Usa snipesummer2015v2

US Snipe Sailor Last year at this time, Snipe sailors in the US were preparing to attend our annual “family reunion,” the US National Championship, at a location totally unfamiliar to many of us at beautiful Lake Okoboji in northwestern Iowa. This year’s Nationals are different; they’ll be held at Brainard Cooper, one of the most storied Snipe US National Secretary locales in the US – San Diego’s Mission Bay. Host Mission Bay Yacht Club and regatta chair John Fretwell are finalizing plans for what should be an unforgettable week from Aug 7-14. This location, whether inside the enclosed bay or outside in the Pacific Ocean, year in and year out, offers some of the best sailing anywhere. A large turn-out is expected.

Colonial Cup Regatta May 30-31 Annapolis brought two great days of sailing for the 2015 Colonial Cup. A brisk southerly of 10-15 knots was in effect for both days of the regatta. Annapolis is known to be very choppy with southerly breezes and this weekend was no different. We call it the “Annapolis Washing Machine” because the short steep waves from the wind and from boat traffic combine to make chaotic wave patterns and very challenging sailing. The racing was incredibly tight all weekend, often with leeward mark roundings ten deep and very close finishes even after an hour of racing. Four windward/leeward races were completed on Saturday and two on Sunday.

One remembers an incident at the 1999 Nationals in Mission Bay when a mid-western sailor was approached as he stood on the yacht club porch looking out over the bay. When greeted, his response was, “This looks like Heaven to me.” Others have had those same thoughts while contemplating Mission Bay, the home of many Snipe champions over the years.

This year, those of us who attend the Mission Bay Nationals are guaranteed a memorable experience.

We hope everyone’s travel plans are in the works, and we look forward to seeing you there!

SCIRA USA 2812 Canon Street San Diego, CA 92106 619-222-0252 Danielle Richards, Executive Administrator danielle@odmsail.com Sherri Campbell, SCIRA Finances sherri@odmsail.com Jerelyn Biehl, SCIRA Executive Director jerelyn@odmsail.com or scira@snipe.org

Thanks to the hard work of fleet captain Chris Ryan, we had 30 boats registered which included the core fleet members, a number of junior skippers and crews including local high school sailors and some travelers from points (way!) south. Ultimately Peter Commette/Brian Stout came out on top despite Ernesto Rodriguez/Eddie Mintzias winning three races but suffering from a broken whisker pole. The always consistent Hal Gilreath sailing with Brendon Feeney was second and the team of Andrew Pimental sailing with Annapolis High School sailing team member Kimmie Leonard was third.

Christian Filter/Declan Lombard topped the Juniors and looks to be on a good trajectory for the Junior Worlds this fall, even topping father Henry Filter in the overall standings. We also had a silver fleet for less experienced sailors or those with older boats which was won by newcomers Todd Johnson/Faye Ferguson sailing the fleet loaner boat (1980s era Skipper).

Summer 2015

Remembering Ken Rix The Snipe class experienced a great loss Sunday as Ken Rix (Great Grand Master) passed away from rapid spreading cancer on the May 17th. Ken (84) was a second generation Snipe racer. His life centered around Snipe racing and all the wonderful friends he made doing so. He took his wife, Mary Ann, sailing on their first date. He crewed for his father on the weekend of their wedding.

They stopped in Omaha on their honeymoon so he could crew for his dad while Mary Ann sat on shore. Of course she learned to sail and eventually started racing her own boat. They travelled the country as the infamous mast Carlyle Nationals, wearing lots of Louisiana on the way ordeals associated was always eager to the stresses of the some serious fun.

going to regattas and had lots of adventures such straightening party after the storm at the Lake having their car stolen on the way to Boston, layers on the Puget Sound, having the AC quit in back from Pensacola. However, through all the with dragging the boats to over 100 regattas, he travel to more. What better way to escape from world than to do some serious racing and have Dad will be missed.

James Rix

Need more reasons to attend the Nationals this summer in Mission Bay? We took a look back to the 1999 Jr Nationals when we interviewed many of the junior competitors as well as other Jr competitors: Here’s where many went after Snipe sailing: Melanie Roberts: 5th Snipe Jr Worlds 2003; 2x All American collegiate crew; America’s Cup Race Management.

Tyler Sinks: 3x All American; Team Race World Champion; Snipe Jr. Worlds team.

Piet VanOs: Professional boat captain Cameron Biehl: Mumm 30 World Champion, Kitefoil racer Bryan Lake: World Champion kiteboarder; All American.

