Nixon Wins Tune-up for J/22 World Championship Scott Nixon followed up on his victory at the J/22 Midwinters with a win at the Annapolis NOOD Regatta, which featured 80 J/22s on the line. Nixon, who started the regatta with two firsts and a sixth on the first day of racing, was using the event as a tune-up for the J/22 Worlds to be held May 18-21 in Annapolis. Nixon explained his dominance by saying, "We've sailed a lot lately. We even sailed the J/24 Nationals last week and placed second." Nixon also had some help from the winner of the 2002 J/22 World Championship, Terry Flynn, who sailed with Nixon during the NOOD Regatta because one of Nixon's regular crew, Mike Wolfs, was sailing in the Star Worlds. After starting the regatta hot, Nixon knew he'd be targeted by his competitors. "It was tough," he said. "On Saturday, we tried to have fun and stay out of trouble, and on Sunday, we tried to take Henry Filter, who was only five points behind us, out of the race. We took him out to the starboard layline and put him in traffic to keep him back." The tactics worked; Nixon crossed the finish line ahead of Filter in the race and maintained his lead in the series to win the event. The three-day regatta, held April 30-May 2, featured a steady breeze each day, allowing all seven races to be completed. Dave Van Cleef finished second overall, followed by Filter. Kenny Wolfe and Greg Fisher rounded out the top five. Complete racing results can be found at www.sailingworld.com. Copyright © 2003, USA J/22 Class