US Juniors Win Snipe Worlds - United States Snipe Sailing

Winter 2007
US SNIPE SAILOR
The Official Magazine of the Snipe Class International Racing Association, USA
US Juniors Win
Snipe Worlds
an interview with Tomas Hornos
and Enrique Quintero
Beginner’s Guide
to the
Winter Circuit
A View
from the
Crew

2008 Snipe Winter Circuit
Midwinters, Clearwater «» March 30 - April 1 «» Dick Boblenz : boblenzrb@aol.com
Don Q Rum Keg, Miami «» April 4 - April 6 «» Gonzalo Diaz Sr. : gcdiaz@accesspro.net
Bacardi/Gamblin, Nassau «» April 9 - April 12 «» Lori/Jimmie Lowe : lorijim@coralwave.com
3 Ways to Get
to the Podium
the NeW BW-2 maiNsaiL
Years ago we introduced the successful FB-3 mainsail.
The FB-3 is an excellent weapon for heavy teams in
light to medium conditions. The BW design followed to
allow lighter teams to go faster in medium winds and
choppy water. This spring, we introduced the new BW-
2 mainsail. The BW-2 combines the fuller foot section
of the FB-3 with the choppy water design of the BW
to create an open water shape combination that can
be powered up and depowered with rig tension. With
only a few regattas under the BW-2’s belt, the results
speak for themselves.
FB-3
1st 2003 World Championship
BW
1st 2005 World Championship
BW-2
1st 2007 North Americans
1st 2007 US Pan Am Qualifier
1st 2007 Don Q
Fried Elliott photo
www.quantumsails.com/snipe +619-226-2422 gszabo@quantumsails.com bjanney@quantumsails.com
INt Snipe ad june 2007 -6.indd 1 6/11/07 9:00:15 PM
2 www.snipeus.org

US SNIPE SAILOR
Volume 2, Number 4
Winter, 2007
Published by SCIRA USA
P.O. Box 83866 Lincoln, NE 68501
Editor/Publisher:
John Buckley
(402) 796-2510; buckley@inebraska.com
Editorial Board:
Aimee Graham
aimeegraham@msn.com
Susan Odell
seodell@yahoo.com
Merrill Varn
orts77@gmail.com
Advertising:
Mary Buckley
(402) 796-2505; direx@inebraska.com
SCIRA USA
Board of Directors:
David Odell (National Secretary)
david.wanderer@gmail.com
Bob Ewoldt (Chief Measurer)
rewoldt@neb.rr.com
Bob Panza (District 1 Governor)
woodburian@aol.com
Doug Swenson (District 2 Governor)
kswenson@interfold.com
Chad Coberly (District 3 Governor)
ccoberly@yahoo.com
Tom Henderson (District 4 Governor)
thenderson@princeminerals.com
Adrienne Korkosz (District 5 Governor)
korkosz@hotmail.com
Steve Stewart (District 6 Governor)
stewcon@san.rr.com
Kirk Smith (District 7 Governor)
kirksmith01@msn.com
Mike Blackwood (Member At Large)
firewood@wi.rr.com
Hal Gilreath (Member At Large)
hgilreat@cisco.com
Lee Griffith (Member At Large)
lee.griffith@contextgroup.com
Non-Voting Board Members:
Mary Buckley (Executive Administrator)
(402) 796-2505; direx@inebraska.com
Ken Culver (Director of Finance)
kculver@mo2inc.com
Andrew Pontious (Legal Counsel)
apontious@collette.com
The US SNIPE SAILOR is published
quarterly on March 1, June 1, September 1,
and December 1. The deadline for material
submission is the 10th of the preceding month.
The Snipe Silhouette, the International Snipe
Class Crest, and the slogan Serious Sailing,
Serious Fun are trademarks of the Snipe Class
International Racing Association, and are
registered in the US Patent and Trademark
Office.
On the cover: Sheehan Commette and Megan
Place at the 2008 Junior Nationals in Dillon
Photo: Fried Elliott
www.friedbits.com/PhotoBits/Sailing/Snipe/index.php
US SNIPE SAILOR Winter 2007
From Our
National
Secretary(s)
As you mAy hAve reAd on the ClAss
web site, I have resigned as National Secretary of SCIRA USA. The reason
was simply time needed to responsibly execute the duties of the National
Secretary position. I recently started a new job as Director of Development
with the Telfair Museum of Art in Savannah, Georgia. Unfortunately, the time
commitment needed to be successful at this job will not allow me the spare
time needed to be National Secretary. There is so much great momentum right
now that needs to continue, and I would have only been standing in the way.
This was a difficult, but obvious choice for me. I love the Class and am excited
by all that has been accomplished over the last few years. Have no doubt that
I will continue to remain involved, as I plan on continuing to work on Mike
Blackwood’s Major Regatta Quality Committee.
Fortunately, David Odell has agreed to step up to the plate and is now your
new National Secretary. David has already made significant contributions to our
Class, both nationally and internationally. He is a rare combination of someone
who has excellent leadership skills, maintains a sense of humor, and can keep
things practical. He was an outstanding Vice National Secretary and will be a
great National Secretary.
I appreciate all the support I received while being the Vice National and National
Secretary. It was a pleasure working with everybody, and I look forward to seeing
you at the Winter Circuit!
Barb Evans
Past SCIRA USA National Secretary
As Barb mentioned in her article
above, we had a great time working
together developing the US Snipe Class
strategy for growth and running the Class
this year. I look forward to serving as the
National Secretary and continuing the
momentum.
As 2008 is just around the corner, I thought
it might be useful to provide an overview
of what we will be focusing on in the next
year:
Growing the Class. This is the number one priority of the Board of Directors,
and the area in which I will spend the majority of my time. Our focus will be
on developing tools and resources that can be leveraged by all of the District
Governors and Fleet Captains to bring more people into the Snipe family.
See National Secretary, page

National Secretary, from page
First and foremost are the 21 fleet development activities
that have been funded for 2008. You can read more about
them elsewhere in this issue. In addition, we will continue to
enhance www.snipeus.org, our new Class website that serves
as the primary means of communicating with members. We
currently have a Web Site Committee working to identify
enhancements to the site that will be implemented and rolled
out in 2008.
We also will continue to invest in the US Snipe Sailor magazine.
This is a tremendous publication and I am constantly hearing
complimentary feedback from both within and beyond the
Snipe membership. This is the best marketing collateral that
we have, so we will be increasing its distribution to yacht
clubs, high school and college sailing teams, and prospective
members. We are printing 1,000 tri-fold brochures for local
fleet promotional purposes, and they will be distributed to
District Governors and Fleet Captains. A single page poster
and updated bumper stickers are currently being developed.
These are just a few examples of growth initiatives that the
National Leadership Team has developed to assist local Snipe
sailors with growing their fleets. There are more exciting
programs to come in the months ahead!
Operational Excellence. When the Class motto begins
with Serious Sailing, it’s clear that operational excellence
regarding race management and administration must always
be a focus of the Leadership Team. Mike Blackwood is our
Major Regatta Resource Officer and he is working closely
with all of the folks who are putting on a major Snipe
regatta in 2008 to ensure that events are run in a consistent
and high quality manner. Lee Griffith is our International
Qualifications Officer, and he manages the entire process
around qualifying US sailors for international regattas. There
are many more people who contribute a significant amount
of time and energy into ensuring our regattas are top quality,
from regatta organizers to PRO’s to SCIRA Reps to the many
volunteers needed for every event. With a continuous focus
on operational excellence, we will be able to sustain the Snipe
Class reputation for Serious Sailing.
Having Fun while Growing the Class and Pursuing
Operational Excellence. When the Class motto ends with
Serious Fun, it’s clear that (most) everybody has their priorities
aligned. At the end of the day we’re just a bunch of friends in a
sailing club who really get a kick out of racing our dinghies. We
like to travel to different places, make new friends, compete
for a few hours each day, and then drink a few beers and tell
a bunch of lies. Nothing more and nothing less. This is one
of our chosen recreational activities, and we want to keep it in
perspective for what it is – a really well balanced combination
of Serious Sailing AND Serious Fun!
So there you have it – the big plan for 2008: grow the Class,
run quality races, and have fun doing it.
As 2007 winds down, my primary focus is to work with Mike
Blackwood and Lee Griffith on the Nominating Committee
to find volunteers who want to join in the fun and be a part of
the Board of Directors. There are several positions available,
with terms of either one or two years. For more information,
see the October 27, 2007 posting on the News section of the
Class web site at www.snipeus.org.
Our next big event is the Winter Circuit in Clearwater,
Miami, and Nassau, Bahamas. If ever there was an event that
embodied Serious Sailing, Serious Fun, the Winter Circuit would
be it. Read more about it in this issue of the magazine, get
together with some friends in your fleet, and make the trip
– you’ll have a blast.
See you in Clearwater!
NORTH COVERS
Making the Fun Last Longer
David Odell
SCIRA USA National Secretary
“Amateurs practice until they get it right;
professionals practice until they can’t get it wrong.”
Cover up
High Quality Snipe Covers
Daggerboard Cover w Deck Cover w Hull Cover
Mast Cover w Rudder Cover
To order:
www.OneDesign.com/covers
www.snipeus.org

