NOOD, not Nude!

Yesterday I received a Facebook message from out first sailing instructor, Capt. Dave, letting me know that he and his crew were competing in the NOOD Regatta in St. Petersburg, FL. in a boat called Bear (bare?) Instinct. Now, we are newbies, and not at all up on races, so I just HAD to Google this to find out about racing on sailboats without clothes. Imagine my disappointment to find out that NOOD stands for National Offshore One-Design instead of… you get the idea. Sorry Capt. Dave but had it been the other meaning I definitely would have volunteered Rebecca and I as crew (not that he would have accepted) 😉

The really funny part of this, another coordinated incident perhaps, is that even prior to receiving that message I was going to make a post about sailing in the nude. There is currently a thread on the subject on the Cruising and Sailing forums that is now over 10 pages long and at the time of writing this post has 155 replies and over 23,000 views! Apparently this is a subject of some interest.

The general consensus, from those who are not afraid of getting their ‘loose bits’ caught in a winch, is of course you sail in the nude (when in the tropics). Water conservation being as important as it is, this would definitely cut down on laundry. The sunscreen usage may go up though, so that is an added expense. Decisions, decisions!

If you do ultimately decide to shed your clothes, be sure to do the right thing and carry the necessary licenses! And of course, good luck to Capt. Dave in the regatta!