US Snipe Sailor It’s all about adapting Mahatma Gandhi said “live as if you were to die tomorrow. Learn as if you were to live forever.” Well, there was some learning going on last month at the 2017 US Nationals on what most certainly is the smallest lake a National Championship has ever been held on in Winchester MA. Augie Diaz was heard to say “I have to re-learn all over again”. George Szabo, in a futile attempt to keep his sanity in the forever-shifting conditions, joked about having to tear up his book. The tiny lake was a different world for most of the visitors. Was it the best venue to be used to select the US representatives to the 2018 Western Hemispheres and Orient Championships? Maybe not. But it was impressive to see the largest turn out in many years and to witness how many of the non-tinylake sailors adapted and improved over the course of the week. Another “new thing”: more races were held than any previous Nationals: Standard 4 for Crosby, 12 for Heinzerling and 10 for Wells. And the resultant short (15-minute-long) races made for close quarters situations at most starts, marks and finishes. I suspect that there were many boat-handling saws that were sharpened by the end of the regatta.
Off the water, the regatta organizers chose to try to cut down on plastic cup waste by providing “keeper” plastic cups with the regatta logo on them in the registration packet for both skipper and crew as well as volunteers. Everyone was to use these cups for after-sailing beverages on 4 of the 5 days, which translated into the elimination of an estimated 500 of the disposable “solo” cups that are typically used at the keg and tossed after one use. The cups cost ~$2.50 each so the net cost to the regatta is more than the ~15 cent solo cups, but it is such a shame to be tossing so much plastic out at our regattas – and everyone has a momento from the regatta! To all you open-water fans: fear not - no one is intending to convert Snipe sailing into a tiny-lake escapade, but the large turn-out and great fun that was had at last month’s Nationals should lead us all into pondering that something could be said for “poking the bear” and trying something new from time to time – whether on your own or by / at your local regatta. What have you learned lately?
“I can’t control the wind but I can adjust the sail.” ― Ricky Skaggs, American country and bluegrass singer, musician, producer, and composer.
SCIRA USA 2812 Canon Street San Diego, CA 92106 619-222-0252 Jerelyn Biehl, SCIRA Executive Director jerelyn@odmsail.com Sherri Campbell, SCIRA Finances sherri@odmsail.com Fall 2017