As we head into 2008, three districts will have newly elected
District Governors. With the new responsibilities and
authorities recently bestowed upon these elected officials,
we thought it would be helpful to list the description of
their role as determined by the 2007 SCIRA USA Board at
the semi-annual meeting in July.
The role of the District Governor is one of the most
important positions within SCIRA USA, as these seven
individuals are critical to the growth and sustainability
of the fleets in each district. The SCIRA USA Board of
Directors is in the process of shifting more decision making
authority to the district and allocating a greater portion of
the annual budget to them for discretionary spending on
fleet building and growth. This will increase the profile and
influence of the District Governor, and will enable them
to drive more results on both the Serious Sailing and the
Serious Fun fronts.
Responsibilities of each District Governor:
• Active, voting member of SCIRA USA Board of
Directors, attending the semi-annual board meetings.
• Organize, promote and participate in the annual District
Championship regatta.
• Promote Snipe sailing in their respective districts,
focusing on growing existing fleets, reinvigorating
dormant fleets, and identifying opportunities to seed
new fleets.
• Foster communications between Fleet Captains and
local Snipe sailors and SCIRA USA, ensuring that the
programs and activities of the national organization are
consistent with the needs and desires of the local Snipe
sailor, who is the backbone of the Class.
2008 SCIRA Dues are Due
Dues statements for 2008 are being prepared; you should
receive your statement around the first of the year. Please
return it with your dues payment. Dues are due January 1.
Remember, even though the racing season in your area
might only run from June through September, SCIRA USA
is a full-time operation. There are regattas – which you are
eligible to attend – every month of the year; you receive
a quarterly magazine; the website is always available; and
administrative operations are ongoing. Your prompt dues
payment will ensure that we continue to provide these
services in a timely manner, and will help maintain SCIRA
USA’s cash flow throughout the year.
US SNIPE SAILOR Winter 2007
Responsibilities and Authority
of the SCIRA District Governor
•
•
•
•
•
•
Promote membership in SCIRA International and
SCIRA USA among district members, highlighting the
many benefits.
Maintain the district page within www.snipeus.org.
Work closely with the US Snipe Class Executive
Administrator to identify and agree upon the role she/he
plays in the process of managing the district.
Review the Deed of Gift for the District Championship,
and ensure that its provisions are being followed for
each District Championship regatta. Propose and make
changes as appropriate.
Work closely with the Class Development Officer and
Marketing Committee chair to create materials that
support your area’s unique growth initiatives.
Work closely with the Class Development Officer to
ensure the activities undertaken at the national level
are fulfilling the needs and requirements of the local
sailors.
Authority granted to each District Governor:
• Autonomy over all aspects of the annual District
Championship regatta, within the guidelines established
by the Major Regatta QA Officer.
• Identification and selection of members of the district
to serve on national working committees, task forces,
etc.
• Allocation of fleet development funds.
• Identification and prioritization of needs for marketing
materials to be created by the national organization (as
led and coordinated by the Board Member at Large
responsible for Class Development).

SCIRA USA - REALITY/RISK GAPS
by Ken Culver, Dallas Fleet #1
SCIRA USA Director of Finance
sinCe joining the sCirA usA BoArd this pAst summer As
Director of Finance, I’ve had the opportunity to gain a better
understanding of the amazing amount of work that goes into our
Class as well as the amount of money it takes to do all the things
we do. Being new to the Class and to the Board presents me with
a unique opportunity to see things from an outsider’s point of
view, so to speak. I am blissfully unencumbered with any internal
affiliations or historical perspective of the Class. Having said that,
you may be inclined to move on to the next article, but I hope you
stick with me so I can share some impressions with you, and leave
you with some information to think about:
Impression: I write a check for fifty bucks once a year and get
immediate access to a pretty deep pool of resources for my little
hobby, unlike a lot of other hobbies I’ve been involved in. Here’s
a list of the sort of resources I’ve taken advantage of:
• I’ve purchased and sold Snipes from the classified pages on
the Class website – there’s a ready market for Snipes, which I
believe supports the value of my Snipe.
• I’ve poked around fleet links from the Class website to get ideas
that have helped our local fleet grow.
• I’ve easily found Snipe equipment from the vendors listed on
the Class web site.
• I’ve spent hours looking at Fried Elliott’s photos, at least seeing
what great Snipe sailing is suppose to look like.
• I’ve easily obtained tuning guides and contact information for a
number of people who seem to drop what they are doing and
provide all sorts of tips simply by calling and saying “Hey, I’m
a Snipe sailor, can you help me with …….”.
• I’ve listed our Fleet 001 regattas on the Class web site, which I
know has increased attendance.
• I’ve attended away regattas simply because I found out about
them through the Class Web site and newsletter.
• I’ve referred new prospects at our club to the Class web site
which tells them we are for real and have really invested in our
Class.
• I get the full color US Snipe Sailor each quarter filled with
information.
• I get the Snipe Bulletin each quarter which keeps me informed of
what’s going on around the Snipe world.
• I can ask our Executive Administrator for information, lists,
mailing labels, etc., to support our regattas and fleet growth,
and it all shows up in the mail.
• I can read a ton of articles on fleet building, tuning tips, how
to’s, etc. all right there on the Class web site.
• I can attend a National regatta for $180 – seems like a pretty
good deal but I don’t really know because I’ve never been to
one before – again, the beauty of being unencumbered with
any historical perspective.
Impression: I get a lot of bang for my fifty bucks. You get my
point – for an association of 700+ members and 500+ Snipes we
have a pretty darn good infrastructure in place.
Impression: This group really has its act together! Not only do
I get all of these resources and tools to support my hobby, these
folks have money in the bank and take a look at that Perpetual
Fund with it’s almost $150,000 balance – that’s fantastic.
OK, I hope you’re still with me because I’m done with my set up.
The reality is this: In my view, we have access to and are getting
a lot more benefit than what we are paying for, which is fantastic
– good for us! The issue is: Is our current level of infrastructure
and support sustainable, given what we pay for it?
Reality: Of the $50 basic dues and boat decal paid each year,
$15 dollars from each $20 membership and $5 from each $30
boat decal goes to SCIRA International. That means: for each
regular membership with a boat, we keep $30; for each regular
membership without a boat, we keep $5.
Reality: We do have a fantastic infrastructure in place, but
important activities are heavily subsidized in one way or another.
Some examples are:
• We are highly dependent on the 30% or so of our members who
generously pay their annual dues at the premium level. Premium
level dues represent about 50% of the total membership dues
that we keep and about 25% of our total revenue. Our total
membership dues represents about 50% of our total revenue
with other sources of revenues being advertising, sail royalty,
Nationals and other events, merchandise sales, etc.
• Our Executive Administrator came on board in January
2004 and provided much needed services at a deep discount
at a time when the US Class was insolvent. Since then, our
Executive Administrator’s compensation has increased, but it
is still believed to be significantly below “market rate” based
on some information we have about other comparable sailing
classes. (This is simply a statement, not my personal appeal for
a compensation adjustment one way or the other).
• Our US Nationals dues are significantly below comparable
Classes. The 2007 Dillon Nationals was heavily subsidized from
sources other than entry fees and sponsor support. Of the $180
we pay, $40 goes to the Class leaving $140 per participant for
the regatta organizers to make it all happen.
•
All of our US Snipe Sailor production staff, and most of our
web site staff, is volunteer.
Reality: Our Perpetual Fund does have roughly $150,000 due
to very generous donations; but, only the income earned each
year is available, and can only be spent on supporting our juniors
attending international events and for Class promotion. This has
totalled a few thousand dollars per year in recent years. We do not
have access to the corpus of the fund under any circumstances.
The bottom line is that yes, we have enjoyed a stable year with Class
membership growth; yes, we have a very good administration; yes,
we have achieved our target of banking a year’s operating cash
as a reserve; yes, we are enjoying low cost National regattas; and
yes, we have a lot of momentum and excitement in the Class.
However, I think it’s important to the Class for you to be aware
of the potential impact of critical gaps between impressions and
reality-some of which I’ve tried to point out above-and that we
still have challenges which could have a material adverse affect
on the Class if not overcome. Your educated and continuing
enthusiastic involvement is critical to the future success of the
Class as we work to close reality/risk gaps, and your awareness
of these issues is important as your Board continues to make the
Snipe Class successful and sustainable.
I encourage you to contact me and let me know what your
thoughts are along these lines. Please send me a note at kculver@
mo2inc.com. I will summarize what I hear from you and report
to the Board and will report back in a future US Snipe Sailor.
www.snipeus.org

One of the best ways to grow your local fleet is to
put together an event that introduces prospective new
members to all of the Serious Sailing and Serious Fun
elements of Snipe sailing. What kind of event, you say?
Well, how about something like this:
•
•
•
Fleet Development Activities Coming Soon!
by David Odell
A KidFest where you invite current and prospective
members out for casual racing with kids as skipper and/
or crew. Bring games for those on shore, and organize a
cookout afterward.
An alumni reunion for the graduates of your yacht
club’s junior sailing program. They’re probably off
to college or beyond, and would love to get together
to race with all of their old friends. Host the one day
regatta in Snipes, then have a party afterwards. This will
expose many people to Snipes who are likely candidates
to join the Class.
Host a tuning clinic, where you encourage all of those
inactive fleet members who you haven’t seen in quite a
while to come out and get ramped up by the local hot
shot or sail maker.
Nice ideas, but how do we pay for all of this? Great
news – the US Snipe Class is able to fund 21 of these fleet
development activities (3 in each of the 7 districts) thanks
to the generosity of Gene Soltero and Soltero Resources,
Inc. of Dallas Fleet #1.
Gene understands the importance of growing the
Class and bringing new people into the Snipe Family, so
he recently donated $15,000 to the Class! This incredible
donation will enable the Class to hold 21 fleet development
activities each year for the next three years. Each fleet
development activity will be allocated $250, and each
district gets to have three in 2008. Your District Governor
will decide where these funds are spent, so as you start
planning your schedule for next year, give some thought to
creative programs you can put in place to grow your fleet
and then call your District Governor for funding.
After your event, tell us what you did and how it worked
out. And don’t forget to drop Gene a note and thank him
for his generosity!
2008 US Snipe Women’s Nationals
Seattle, Washington
May 9-11, 2008
Join us in the beautiful Pacific Northwest for
some fabulous sailing and fun. The 2008 US
Snipe Women’s Nationals are being held on Puget
Sound in Seattle, Washington, May 9 – 11. The
venue will offer good wind, lots of current and
spectacular scenery. The floating clubhouse has
been remodeled, and the launching facilities are
brand new this year.
For additional information, contact regatta chair
Kirk Smith, kirksmith01@msn.com.
US SNIPE SAILOR Winter 2007 7