Brian Janney: Professional sailor Graham Biehl: 2x Olympian, Snipe 2003 Jr World Champion

Summer 2015

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Your Regatta & the SCIRA Representative 2015 I recently joined the SCIRA USA Board of Directors as member at large, responsible for quality control at the Major regattas we host in the United States. No small task! My responsibilities are to act as liaison to race managers and ensure their regattas meet the standards of our class (see quality control document located at : http://1lf55vjygoi280uso168tz71.wpengine.netdna-cdn.com/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Regatta-Resource-Matrix.pdf ) The good news; our class is full of talent and history involved in ‘Serious Sailing’. The SCIRA Rep, who must attend major regattas, is the boots on the ground quality control and snipe class sounding board resource for race managers.

My first action was to reach out to our National Secretary and build a list of cadre who would be willing and capable of performing this greatly important function at regattas throughout our districts.

In my initial interactions, I was happily reminded of an article SCIRA Rep Phil Richmond wrote regarding duties in the April, 1995 Bulletin. So I will take this opportunity, almost 20 years later, to plagiarize Phil’s creed. Phil inspires me with his opening description, “The importance of the SCIRA Rep can easily be understood when we look at how the sport of sailing is organized. Like his namesake bird, the snipe sailor most likely to be found at our important events is also migratory. Most of these competitors have often experienced the local flavor of distant and disparate venues. In contrast, however, race committees nearly never leave their home nest. They rarely abandon the feeding grounds of their own yacht club and if we are often advantaged by their knowledge of the local peculiarities we are just as likely to be restricted by firmly entrenched and inbred procedures. Since most sponsoring fleets host but one sanctioned event every year and a championship but once every few years, it is hardly surprising that the race committees and yacht clubs are often unfamiliar with our wishes and requirements. In designating a knowledgeable Rep to help them out we can go a long way towards making our events somewhat less unpredictable.”

REP Responsibilities include: 1. Review of Sailing Instructions (templates are available in the SCIRA rulebook) prior to the event and ensure quality assurance of race management during the event.

2. Assurance that Deed of Gift requirements are met. When an older Deed of Gift is in conflict with the SCIRA rules of regatta conduct, the SCIRA rules will be applicable.

3. Ensure the event utilizes SCIRA endorsed scoring program.

4. Assist the Regatta organizer to ensure competitors meet the Snipe Class membership requirements and current year hull decals are displayed.

5. Liaison with Measurement committee representative to ensure measurement process is correct and compliance is communicated to the Race Committee.

6. Review the qualifications of protest committee and jury members in advance of the regatta. Prior experience with Snipe Class sailing is desirable.

7. Perhaps the most important contribution of the SCIRA Rep is on the water with the Race Committee. The Rep can physically assist with committee duties, but the role require close attention to venue and racers. Providing recommendations as to length of course and sailing conditions are clearly printed out in the SCIRA rule book. But it is the Rep who must be tactful, diplomatic, reasonably accommodating, and steadfast in ensuring compliance with the rules. No easy task!

In closing, I remind you that the Rep does not take away the responsibility of racers to be proactive in policing their event, but instead, lends a helpful and respectful hand to regatta managers to make their job easier and ensure quality control over conduct of the event. Lastly, the Rep can be a competitor.

If you are interested in being a SCIRA Rep in your district, please contact me. The cadre is currently small, so your interest would be greatly appreciated.

Gavin O’Hare / gavin@obyc.com

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Summer 2015

SCIRA USwww.snipeusa.com Racing Calendar Month

Date

June June June July July July August August August August August Sept Sept Oct Oct Oct Oct Nov

20-21 20-21 27-28 3-5 11-12 11-12 7-15 14-15 15-16 22-23 28-30 19-20 19-20 3-4 21-23 24-25 31-1 20-22

Spring 2015

Event

Pacific Coast Championship Whittemore St. John Michigan State Championship North American Championhip Winchester Invite/Classic Snipe Rally Norm Tanner Memorial Regatta SCIRA USA Womens/Jr/Special Jr/Open/Classic/GFU GFU 24 Hour Regatta Briody Memorial Board of Governors Jubilee YC Invite/WHO Qualifier Mystic Lake Open Riff Raff Regatta Frigid Digit SCIRA US Masters Championship Halloween Regatta Carolyn Nute Memorial Regatta WH&O Qualifier

Host

Coronado Yacht Club Quassapaug Sailing Center North Cape Yacht Club Royal Hamilton YC Winchester Boat Club Bow Mar Yacht Club Mission Bay Yacht Club Mission Bay Yacht Club Newport Yacht Club Quassapaug Sailing Center Jubilee Yacht Club Winchester Boat Club Cowan Lake Sailing Assn Severan Sailing Assn Atlanta Yacht Club Atlanta Yacht Club Mission Bay Yacht Club St Petersburg YC