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Some 1,700 sailors competing at the Sailing World Chicago NOOD--a three-day sailing regatta presented by Mount Gay Rum that concluded today at the Chicago Yacht Club--were dealt a difficult hand: this event drew the toughest sailing competition in the region, yet wind conditions were erratic at best. Competitors saw 50-degree wind shifts, rain, no-wind conditions, hail, and squalls that packed 28-knot blows.

Local sailors know unpredictable weather on Lake Michigan is a factor in the game of sailboat racing. As Scott Lammers, who won the 11-boat J/24 class, said: "That's Chicago. You can get all of the above, any time of the year." But sailors facing a tight points situation entering the final day of racing knew that even if conditions were volatile on Sunday, their strategy in the last race needed to be foolproof. Heidi Backus Riddle (Vermilion, Ohio) and her crew on Tartan Ten (T-10) NUTS went into the final race only one point behind class leader US, skippered by Rick Strilky of Chicago. Not only were points tight: this class had drawn 48 boats to the starting line and the top T-10 sailors in the nation.

Despite breeze that took its time settling into a solid direction, Backus Riddle was able to keep to a sound strategy: she had a clean start, got out ahead, and covered her closest rivals until the finish. "That was our gameplan. The start was key in this big fleet," said an elated Backus Riddle, after collecting her first-place prize. Backus Riddle's three sisters--Amy Backus, Susan Starr, and Gretchen Loper--husband John, and childhood friend Christy Parsons were in her crew. Strilky finished second. The T-10s will return to Chicago in August to compete for their National Championships.

In the J/24 class, Scott Lammers (Mt. Prospect, Ill.) and his crew on INTUIT went into the last day tied for first place with Soya Bernard's MOTORHOME (Deerfield, Ill.). But Lammers had a plan: He got to the right side of the course immediately, and there he was able to gain an edge over his rival. The two boats then match-raced until the finish line, with Lammers keeping his lead and the class win.

Victories in other classes were not as well planned. When the crew on S2 7.9 K2--owned by Doug and Jeff Padnos of Holland (Mich.)--returned to the docks Saturday night, they were not even sure they'd be able to compete in the final race on Sunday.

According to Doug Padnos, K2 suffered extensive damage after being "T-boned" by a boat from another class. After reaching the docks on Saturday, the K2 crew headed for their local marine chandlery to collect supplies for a temporary repair. After 2.5 hours of work, they jury-rigged a fix so they could race on Sunday: the finishing touch was a string of yellow "caution" tape. K2 finished second in the final race, which gave them the class win by a slim one-point margin.

The 22-boat J/105 class, the second-largest class in the regatta, was won by Chicago racer Len Siegal and the crew onboard LUCKY DUBIE. Siegel, who credited his crew for their leading performance, finished with a comfortable five-point margin in this aggressive fleet. But a door was opened in the last race. The J/105s had a general recall, and then a black flag at the start; a handful of boats--including the two boats who were leading the class going into the final race--made the costly mistake of crossing the starting line early.

J/105 crew Team Zot (Chicago), racing onboard USA 370, started the regatta with a 1-1-1 record. They were awarded with the Hall Spars and Rigging Boat of the Day award for their performance on opening day.

The Great Lakes 70 class--including the 70-footers that were the largest boats racing in the event--was won by Bill Alcott's Santa Cruz 70 EQUATION (St. Clair Shores, Mich.). EQUATION and EVOLUTION (Sheboygan, Wisc.) ended the series tied in points, but Alcott had three first-place finishes in her score and won on the tie-breaker.

J/35 sailor Jim Maltman (Winnetka, Ill.) had a near-perfect series, taking five first-place finishes and one second to win the 11-boat J/35 class.

Results (Top 3)

[Skipper Name/Boat Name/Hometown/Points]

1D35 (10 boats)
1 Douglas DeVos Windquest South Haven MI 6
2 Kirk/Gale, De'tente Chicago IL 8
3 David Bowen / Tim O'Neil HIPPY CHICK N. Muskegon MI 11

33' Class (9 boats)
1 Jerry Dodge Yankee Williamson NY 9
2 Mike Naugher COYOTE Grand Prairie TX 11
3 Michael Vanderpoel DRACO Chicago IL 18

Beneteau 40.7 (11 boats)
1 Alan C. McMillan FINESSE Palatine IL 14
2 Donald Hayes TSUNAMI Northfield IL 14
3 Dave Tarson Excalibur Deerfield IL 25