MASTERS MAGIC
…at Mystic Lake
by Don Hackbarth
photos by Orlando Claffey and Eric Tsetsi, Winchester Star
Nestled in the suburbs of
Boston is a very small lake
known as Mystic Lake. It is
a very humbling and mystic
place to sail. The 2007 USA Masters
National Championship was held there
this past September at the Winchester
Boat Club (WBC), which appears
to have a history going back to the
beginning of Colonial America.
Despite the size of the lake, the
contribution of this small pond and
the sailing organizations located on its
shores to the sport of sailing and the
Snipe Class is HUGE. Why else would
you label one section the Upper Mystic
Lake and the other the Lower? On this
lake you have three sailing organizations
Dave Lence and Rachel Orben, Grand
Master champs.
with two Snipe Fleets: Winchester
Boat Club, Medford Boat Club, and
the Tufts University sailing facility and
team. There are so many marks and one
design boats on this lake it seems like
rush hour in New York.
WBC has the second largest Snipe
Fleet in the USA. Led by the late
Ralph Swanson and his wife Berta,
the Swanson family, members of
WBC, have dedicated their lives to
organizing and managing Snipe sailing
on Mystic Lake. Their contribution to
the management of SCIRA USA and
the International Snipe Class has been
significant. With the able management
of the RC duties at the Masters, Berta
announced her ‘retirement’ from the
responsibilities she has so long been a
part of. Few have contributed as much
of their time to club racing as Berta
(she is the ‘butterfly’ course expert).
At the time of the Masters on
Mystic, the Snipe World Championship
was also being sailed in Oporto,
Portugal. The winning skipper of that
event, Tomas Hornos, is a member
of WBC, as well as the Tufts sailing
team. Peggy Tautz, a Snipe sailor from
Denver who is also attending Tufts and
sailing on the team, teamed with Gene
Soltero in the Masters. You could sense
in Peggy all the energy and excitement
that was being generated from activities
revolving around this little lake, even
as she shuttled back and forth between
classes, sailing practice, and the Masters
races.
The Masters is an event that
is reflective of the passion for one
design racing in Snipes. This event and
the people participating in it (sailors,
organizers, and hospitality hosts) is all
about tradition, dedication and just
plain enjoyment in sailing. The winners
in each age category have been sailing
Snipes most of their lives: Harry and
Sarah Levinson, overall Champions and
top Apprentice; John Lally and Kerry
O’Brien, top Master; and Dave Lence
and Rachel Orben, top Grand Master.
Congratulations to all of them.
The USA Snipe Class is now
accepting bids for hosting the Masters
for 2008. Planning and executing this
regatta can be a unifying event for a
Snipe Fleet. It brings the Fleet members
together with a common goal, and
revives the Snipe sailing passion of all
those involved.
Editor’s Note: Don Hackbarth has been
sailing Snipes for over 25 years, the last 15 as
a Master.
www.snipeus.org

Classic Snipes
By John Rose
District 1 Snipe Sailor Rodney Long
and Snipe #10214
Rodney Long, 73, has been active in Snipe sailing at
Winchester, MA since the mid 1940s. As a youth
sailor, he remembers the 1947 Snipe Nationals at
Marblehead, MA that was won by Ted Wells–the first
of many championships won by Wells. In the 1950s, Long
raced a Varalyay Snipe #6627 “Rebel” in the Winchester Fleet,
winning the Fleet Championship there in 1960.
As time progressed, Long became involved in other activities
and drifted away from Snipe sailing. However, in the 1990s,
he found a wooden 1955 Emmons Snipe, #10214, abandoned
in a corner of a warehouse on a pier on the Boston Harbor
waterfront, and acquired it for recreational sailing. This Snipe
was owned originally by Linda Lowe (now Mrs. Dick Tillman),
a member of the former large Snipe fleet at Diamond Lake in
southwest MI; how it got to Boston is unknown at this time.
Long and Jack Gannon, also a member of the Winchester, MA
Snipe fleet on Mystic Lake, replaced the deck and reinforced
some of the fittings, refinished the boat, and made it ready for
daily use.
Long uses the Snipe regularly for day sailing in the Boston
Harbor area, hanging alongside his lobster fishing boat Sea
Witch (below) for easy launching and rigged ready for use.
Long reports that one day he followed the USS Constitution
(“Old Ironsides”) on an open sea voyage with this Snipe, from
Boston to Marblehead, but had to turn back after confused seas
from the ocean and spectator boats were too rough, causing
the Snipe’s auxiliary outboard motor to stall.
US SNIPE SAILOR Winter 2007
Jack Gannon, with Rodney Long’s modified and restored
Snipe #9440 Red Wing.
In 2006, John Rose coordinated with Jack Gannon, who
arranged for Long to take possession of wooden Snipe #9440
Red Wing. Gannon and Long subsequently embarked on a
major restoration/modification program with this boat, in
order to adapt it for regular day sailing by a “classic” Snipe
sailor. This story will be published on the Classic Snipe page in
the Spring 2008 US Snipe Sailor.
John Rose is a long-time Snipe Sailor fromTacoma, WA, and is
editor of the Classic Snipe page on the SCIRA USA website. He
currently owns Snipe #6715.
2008 US Snipe MaSterS
SCIRA USA is currently accepting
bids for hosting the 2008 US Masters
Championship. This is always a fun event,
and draws some of the best sailors in
the country. In recent years the event has
been held at Winchester MA, Atlanta GA,
Omaha NE, and Dallas TX.
If you think this may be a good idea for
your Fleet or Yacht Club, then please talk
it up and give National Secretary David
Odell a call, or email him at
david.wanderer@gmail.com

Snipe Sailing 101:
Basic Two-Stroke Tacking
In an article in the Fall 2007 issue of US Snipe Sailor, Gene
Soltero mentioned a device he set up for his crew Mallory
McGroarty to practice basic “two-stroke” tacking. Several
readers have inquired about it, and we thought some other
less experienced or out-of-practice crews might find it useful
as well. Here is a diagram of the set-up, and a description of
the basic manuever, courtesy of Gene Soltero:
24” - 36”
28” - 30”
“Top” block; must be securely
fastened
Couch or chair Couch or chair
Stop knot - 30” from block on
each side
Additional 60” of line on each
side
• Set up according to diagram (measurements are important
to get the correct feel of distances). The top of the diagram
is the front of the boat.
• Start by sitting on the port side of the “boat” just forward of
the port block, with the port sheet running under your legs.
• Trim the starboard sheet until the port knot hits the port
block. This simulates going upwind on port tack with the jib
set.
• Clear your sheets by placing the tail of the starboard sheet
in a bunch on the floor just aft of the starboard block while
you continue to hold the sheet to control the sail. Pull the
slack out of the port sheet and loosely bunch its tail on the
floor just aft of the port block.
• Prepare to tack:
With your forward (left) hand, grab the starboard sheet and
get ready to pop it out of the starboard cleat.
With your aft (right) hand, grab the port sheet aft of the
port block and take out the slack in the sheet.
• To tack:
Pop and drop the starboard sheet.
Step across the centerboard trunk with your forward (left)
foot and stand, so you’re facing aft. At the same time, pull
the port sheet as far as you can across your body with your
aft (right) hand while staying balanced in the center of the
boat (this is the “first stroke”).
Reach your left hand across your body and grab the port
sheet as close to the block as you can.
Step over the centerboard trunk with your right foot,
so you are facing the port side. As you sit down on the
starboard side, pull the port sheet straight back with your
left hand in a long “second stroke”, until stopped by the
starboard knot. Make sure to finish the stroke low, so that
the port cleat would automatically engage the sheet.
• Clear the sheets on the new side right away so you are
ready for the next tack.
• Repeat lots of times.
Submitted by Merrill Varn
10 www.snipeus.org

2007 Florida State
Snipe JUnior ChaMpionShip
by Gonzalo “Old Man” Diaz
photos by Margie Kozich
Enrique Quintero Jr. and Alex Sachs, from the Coral
Reef Yacht Club, won the 2007 (50 th Annual) Florida
State Snipe Junior Championship. This is the third
time for Enrique to win this championship, and just
after winning the Snipe World Championship in Portugal
crewing for Tomas Hornos.
Twelve teams competed in the 2007 Florida State Juniors.
We had representatives from Ft Lauderdale, Palm Beach and
Miami. The event was hosted by the Coconut Grove Sailing
Club and Miami Snipe Fleet #7.
On Saturday, September 22, the winds were from about
120 degrees, but with oscillations, and at around six knots. Our
expert Race Committee ran three beautiful races and changed
marks several times and did it perfectly. Enrique Quintero won
the first two races and David Harrison won the last race of the
day. There were some threatening clouds, and our RC smartly
sent us in.
On Sunday, it was blowing nice, about twelve knots from
90 to 100 degrees, but there were also threatening clouds. A
race was started and finished, with David Harrison doing an
Competitors in the 2007 Florida State Snipe Championships:
back row, left to right: Dominique Wright, Megan Place, Collen
Hartman, Eric Fields, Andrew Britton, Brandon Cairnes, Trevor Frow,
Edgar Diminich, Alex Swerdloff and Alex Sachs.
front row, left to right: Mac Agnese, Wade Waddell, Enrique
Quintero Jr., David Harrison and Greg Schreiber
excellent job and winning the race. Our RC was determined
to get 2 more races in to get a drop race, but was only able to
get one race in. A pretty strong storm (20 to 23 knots) came
through and sent all in and then killed the wind.
Many thanks to the Coconut Grove Sailing Club, and to
the volunteer Race Committee that did an excellent job running
the races. Thanks also to: Charles Branning for donating the
use of his boat and for his work on the Race Committee;
Jaime Ramon (PRO and line sighter); Susan Sanders and Art
Auwaerter (timekeepers); Margie Kozich and Charles Branning
(flags); Jo Ann Mathiew and Jeanne Bunten (scribes/scorers);
Hector Figallo, Jim Waldron and Geoff Sutcliffe (pin boat);
and Susan Walcutt and Carolyn Rahn (mark boat).
Results
1 Enrique Quintero/ Alex Sachs 1-1-3-3 7.5
2 David Harrison/Greg Schreiber 5-5-1-1 11.5
3 Dominique Wright 3-3-8-4 18
4 Wade Waddell 2-7-6-7 22
5 Carolina Palacios 4-6-4-9 23
6 Edgar Diminich/Alex Swerdloff ocs-4-7-2 27
7 Megan Place 8-8-5-6 27
8 Brandon Cairnes/Andrew Britton 6-9-10-5 30
9 Trevor Frow ocs-2-2-ocs 31
10 Mac Agnese 7-10-9-ocs 39
11 Colleen Hartman/Eric Fields 9-11-11-8 39
12 Nicole Jarauta 10-dns-dns-dns 49
Note: Brandon/Andrew and Colleen/Eric sailed as co-skippers
and shared the helm. Where no crew is listed, the owner of the
boat or an adult crewed for that skipper. That is in the rules
of this Championship, and we have used this system for more
than 20 years for our Florida State Snipe Junior Championship
with total success I would say. It is an excellent way to level 17,
18, 19, etc. year old with 10, 12, 13, 14 and 15 year old.
It also allows us to make it easy for juniors to borrow a boat
when the owner or an expert adult is on board. As you can see
two junior/junior crews got first and second and Dominique
sailing with Carr Moody on Carr’s boat got third.
US SNIPE SAILOR Winter 2007 11

