma/Veronic Petty, East Grand Rapids, MI, 19 points

PHRF 114-126 (14 boats)
1. NEMESIS, Curt & Chad Kasten, O’Fallon, IL, 5 points
2. RUMBLE FISH, Robert J. Falk, St. Louis, MO, 14 points
3. RELENTLESS, George Petritz, Milwaukee, WI, 14 points

PHRF 15-33 (9 boats)
1. EAGLE, Shawn O’Neill, Skokie, IL, 15 points
2. SERENISSIMA, Robin Munden, Chicago, IL, 17 points
3. AIRWAVES, Dale Smirl, Oak Park, IL, 21 points

PHRF 39-54 (7 boats)
1. FINE LINE, Richard Montplaisir, Evanston, IL, 10 points
2. GAUNTLET, Guy Hiestand, Grand Rapids, MI, 14 points
3. MORNING STAR, Rick Hennig, Franksville, WI, 17 points

PHRF 78-96 (5 boats)
1. SIREN SONG, Thomas A. Merlin, Des Plains, IL, 7 points
2. FIN-ESSE, Alan C. McMillan, Palatine, IL
3. LOONEY TUNES, Pal Matthews, Ada, MI, 18 points

PHRF 99-113
1. X-PRESS, Winn Soldani, Evanston, IL, 9 points
2. DECOY, Dwyer/Fisher/Vergara, Chicago, IL, 13 points
3. MEASURE FOR MEASURE, Brian Tobin, Chicago, IL, 18 points

PHRF Racer-Cruiser (8 boats)
1. BRAVO IV, Bob Foley, Vernon Hills, IL, 8 points
2. GREAT SCOT, Tom & June Gibbs, Arlington Heights, IL, 8 points
3. STAR SHIP, John Yacullo, Mundelin, IL, 17 points

S2 7.9 (16 boats)
1. SECOND WIND, Don & Jean Bergman, Holland, MI, 14 points
2. FREQUENT FLYER, Michael Bremer, Holland, MI, 16 points
3. HARD TACK, Douglas Slade, Holland, MI, 17 points

S2 9.1 (8 boats)
1. KATO, Donald G. Rychlinski, Milwaukee, WI, 10 points
2. STIMULATOR, Chris Sundberg, Kalamazoo, MI, 14 points
3. ENTROPY, Richard Daniels, Highland Park, IL, 15 points

Tartan Ten (48 boats)
1. NUTS, Heidi Backus Riddle, Vermilion, OH, 18 points
2. TOP DOG, Mark Wurtzebach, Chicago, IL, 29 points
3. NEW TEN, Richard Stearns, Wilmette, IL, 33 points