Beneteau 42 (8 boats)
1 Jeff Comeaux OUTRAGEOUS Winnetka IL 12
2 John Boyle MIRAGE Aurora IL 16
3 Ronald W. Carroll KIAORA Western Springs IL 18

Corsair (9 boats)
1 Matt Scharl Gamera Chicago IL 14
2 David Reis TRIS "R" US Augusta MI 19
3 Frederick Hartray Emma Chicago IL 21

Farr 40 (12 boats)
1 Robert L. Hughes HEARTBREAKER Ada MI 11
2 Phil Dowd / Aaron Housten Inferno Chicago IL 12
3 Helmut Jahn FLASH GORDON Chicago IL 17

Great Lakes 50 (9 boats)"
1 Lindy Thomas Goblin Glenview IL 8
2 Dale Smirl Airwaves Oak Park IL 13
3 Dorsey Ruley Majic Chicago IL 13

Great Lakes 70 (10 boats)
1 Bill Alcott EQUATION St Clair Shores MI 11
2 Kohler/ Reichelsdorfer Evolution Sheboygan WI 11
3 Bill Martin Stripes Ann Arbor MI 14

J 105 (22 boats)
1 Len Siegal LUCKY DUBIE Chicago IL 26
2 Daniel Heun LIQUID COURAGE Chicago IL 31
3 Dorin Candea Messy Jessy Skokie IL 34

J 24 (11 boats)
1 Scott Lammers INTUIT Mt. Prospect IL 9
2 Soya Bernard Motorhome Deerfield IL 10
3 Gregory Mack Analyze This Chicago IL 21

J 35 (11 boats)
1 Jim Maltman NOBLE BUFFALO Winnetka IL 7
2 William Newman Aftershock Muskegon MI 18
3 Mike Sterenberg RAGTIME Grand Haven MI 25

Level 114-123 (9 boats)
1 Alan Freysinger RELENTLESS Shorewood WI 11
2 Robert J Falk RUMBLE FISH St Louis MO 13
3 Miles DePaepe FREE AGENT Chicago IL 17

Level 99-113 (11 boats)
1 Bob Vickery Collaboration Barrington IL 6
2 Sean Dwyer / Ian Fisher Decoy Chicago IL 9
3 Marty Finerty ORION Chicago IL 21

Level Farr/Sydney Class (12 boats)
1 Chuck Boelkins Ragged Edge Ada MI 9
2 Bernmaum/ Schroeder / Amedio Chaos Liberyville IL 12
3 Robin Munden Serenissima Chicago IL 22

Melges 24 (11 boats)
1 Jeff Jones Kilroy Shelby Township MI 11
2 Mike Dow FLYING TOASTER Traverse City MI 11
3 Karen Gottwald CAGEY Chicago IL 25

Mumm 30 (9 boats)
1 Dan Cheresh Team Intermec Holland MI 8
2 Eric Wynsma / Veronic Petty Asylum East Grand Rapids MI 8
3 Thomas F. Papanek FUZZY LOGIC Chicago IL 12

PHRF 126-138 (8 boats)
1 Dennis Bartley PLANXTY Oak Park IL 7
2 Bobby T. Cox RICOCHET Oxford MI 15
3 Carl Stineman Warp Drive Vernon Hills IL 24

PHRF 36-66 (14 boats)
1 Richard Montplaisir Fine Line Chicago IL 13
2 James K. Hellquist SPITFIRE Libertyville IL 14
3 Team Regardless Regardless Oak Park IL 17

PHRF 69-99 (9 boats)
1 John J. Gottwald Eagles Wings Overland Park KS 12
2 Jules Altenberg FIDDLER 2 Waukegan IL 13
3 Benjamin White RADIANCE Oak Park IL 22

S2 7.9 (19 boats)
1 Doug & Jeff Padnos K2 Holland MI 21
2 Don/Jean Bergman SECOND WIND Holland MI 22
3 Mo Regnier Half Baked Tecumseh ONT, Canada 24

S2 9.1 (9 boats)
1 Dick Daniels ENTROPY Highland Park IL 10
2 Chris Sundberg STIMULATOR Kalamazoo MI 16
3 George Darrell PARADOX Evanston IL 17

Tartan Ten (48 boats)
1 Heidi Backus Riddle Nuts Vermilion OH 16
2 Rick Strilky US Chicago IL 23
3 Scott Bruesewitz Contumacious Cudahy WI 24