A View From the Crew
by Barb Evans
Barb shares some of the lessons she’s learned during her considerable
experience as a crew on Snipes and other boats. This is the first of a
two-part article.
At the 2006 Nationals in Erie,
Pennsylvania, Art Rousmaniere
(Winchester, MA Fleet #777)
suggested that I write an article
on what I’ve learned from all the
skippers that I’ve crewed for. I found
writing this article very interesting
because I learned so much from each
person. However, there does seem to
be one or two overriding takeaways
that stick in my mind as I look back on
those experiences. Some are technical,
some tactical, some psychological, and
some just funny. The notes below are
my perspective-my skippers may have
something else to say!
Barb and Mike Blackwood at the 2006 Nationals in Erie.
The experiences are in chronological
order, as best I can remember,
beginning in 1972:
Nancy Evans: My mother was my
sailing inspiration. She grew up sailing
Thistles on the Chesapeake in Shady
Side, MD (her father started the first
fleet on the Chesapeake.) I owe the fact
that I race competitively to her. She was
also a bit of a pioneer because not too
many women were at the helm in the
early 70’s. She was one of two women
skippers on Cowan Lake for many years.
John Hartney: I owe my interest
in Snipe sailing to a boy. I remember
learning the basics of crewing, dealing
with the manual whisker pole, jib trim,
centerboard, sail trim, and tactics on a
small shifty lake.
Jenny O’Flaherty: Learned that
girls could be competitive, even at 220
lbs. combined weight. We were always
looking for ways to de-power the boat.
John Irvine: First time crewing for
someone who was and still is a naturally
gifted sailor. He taught me how much
fun it is to win. After crewing with
Jenny, I also learned how nice is was to
have some weight in
Fried Elliott
the back of the boat!
Mark
Schoenberger: Old
age and treachery win
over youth and vigor
every time! Mark
was a crafty sailor on
Cowan.
Peter Keen: He
bought a McLaughlin
when they first came
out. Having good,
up-to-date equipment
will improve your
performance.
Jerry Ficks (in
a Thistle): Began
learning about pulling
the strings on the
boat, and the need for making constant
adjustments for the wind conditions.
This improved my learning curve about
understanding the “feel” of the boat
and boat speed.
Champ Glover (in a Thistle):
Teamwork, both technical execution
and communication keeps the boat
moving fast in the right direction.
Thistles are awesome in the breeze,
especially on a screaming reach with the
chute up on Flathead Lake in Montana.
Greg Fisher: Sailing angles will
widen when the breeze lightens up.
Don’t forget to make that adjustment to
your numbers when using the compass;
otherwise you’ll think you’re always
sailing on a header.
Craig Leweck: If you’re going
to roll jibe really hard, make sure the
whisker pole retracts. It’s embarrassing
to capsize in 8 knots of breeze!
Steve Bloemeke: Learned the finer
points of ooching.
Dave Lence: Determination can
help you reach your goals. Dave’s goal
was to qualify for the Heinzerling
for the first time in his life. We
accomplished that goal at the 1990
Nationals in Annapolis (15 th in the
Crosby).
Martin Keen: Positioning with the
fleet and how that can give you an edge,
especially in an oscillating breeze. Your
position is best if you’re ahead and
slightly to leeward. When you get the
oscillation and tack, you’ll be farther
ahead and able to cover the boats
behind.
Jim Bowers, Sr.: Make sure you
check the plug in the back of a McGo
before you go sailing.
Jim Bowers, Jr.: patience, patience,
and patience, especially in shifty
conditions. Jim will claim he’s really
lucky, but he makes his luck happen.
Donna T. Hobbs (in a Thistle): It’s
fun to help improve someone else’s skill
level.
Roselyn Rea: First experience
competing in the finals of the Adams
Cup. Make sure you keep looking
around before the start, especially when
everyone is trying to set their watches
at the warning signal. We ended up in
an embarrassing collision because both
crews were focused on their watches
and the committee boat.
Dave Valla (in a Thistle): another
reminder how important teamwork and
communication are in the boat. Get
your teamwork down so you can keep
your heads out of the boat and looking
around the course.
Jennifer Rousmaniere: On mark
roundings, especially the weather mark
in breeze, just keep the boat moving
and get it planing as fast as you can.
You’ll zip away from those around you
who usually have their heads inside the
boat. Also in big breeze, don’t try to
force the boat to jibe. If the boat’s not
jibing, stop trying to do so, recover, and
12 www.snipeus.org

try again. A forced jibe usually ends
up in a capsize. We made this mistake
in the 1997 Women’s Nationals in NJ,
but it was fun coming back the next
year and winning the 1998 Women’s
Nationals on Gull Lake.
Art Rousmaniere: Art and I were
chasing Jim Bowers around the course
on Mystic Lake. At one point Jim
has just rounded the leeward mark
and we were coming toward him
downwind. Art’s comment… “I’ll get
you my pretty.” A little humor amongst
competitors can be fun.
John MacRae: I could write a book
about crewing with John because we
learned so much together. However,
the overriding take away is the power
of positive thinking. We worked very
hard as a team to improve technically
and tactically, but we also worked very
hard on our psychology. It got us to the
2003 Worlds in Sweden, which was our
first time attending a Worlds. We also
learned a lot about mast control. We
were using a sidewinder junior mast,
which is a bendy mast. Our spreaders
were too narrow, so in any kind of
breeze, we would lose control of the
top of the mast. This meant we lost
leach control, which meant we couldn’t
point. We ended up widening the
spreaders to control the top part of the
mast. We saw a dramatic improvement
in speed and pointing.
Alex Pline: Never trust a skipper
who has said they’ve never capsized…
especially when you’re sailing with
them in April in an Interclub. Famous
last words as we went swimming in
Annapolis Harbor. Alex also told me his
infamous story when he was crewing
for Lisa in their “dating” years. In a
nut shell, Alex kept telling Lisa that he
thought they should tack. After several
attempts he realized that she wasn’t
going to tack. He looked back at her
and asked if he should shut up. Lisa’s
reply was “No, I want you to give me
your opinion - then shut up.” Takeaway
for a crew - it’s good to express
your opinion, but know that that is just
more information for the skipper to use
or discard.
Lisa Pline: Get the boat tuned
to match your crew size, weight, and
strength. Work the main hard upwind
so the boat doesn’t heal up on its ear. In
other words in the puffs, ease, hike, and
trim.
Alex Stout: Another reminder of
skipper/crew communication. If you’re
new to sailing together, you won’t
have the non-verbal communication
capabilities right away. As a crew, it’s
difficult to anticipate a skipper’s action
when you’re sailing together for the
first time. Alex and I were coming into
the finish line. We were both full out
hiked trying to make the boat go fast
during the last 200 yards. We were neck
and neck with another boat that was to
leeward with clear air. Alex did the right
thing by throwing in a tack at the finish
line. The only problem was that there
was no warning for the crew. I flubbed
up the tack big time! Alex also taught
me the finer skills of crewing. After a
few Tuesday night races together, I was
able to tack and trim the jib without
spilling my beer.
Rowena Carlson: Teamwork is
important…again. Don’t override your
skipper’s instincts. It causes too much
hesitation at critical moments.
Dave VanCleef: Going upwind;
when boats are to weather off your
hip and they’re bow down to you, that
offers you a chance to tack to either
catch up some distance if you’re behind,
or to take a step up so that you can tack
back and stay ahead.
Gonzo Diaz: Mast bend in big
breeze (20+ knots). If you don’t keep
the mast aft puller on in big breeze the
mast just moves forward when you
trim the main and over bends the mast.
The main will turn inside out because
the bend in the mast is more than the
design of the luff curve that is cut into
the sail. The main becomes so flat that
you have no power, which you’ll need
in the chop that usually accompanies
big breeze. Pulling on the cunningham
will help because it moves the draft
forward, but you still won’t have control
over the leach. You need your leach
control for height. Also when the mast
moves forward you move the sail plan
forward, which will increase lee helm.
You’ve also loosened the jib halyard,
so you get too much luff sag. Now
you’ve got a double whammy – lee
helm and no height because of the
head stay sag and no leach control. If
you’re going to over bend the mast,
you have to trim the main super hard
to reduce the jib sag and give you leach
control. You’ll also have to yank hard
on the cunningham. There are people
who will let the mast go forward to
the partner, but they’re trimming super
hard and they’ve pulled on some jib
halyard. The other option in big breeze
is to restrict the mast bend somewhat.
This will give you leach control, and by
trimming hard you can control the luff
sag. With Gonzo, I also started realizing
just how different skippers are in their
requirements for information around
the course. Some want only information
on the immediate surroundings. Others
want entire course info. It takes a few
legs and even races to figure out what
works best. Don’t be shy about asking
a skipper their preferences. Or as a
skipper, tell your crew what info you
want.
Eric Reinke: Well executed roll jibes
are awesome. Hike hard and keep the
bow down in big breeze and big chop.
Aimee Graham: Another reminder
to get the boat set up for your crew
size. Aimee also taught me about
determination. We had an unfortunate
incident at the Women’s Nationals in
SD when the traveler bridle got caught
in the aft boom block. When we tacked,
the main didn’t release. It was windy,
so over we went on the new tack. Once
Aimee yanked the line free, I’ve never
seen such fierce determination to catch
back up and beat boats. We flew! I
learned to look around the boat while
we’re sailing out to the course to try to
identify the places where the lines may
get caught (all boats have their different
quirks). If you see some problem areas,
make the proper adjustments to avoid
negative consequences.
Barb has sailed not only with a lot of
skippers, but in a lot of places. She grew up
sailing on Cowan Lake in Ohio; her open
water experience was mostly on Lake Erie
during her youth. Eventually she made it to
San Diego during a few summers between
college years. She moved to Boston after college
in 1987, Chicago in 199 , back to Boston in
1996, and then worked her way down the coast
to Annapolis, MD in 2000; Charleston, SC
in 200 , and Savannah in 2006.
Watch for the Spring 2008 issue of US
Snipe Sailor to read the second part of Barb’s
article.
US SNIPE SAILOR Winter 2007 1

Michele Postinghel
On September 15, the US team
of skipperTomas Hornos (l) and
crew Enrique Quintero (r) were
crowned the 2007 Snipe World
Champions in Leixoes, Portugal.
The regatta was a difficult one,
with only three races sailed and a
lot of downtime on shore. These
young men excelled in the tough
conditions, while maintaining
their focus and having a good
time. They recently agreed to share
their experience in an interview
with US Snipe Sailor. While they
are both humble, you can bet they
have a very bright future ahead,
both on and off the racecourse.
How did you prepare technically for this event?
Enrique: Tomas and I prepared technically by spending most
of what was our practice time doing boat work. Due to the
fog we weren’t really able to sail so we spent that time getting
the boat ready to go.
Tomas: Enrique and I only practiced twice before going to
the Worlds. Since I live in Boston and he lives in Miami, it
was difficult to sail together. Nonetheless, the times we did
meet, we made sure to maximize the hours on the water and to
minimize our boat handling errors. We each sail a lot in other
things, so we knew that our main focus would be on boat speed
Tomas and Enrique nail a start...
Snipe World Champions
An Interview with US Juniors Tomas Hornos
and Enrique Quintero
by Aimee Graham
and boat handling. Between Enrique’s 420 and 470 racing and
my Star, Laser and College racing, we had had plenty of racing
experience throughout the year.
What was your practice schedule, and what did you
“tweak” in your racing technique (if anything) this year?
Enrique: Our practice schedule was pretty much the first day
when we arrived that we got to sail for only 30 to 40 minutes.
After that, we had no sailing time due to the weird weather that
we had with no wind and intense fog. With having four days of
no sailing and sitting on land, we basically worked on the boat
from top to bottom. We recently got a new mast and spent
almost a day just working and tweaking the mast with settings,
then we worked on the hull making some adjustments to all of
our lines, markings, etc.
Tomas: We tried to simplify everything. We have a good idea of
what is typically used and what is fast. With Enrique and the
help of Leandro Spina, we were able to get three solid settings
for different conditions. Ultimately, we knew that a good race
result would not be the product of a minute measurement,
but rather doing the right things during the race. We definitely
focused on big fleet tactics and strategy and tried not to get
our head stuck in the boat.
What rigging and/or tuning techniques did you use?
Enrique: For our tuning techniques we used Leandro’s
1 www.snipeus.org
David Odell

Michele Postinghel
Tweaking in the parking lot.
experience on tuning the boat. He gave us a huge explanation
on how we should tune our boat and he gave us a hand with
the tuning. For the rigging techniques we were always the first
to arrive there. Every morning we would flip the boat over
check our spreader settings, put teflon on the boat, and then
just flipped it back over and relaxed until there was the breeze
to go sailing.
Did you have a punch list, or specific things that you
addressed in the charter boat before you went sailing?
Enrique: Luckily, we didn’t have to worry about a charter boat
because we had Tomas’s boat, which was better than what we
could have asked for.
Tomas: Luckily, the US team decided to bring our own boats
to the Worlds. It was a huge advantage having my boat there.
We were assured of having an excellent boat that would not
give us any problems. However, many small replacements and
changes were made on the boat to satisfy both our styles.
The Snipe Worlds is known as one of the most difficult
in the world. How did you mentally prepare prior to the
event?
Enrique: Tomas and I had no time to train at all coming into
this event. We basically came into this event with a very relaxed
state of mind, with no pressure on us whatsoever. Being known
sailing in an event as big as the Worlds and with so many days
of not sailing, we basically just stayed focused and took every
start as a new one and forgot about whatever place we were
in. I think that another big part of our win was our mentality
for the race.
Tomas: It was simple for us, we were total underdogs, we knew
that we weren’t the best Snipe sailors in the world. But we were
confident that we could get a great result if we raced to our
full potential and were given the right situation. I felt like I had
no pressure and had nothing to prove to anyone, it was a good
feeling knowing that. I didn’t really care who was there or how
good many of the competitors were, that didn’t change how
I raced.
This regatta produced some very challenging conditions
with light, shifty breeze and multiple weather delays.
How did you stay focused during the event? What coping
techniques did you use?
Enrique: All Tomas and I did was stay cool, relaxed, and in the
game. We were never out of phase, we were always ready for
what ever was going to happen, and we were always psyched
to go out and just sail because of the fact that we rarely sailed
together. This was our fourth regatta we ever sailed together.
Tomas: It was easy for us because of the fact that we are such
good friends. We think alike and we know what the other is
thinking. Since there were so many delays, it was important not
to get frustrated and to do other things. We were able to make
many friends from different countries and that allowed us to
think about something other than the race or weather.
How will this experience translate to your other sailing,
both on the collegiate level and in other Ssnipe events?
Enrique: This is an event that I will never forget. Being a young
sailor with a young career, I cannot let this get to me. I will
take every regatta and every race the way I took this one, both
mentally and physically, and in my prep for a regatta. But once
again this is an experience that will live with me forever.
Tomas: Although this is an incredible accomplishment, this
regatta does not change that much for me. I still have to race
well to win regattas, and I still have to take every event one race
at a time. However, winning the Worlds does give me a lot of
confidence and lets me know that I can do well on a very high
racing platform.
Special thanks to Michele Postinghel of Italy, who sent us many photos
of the World Championships, and has allowed us to use them in our
publications.
...and get a bullet.
US SNIPE SAILOR Winter 2007 1
Michele Postinghel

A Beginner’s guide To The WinTer CirCuiT
The Snipe Winter Circuit is
legendary in dinghy racing
circles. The venues, the level of
competition, the international
flavor and the quality of the parties all
conspire to make this a must-experience
annual event. It is two solid weeks of
Serious Sailing and Serious Fun. You go
home with 21 races under your belt
before most Snipe sailors have taken
their boats out of winter hibernation.
This is more racing than many Snipe
sailors get in a year. If you are trying to
improve your sailing there is no better
way than to hang out with some of
the best Snipe sailors in the country
(or should I say in the world?) for two
weeks. Sailors come from Norway,
Finland, Bermuda, Argentina, Puerto
Rico, Brazil, the Bahamas, Mexico; the
international appeal is undeniable. The
Circuit is where you begin to appreciate
the history of Snipe sailing (you can
read it on the walls of the Royal Nassau
Sailing Club) and where you begin to
understand why people continue to sail
these boats around buoys for decades
without tiring of the game.
It all started in 1967 when sCirA
sanctioned the Snipe South Eastern
Winter Circuit, and established the
Zimmerman Trophy (donated by Past
Commodore Carl D. Zimmerman),
which was to be awarded to the skipper
with the best total score for all races in
four participating regattas. The regattas
were to be raced in the following order:
The Bacardi Cup in Nassau, the Dudley
Gamblin Memorial Regatta in Nassau,
the Don Q in Miami, and the Snipe
Mid-Winters in Clearwater. Let’s not
forget that 1967 was a confusing year
in the United States, with the Vietnam
War, the Summer of Love, race riots,
drugs and rock and roll taking most
people’s attention. It wasn’t until 1972
that the fog lifted and common sense
prevailed: the order of venues was
reversed.
The Mid Winters in Clearwater is
by Susan Odell
photos by Fried Elliott
the dust-off-the-cobwebs, work-outthe-kinks,figure-out-how-to-makeyour-Snipe-fast-again
regatta. After that,
you’re ready for Miami and the Don Q.
This is the all-out-sprint, testosteronereeking,
high-energy, ultra-competitive,
amazing-race-venue regatta. But don’t
stop now. Since you’ve survived Mid
Winters and the Don Q, you deserve
Nassau. The Bacardi Cup and Dudley
Gamblin are the warm-clear-water, lazytwo-hour-lunches,
Yellow-Bird-swilling,
great-partying, lick-your-wounds-and-
The 2005 Mid Winters, Clearwater
heal-by-the-pool regattas. There is a
natural rhythm to the competitions,
social functions and traveling, and by
the end of two weeks it’s difficult to
imagine life any other way. Being a
part of the racing at any one of these
venues is fun and exciting; completing
the entire circuit is a life experience you
won’t soon forget.
Below are some notes taken from
the 2006 and 2007 Winter Circuits,
designed to enlighten and inform the
first-time Circuit-goers. Save this for
when you decide to make the Snipe
Winter Circuit a priority in your March/
April calendar. But don’t wait too long
– it’s later than you think.
For more details and contact
information for each racing venue, go
to www.snipeus.org and follow the links
for each regatta.
Snipe Mid Winter ChaMpionShipS
ClearWater, Florida
Clearwater is on the Gulf coast of
Florida, near the Tampa/St. Petersburg
metropolitan area. The host club,
Clearwater Yacht Club (CYC), is located
on Clearwater Beach Island. While the
social events center around CYC, the
racing headquarters is the Clearwater
Community Sailing Center (Sailing
Center), located on Sand Key and
joined to Clearwater Beach Island by
a bridge. The two venues are a threeminute
drive apart.
The entire area is Mecca for spring
breakers; since the regatta usually
overlaps with spring break, book your
hotel early if you want to stay near
CYC. There are several hotels within
walking distance (e.g., Best Western,
Quality Hotel, etc.) and one, Chart
House Suites, is right next door. They
have been threatening to close for
renovations for years, so check the
website (www.charthousesuites.com) to
see if they’re still in business.
At CYC there is a full service bar
and restaurant. Upon arrival you should
find the Yacht Club manager. In return
for a credit card imprint he or she will
give you a temporary membership
card for charging food and beverage
purchases. The bar is fun, lively and a
great place to find Snipe sailors. You
can order from the full restaurant menu
in the bar. You’ll find the Club members
to be welcoming of the racers, even
though many don’t even own a sailboat.
In fact, there is no longer a Snipe
fleet in Clearwater. The success of the
regatta relies on the generosity of Dick
Boblenz, PRO, and the other volunteers
who retain a fondness for Snipe sailing
and Snipe sailors.
1 www.snipeus.org

Snipes are stored at the Sailing
Center and you will find all competitors’
meetings, official notices, measurement
and registration there. Facilities include
parking, launching ramps (a dolly
is recommended), changing rooms,
showers, wi-fi and an incredibly
helpful and knowledgeable staff. No
refreshments are available other than
a couple of vending machines. The
Sailing Center is locked up each evening
at about 5:30 pm.
Most Snipe sailors start arriving
in Clearwater on Friday. This leaves
plenty of time for rigging, re-rigging,
catching up with friends, meeting new
people and maybe even a practice
sail. (Warning: Clearwater Bay is too
shallow for Snipes. Follow the markers
out to the Gulf for your practice sail.)
The 2006 Don Q Rum Keg, Miami
By Saturday evening most sailors have
found the bar at CYC – go there if
you’re ready for some socializing. If
you prefer a night out, try the low-key
Frenchy’s Café for fabulous grouper
sandwiches. There are several Frenchy’s
in town, but the original restaurant has
the most local flavor.
The racing gets under way on
Sunday, with an early alarm clock for
a 9:00 skippers’ meeting at the Sailing
Club. Be ready to launch and go as soon
as the meeting is over, because the first
warning signal is 10:30 and you need to
allow an hour to get to the racecourse.
Race committee is organized and on
time, so you should be, too. Expect a
long day on the water as the schedule
calls for three races.
Sunday evening there is a cookout at
CYC following the racing. (Most sailors
shower and change at the Sailing Center
and go straight to CYC.) It’s a casual
affair with burgers, hot dogs and beer,
and a good chance to meet some Club
members and tell them how gracious
they are for hosting our regatta.
Monday’s schedule is similar: three
races followed by a casual get-together
at CYC. This time it’s the Bowchaser’s
Grapefruit Grog and pizza party. The
Grapefruit Grog goes down pretty
easily after a day of racing and after a
few of these and a few slices of pizza
most sailors are ready to call it a night.
If you’re a late night clubber there are
always a few brave souls willing to keep
going.
Only two races are scheduled for
Tuesday to allow time for packing the
boats and getting dolled
up for the banquet. Once
the boats are back at
the Sailing Center it’s a
whirlwind of activity; the
competition continues
to see who can put their
boat away the quickest.
(Hal Gilreath holds the
unofficial record, though
he doesn’t always tie his
mast down.)
The banquet starts
between 6:30 and 7:00
at CYC. It’s a dressy
old-school yachting event; blue blazers
are appropriate for men and a dress or
nice slacks for the ladies. CYC members
and long-time Snipe sailors like Francis
Seavy come out for this, which gives us
a final opportunity to thank them for
their generosity.
Wednesday is a much needed lay day,
and is usually spent driving to Miami.
If you take the southern route across
Alligator Alley, you may want to stop in
the Everglades and take an air boat ride
(keep your fingers and toes inside the
boat.)
don Q ruM Keg regatta
CoConut grove, Florida
The Coconut Grove Sailing Club
(CGSC) hosts the annual Don Q
regatta and welcomes the 50+ Snipes
that take over the lawn, docks, parking
lot and bar. While only a short drive
from the ultra-hip South Beach,
Coconut Grove has a more tropical
feel with a little Miami-cool thrown
in. When you arrive, find a spot on the
lawn for your boat. Some space may be
available in the parking lot, but there
are a lot of active sailors at CGSC who
may want access to their boats over the
weekend. There are two hoists at the
Club and one dock that can be used for
dolly launching (with a little help from
your friends.) Lunch and dinner (until
8:00ish) are served in the bar; they take
cash and credit cards from visitors.
The host for the Don Q is Gonzalo
Diaz, Sr., more affectionately known as
The Old Man. He and the rest of the
Diaz family work hard to make this
regatta great, and it really shows. The
Old Man is the primary contact and will
help with housing, logistics and other
questions. There are too many sailors
for housing to be provided for all, but
there are many hotels to choose from all
around CGSC. There is a Hampton Inn
which is a pretty good deal, and only
about five minutes away by car.
Thursday is another rigging, tuning,
practice race day. This is a good day
to find Jimmie Lowe and the other
Bahamian sailors. Not only are they
fun to hang out with, but they will help
coordinate the shipment of your boat
to Nassau. Boats are put on double
trailers to save space and cost, so it’s
good to have a dolly to use in Nassau.
Don’t worry if the final arrangements
aren’t clear until Sunday afternoon; it
all works out in the end. Be prepared to
stay around after the racing on Sunday
to pack boats for shipment and maybe
make a trip or two to the shipper.
Homeland Security has made shipping
Snipes a little more complicated than
in the past. Jimmie will give you the
customs form to complete, but be sure
to also have 2 copies of each of the
following documents with you: 1) Bill
of sale for your boat, 2) Statement of
Origin for your boat; and 3) Power of
Attorney to allow Jimmy to sign for
your boat on your behalf.
Back to the Don Q. The racing
US SNIPE SAILOR Winter 2007 17

starts again on Friday with two races
scheduled on Friday and Saturday
and one on Sunday. The wind doesn’t
usually come up until late morning
so racing starts at noon. Allow 30 to
45 minutes to get to the racecourse.
Weather conditions on the Bay are
usually breezy with low chop.
While you’re waiting to haul your
boat out after the races, you can enjoy
one of Carmen Diaz’s famous Don Q
daiquiris, personally delivered to your
Snipe. On Friday night there’s no dinner
function planned but many people
gather at CGYC and walk to “the
Grove”, the busy hub of town filled
with restaurants, shops and excellent
people-watching. It’s about three blocks
from the Club. There are showers at the
Club if you want to change.
Saturday night is Cuban night at
Coconut Grove Sailing Club. Dinner
is served early for the weary sailors,
and includes all the Cuban favorites:
chicken, beans, rice, plantains, etc. It’s
good and it’s filling, and by 7:00 you
may be ready to call it a night. If not,
find other sailors in the bar or at the hot
spots in the Grove.
After the race on Sunday it’s time
to once again pack up. Trophies will be
presented outside around the lawn area
amongst the de-rigging. By this time you
should have a pretty good idea about
how your boat will travel to Nassau,
or more specifically, on whose trailer.
Coordinate delivery to the docks with
the other Nassau-bound sailors.
Also, ask Jimmie if he knows where
you’ll be staying in Nassau (the Royal
Nassau Sailing Club members like to
offer housing to all Snipe sailors) and
whether you’ll need a rental car. Some
homes are within walking distance
to the Sailing Club and Jimmie and
other locals will offer rides to off-site
activities, but sometimes it’s easier and
more convenient to have your own
wheels. You can rent one at the airport
when you arrive.
BaCardi Cup
dudley gaMBlin MeMorial regatta
naSSau, BahaMaS
Plan to fly to Nassau from Miami
on Monday, to arrive in the afternoon.
It’s pretty easy to get around the island
since there are only a couple of main
roads, but don’t forget to drive on the
left (ties to the Brits are still strong.)
The Royal Nassau Sailing Club is on the
main road (East Bay Street), past the
bridge to Paradise Island, beyond the
Nassau Yacht Club (it has a Star boat
out front) and next to the fish ramp.
This is the only description most taxi
drivers need but if you’re driving, ask
for directions when you rent the car.
For parking, pass the fish ramp and
the Sailing Club on your left (it’s a pink
building, but that isn’t really unique in
the Bahamas) and park in the lot just
beyond the Sailing Club.
The Nassau Sailing Club
At the Sailing Club you will find a
gathering of local members and some
traveling Snipe sailors. An organizer will
find you, figure out where you’re staying
and then call your hosts and ask them
to meet you at the Club. Once you’re
settled with your hosts the evening is
open.
On Tuesday plan to be at the Sailing
Club by lunch time. The boats should
arrive in the morning and Jimmie Lowe
and other locals will coordinate getting
the trailers to the Sailing Club. Once
at the Club, help is needed to lift boats
onto dollies and stow the trailers. The
club has one hoist and a challenging
dock situation, but it all works.
The bar and restaurant at the Sailing
Club is open for lunch and dinner all
week. There is a delightful pool, nice
shower facilities and very friendly staff;
you’ll feel at home there in your first
five minutes. There are no organized
activities for Tuesday evening.
The first three races sailed in Nassau
comprise the Bacardi Cup; the next five
make up the Dudley Gamblin Memorial
Regatta. Two races are scheduled each
day, Wednesday through Saturday. The
first race starts at 11:00; it takes about
five minutes to get to the racecourse.
The second race starts at 3:00, which
allows for a restful two-hour lunch at
the Club between races. Order your
lunch before you leave the dock in the
morning and it will be ready for you
when you come in.
The social events in Nassau are as
legendary as the sailing. Wednesday
night is Bacardi Night with lots of
Bacardi samples and hors d’oeuvres.
Spiffy casual attire is appropriate (some
men wear blazers, most women wear
sundresses.) On Thursday there is a
party at the Commodore’s house; this is
a dressy affair with blazers and ties for
the men and nice outfits for the women.
These events are included in the price
of registration.
Friday is Bahamian Night at the
Club. It’s a nice buffet dinner and all
the members are invited. You can buy
tickets when you register. Relax - it’s
casual. Saturday is the banquet, and the
Club staff go all out preparing a really
nice meal. Yes, you have to dress up for
this event also – blazers, ties, etc. After
the awards there is dancing and all-out
fun. It gets late fast.
If you’ve never been to Nassau,
Sunday is a good day to tour the island.
It’s also a good day to sleep in and start
your recuperation process. The Snipes
will be shipped to arrive in Miami on
Monday. From there it’s back to reality,
but with a whole lot of fond memories
to carry with you.
The Snipe Class is full of unique and
interesting people; come to the Winter
Circuit and be one of them.
1 www.snipeus.org

BiRD
brAiNERs
Snipe Fleet 12, in the San Francisco Bay area, has a tradition
of awarding an annual trophy to a very special Fleet member.
The trophy is called the “Bird Brain Award”, and it goes to the
member who’s made the biggest mistake, created the largest snafu,
or has just generally flubbed up enough for everyone to take notice.
Most everyone at one time or other has qualified for nomination,
and all Fleet members have learned from others’ mistakes. It is
in that spirit that we include “Bird Brainers” in the US SNIPE
SAILOR. While we may occasionally chuckle at the situations, we
will all think, “I’m glad that didn’t happen to me.” So, here’s this
issue’s Snipe snafu and the lessons learned:
The weather was damp, and promised to be very breezy, for
the first race of the Wells series in the 2006 Nationals at
Erie. While preparing to leave the dock the skipper and crew
raised the jib a little nervously, perhaps thinking more about
the weather than rigging the boat. That would be their first
mistake.
The start of the race was postponed while a decision was
made on some threatening storms in the area, so they spent
the rain delay simply reaching back and forth below the
starting line. Mistake number two.
The race eventually got under way, and after a pounding first
beat they rounded the windward mark in third place. They
launched the pole, released the jib halyard, and shot off for
the jibe mark. At the jibe mark, they dropped the pole, jibed,
launched the pole again, and went on a screaming reach for
the leeward mark. Preparing to round the leeward mark, the
skipper tightened the jib halyard, and at the last second the
crew struck the pole – and nothing happened. Stunned for
a moment, the crew frantically looked for a knot in the pole
line as they flew past the mark. As she stood up and pulled
back on the pole, it reluctantly retracted a little. Then they
realized that the pole launcher line was pinched between the
mast and the now tightened jib halyard. The skipper released
the halyard, the pole snapped back into place, and they
rounded up onto port tack – but not before four boats had
rounded the mark behind them.
In his frustration, and cursing himself for his rigging error,
the skipper slammed the hiking stick down on the deck.
Mistake number three.
They held onto their now eighth place position for another
lap around the course. Then, just below the finish line, the
skipper suddenly found himself holding on to a hiking stick
that was no longer attached to its tiller. They nearly lost the
boat in the resulting auto-tack, and had to finish the heavy air
race with a skipper who could no longer hike.
Here’s what had happened: with the Sidewinder, the jib
halyard exits the mast above deck and runs alongside the
mast, close to the pole launcher line. While raising the jib
at the dock, the skipper had absent-mindedly passed the jib
halyard over the pole launcher line. The pole could still be
launched easily enough, especially with the halyard eased,
but this forced the launcher line between the halyard and the
mast. When the jib halyard was tightened again at the end of
the last pole reach, it pinched the launcher line against the
mast, preventing the pole from retracting on its own. And
whacking the hiking stick against the deck had loosened the
snap-on retainer that holds it to the tiller.
The lessons to be learned here are many: 1) You can’t be too
careful while rigging your boat. 2) Don’t waste time cruising
around before the start – try all your equipment and make
sure everything works. 3) When you realize you’ve made a
mistake, get over it and keep sailing. This is easier said than
done.
US SNIPE SAILOR Winter 2007 1

This remarkable photograph was taken by Mary Lu Long of Lincoln, NE, from the Dillon Dam, overlooking Lake Dillon, at
the 2007 US Snipe Nationals. Mary Lu is the daughter of George Rood of Omaha, who was competing in the Nationals. The
situation was not as unsafe as it might appear–the Race Committee was watching weather radar closely, and this storm was
determined not to be a threat.
20 www.snipeus.org

From College Dinghies to the Snipe
A skipper’s perspective
by Brian Bissell, North Sails
For a sailor who has come up
through the ranks in junior sailing
and/or has graduated from
collegiate racing, the Snipe can
be an intimidating boat to jump into.
There is an element of simplicity in our
junior boats, and even more so in the
college racing scene. Tuning, crew work,
and hull shape come to mind when I
think of Snipes. All three can be major
hurdles; however, going from college or
junior type dinghies to the Snipe can be
a smooth transition if you know what
to look for and how to adapt.
Brian and crew demonstrate a perfectly timed roll tack.
I never underestimate the value of
good crew work, but I’d say that a
good crew is even more valuable in
Snipe sailing. In collegiate boats the
crew’s responsibilities are usually weight
placement, jib trim, centerboard, and
eyes out of the boat. In my Snipe,
however, the crew is responsible for
the main cunningham, jib cunningham,
mast pusher/puller, jib trim, jib
lead position, whisker pole, weight
placement, centerboard, eyes on the
compass, eyes out of the boat, and
beers at the end of the day. That leaves
me in charge of the mainsheet, tiller,
boomvang, and jib halyard. Doesn’t
seem fair does it?
The Snipe’s hull shape takes some
getting used to. Collegiate dinghies
have round hulls and are relatively
lightweight, while Snipes have hard
chines and are quite heavy. Because of
this, the boat handling maneuvers such
as roll tacks and roll jibes call for unique
techniques.
A roll tack in any boat is attempting
to help the boat steer through headto-wind
and come out on the new tack
with good boat speed. Since the Snipe
is hard chined, it takes a little more
work to roll the boat. The extra work
comes in the form of timing and weight
placement. As you go to roll the Snipe
it is imperative that both the crew and
the skipper roll at precisely the same
time. It takes awhile to perfect this and
in the early stages of learning, I have
found it helpful for the skipper to count
down the roll. I usually say
“3,2,1, roll” and we both roll on
the word “roll.” This gets both
the crew and skipper rolling at
the same time, but rolling at
the right time takes even more
practice. The right time is when
both sails become unloaded
with wind, and this happens
near the head to wind point. If
you roll before this, your weight
shifting outboard will have less
effect because the wind against
your sail is working against you.
I think that right when the jib
slaps the mast is a good time
to roll. That is also the precise time the
crew should release the jib to prevent
backwinding. Backwinding is like
putting on the air brakes. This also takes
practice because a lot of crews like to
roll using the jib sheet as their lifeline
(meaning the only thing keeping them
in the boat). The crew needs to find
some way of using their feet to lock in
and roll the boat.
In a roll jibe, the main priority
becomes the whisker pole. The crew
needs to retract the pole just enough so
that it will clear the headstay in the jibe
(I put a mark on my launcher line to
know how far it needs to be retracted).
In order to roll jibe the crew is asked to
retract the pole and then roll, by leaning
towards the skipper over the raised
centerboard. This technique took me a
little while to perfect–and I use the term
“perfect” very loosely.
In the area of tuning, collegiate
dinghies are pretty much a raise-your-
Gustavo Pacheco
sails-and-go, while Snipes require a bit
more thought. In college, your tuning
adjustments to the rig are confined
basically to jib halyard tension. In the
Snipe you need to think about mast
rake, mast butt position, prebend,
spreader length and angle, shroud
tension, and probably a couple things I
haven’t figured out yet. But all you need
to do is go to a sailmaker website like
www.onedesign.com and download the
tuning guide. They have all the numbers
you need and explanations on how to
set your boat up. It seems like a lot at
first, but once you are set up in the
ballpark, you can just go sail and worry
more about getting good starts and
going the right way.
I think the Snipe is a great boat.
Unlike junior and collegiate dinghies, it
will teach you things about mast bend,
sail shape, and general tuning principles
that you can take with you to any boat
from 470s to Farr 40s. The boat may
seem intimidating at first, but the
Class more than makes up for it with
unmatched hospitality. Give the Snipe a
try; you won’t be disappointed.
Brian Bissell was a three-time All-American
and Collegiate National Champion at
Georgetown University, where he sailed FJs,
20s, and Sloops. After graduating, he
accepted a position with North Sails in the
Marketing Department and moved to North
Sails One Design three years ago. Brian began
sailing Snipes in the summer of 2006, and
by the end of his first season had garnered a
2nd at the Colonial Cup and rd at the North
Americans. In 2007, he repeated his 2nd at
the Colonial Cup, and added a 2nd at the
Mid-winters/Pan-Am Trials, a rd at the US
Nationals, and an 8th at Worlds
submitted by Merrill Varn
US SNIPE SAILOR Winter 2007 21
Fried Elliott

In Memoriam
C.B. “Jack” Wirt, 1911 – 2007
by John Rose
In the Winter 2005 issue of the SCIRA USA Snipe
Bulletin (now the US Snipe Sailor), Jack Wirt’s contributions
to the sailing community and Snipe Class in particular, were
described in a “Snipe Personalities” article. Jack had just
celebrated his 94th birthday on July 4th, at a party arranged
by members of the Miami Yacht Club. This event became a
regular function on July 4th, and so it was this year, as Jack
celebrated his 96th birthday (above). However, sadly we now
report the passing of Jack Wirt about a month later, on August
15, 2007 in Miami, Florida.
Jack was born in Spokane, Washington in 1911, and moved
with his parents to Miami in 1919 at age 8, a trip by train which
he remembers took almost a week at that time. He and his
family have lived in Miami ever since. Jack became interested in
sailing when in his early 20s, as a member of the South Florida
Boat Racing Association, a precursor of the Miami Yacht Club.
He began sailing Snipes in the 1930s, borrowing Snipe #232
Barbara, which belonged to Henry Thompson of Miami, and
which had finished second in the 1935 Snipe International
Championship. In 1938, Jack won the Snipe Midwinters in
Clearwater, and in later years competed in several other Snipes.
After WWII, he bought another used Snipe which had been
damaged in a windstorm, fixed it up and finished second in
the 1947 Snipe Nationals at Marblehead, Massachusetts. At
that time, he had his first and only new custom built Snipe
on order, #6715 Tiger which was being built by Russell’s Boat
Works in Miami. This was a very distinctive wooden Snipe with
a varnished hull and deck, and shark’s teeth painted on the
bow, like the WWII P40 fighter planes (see photo, right). With
this boat, he finished third in the 1948 Snipe Midwinters, and
would have won “hands down” except for a DSQ in one race.
Influential Snipe sailors at the Miramar Yacht Club in
Andrea Livingston, Miami YC
Havana, Cuba arranged to have Jack, his sailmaker crew
and “Tiger” fly round-trip by government plane to Havana
to compete in a Snipe regatta there in 1948. Jack won, and
modern improvements in his Snipe led the way to subsequent
development of faster Snipes and better, more competitive
Snipe sailors in Cuba.
For almost 15 years, Jack was a fierce and innovative
competitor in the Snipe Class, then moved on to other classes
and boating activities after the early 1950s.
Jack was instrumental in arranging a long-term lease of
waterfront property for the Miami Yacht Club, and served three
separate multi-year terms as Commodore of the club between
1941-1951. He was also Fleet Captain of the Miami Snipe
Fleet for several years during this period. He introduced youth
sailors to racing in Optimist prams, and participated in sail- and
power-boat offshore racing events around south Florida and in
the Bahamas, and in his later years helped on race organization
and committees. He also was an avid fisherman, and enjoyed
socializing with local shrimp fisherman in the early morning
hours when they returned from their daily expeditions.
Jack also owned and operated an automobile repair and
service shop in Miami until 1983, when he retired. One of his
(many) favorite stories was at a sailing awards banquet in the
Bahamas, he was seated next to the Duke of Windsor. When
His Royal Highness asked Jack what he did for a living, he
thought for a minute before replying, “I’m in the oil business,”
which was partly true but not fully descriptive. He served in
the Merchant Marine during WWII, and regularly volunteered
as a member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Jack was a true friend to many, well loved by all, a great
storyteller with a sharp mind, and a great sense of humor, and
was a fierce sailing competitor. He was an institution at the
Miami Yacht Club, where he was a regular member.
Those of us who sailed Snipes from the mid-1930s through
the late 1940s probably will remember Jack Wirt as one of the
Snipe Class’s most proficient competitors. We will miss him
– and for me, he was one of the icons that influenced my
beginning Snipe sailing days in the late 1940s and afterwards.
John Rose is a long-time Snipe Sailor fromTacoma, WA, and is
editor of the Classic Snipe page on the SCIRA USA website. He is
the current owner of Snipe #6715.
22 www.snipeus.org

The Care and
Feeding of Marks
Taming the Inflatable Beasts
By Paul Ulibarri, International Race Officer
While we’d like to spend all our on-the-water time actually
sailing Snipes, some of us occasionally are prevailed upon
to perform Race Committee duties. Here are some tips on
handling and setting inflatable marks, from US Sailing’s
One Design Class Council newsletter:
It goes without saying that buoy races wouldn’t happen
without buoys. Over the past 30 years, inflatable
marks have become the standard because they are
lightweight, easy to use, and easy to store when
deflated. However, not everybody knows the tricks to
the care and feeding of these beasts. With each mark
costing upwards of $300, it’s worth taking the time to
review the basics.
Inflating
If you blow up the marks in the cool morning,
what happens by mid-afternoon when it gets
hot? They get fat because the air expands as it
heats up. When a mark gets too fat, it starts
to leak. Leaky marks don’t float that well.
The lesson? Leave the mark a little “floppy”
when you inflate it. Better yet, when buying
new marks, get the “dump” valve
option – it’s only a few dollars
more.
While some inflators cost over
$100, an inexpensive and versatile
mark inflator can be found at your local camping store. Ozark
Trail and Coleman both make rechargeable mattress inflators
that run off a 12V cigarette lighter outlet and 120 VAC
household current for $19 (Wal-Mart).
Ground Tackle
How you anchor your marks depends a lot on the water
depth and the bottom conditions. However, most one-design
races are run in less than 50 ft. of water and the bottom is
either sand or mud. If the wind and wave action is light, a
small mushroom anchor may be sufficient. At the 2004 Hobie
16 Worlds in Mexico, where the wind, waves and depth were
extreme, we used 100 pound blocks of concrete that we didn’t
mind leaving behind. However you attach the mark to the
bottom, make sure you have enough scope – at least 10% to
20% of the depth. Make sure the anchor is heavy enough and
the right type for the bottom to keep marks from dragging.
Also, in consideration of rudders and daggerboards, tie a small
(at least 2 lb.) weight to the anchor line about 6 ft. from the
mark. That will make the anchor line go straight down from
the mark and prevent snags.
Setting
For a weather or reaching mark, setting is easy – just lower the
anchor and toss the mark over the side. The person handling
the mark and ground tackle needs to be very conscious of
the position of the anchor line relative to the boat’s propeller.
Nothing will bring things to a grinding halt faster than a prop
fouled by an anchor line. The best way to set weather and
reaching marks is to put them over the bow or side of the boat
while reversing slowly.
Setting start / finish pins and gates requires more precision.
These marks must be placed within feet of a desired spot.
That’s not as easy as it sounds, since the anchor line allows the
mark to drift downwind (and down current) from where the
anchor sits on the bottom. Fortunately, there are a couple of
tricks in getting a mark to end up exactly where you
want it.
The first trick is fairly common knowledge:
trail the mark behind the boat, keeping only
the anchor in the boat. The person holding
the anchor line holds it high, out of the
propeller. The mark boat driver then heads
slowly upwind / up current at the proper
distance for setting a start / finish line or
gate. When the mark is in the right place,
drop the anchor over the side. The mark
will remain stationary while the anchor
swings down to the bottom.
How do you know when the mark
is in the right place, though? Here’s
where the second, lesser-known trick
comes in. As you trail the mark behind
Fried Elliott
you, pretend the mark boat is the
mark. It’s much easier to judge a square
gate or line from the boat’s perspective. When the mark boat
is where the mark should be, “burp” the throttle (a very short
burst). This will do two things – it gives the boat a quick push
and it leaves a very visible swirl in the water. When the mark
gets to the windward side of the swirl, drop the anchor. Your
mark will end up where the boat was a few seconds ago.
In summary, feed your marks less air, keep them away from
sharp objects (like anchors) and remember to “burp” the
throttle for accurate placement. When you have mastered
these techniques, you may be eligible to become a member
of B.I.M.B.O. (The Brotherhood of International Mark Boat
Operators).
This article reprinted from US Sailing’s One Design Class Council
newsletter.
US SNIPE SAILOR Winter 2007 2

Platinum
Glenn R. Bell District 1
Frank H. Briggs Atlanta, Fleet #330
Kathy Bronaugh Atlanta, Fleet #330
Mary & John Buckley Lincoln, Fleet #567
Charlie & Michele Bustamante District 4
Marshall L. Caggiano Cowan Lake, Fleet #433
Vince Casalaina San Francisco Bay, Fleet #12
The Commette Family Miami, Fleet #7
Major Harry J. Crook Jr. Iowa/Nebraska, Fleet #309
Chuck D’Antonio Medford, Fleet #777
Henry Davis Iowa/Nebraska, Fleet #309
R. Means Davis Atlanta, Fleet #330
Steven & Jan Davis Rocky Mountain, Fleet #210
Tarasa Davis Atlanta, Fleet #330
Augie Diaz Miami, Fleet #7
Gonzalo A. Diaz Miami, Fleet #7
Gonzalo E. Diaz Sr. Miami, Fleet #7
Keith Donald Barnegat Bay, Fleet #256
Nancy & Berkley Duck Indianapolis, Fleet #409
Peter & Jane Duvoisin Privateer, Fleet #142
Barbara J. Evans Charleston, Fleet #52
Peter & Suzan Fenner Dallas, Fleet #1
Sigrid Festersen Iowa/Nebraska, Fleet #309
Robin Gales San Francisco Bay, Fleet #12
George W. Gibbs IV St. Johns River, Fleet #630
Hal Gilreath St. Johns River, Fleet #630
Sally & Paul Gingras Palm Beach, Fleet #51
Stuart L. Griffing Cowan Lake, Fleet #433
Jim Grubbs Alamitos Bay, Fleet #218
Don Hackbarth Atlanta, Fleet #330
Mark Hasslinger Annapolis, Fleet #532
Fred Hegel Rocky Mountain, Fleet #210
Martin Hellar District 2
Tom Henderson Atlanta, Fleet #330
John W. Hill Atlanta, Fleet #330
Thomas A. Hunt Redwood Empire, Fleet #654
Bruce A. Hurst Windycrest, Fleet #68
Robert S. Jackman DVM San Diego Area Snipe Fleet, #495
Andrew Klein Winchester, Fleet #77
Carolyn Krebs San Diego Area Snipe Fleet, #495
Eric Krebs San Diego Area Snipe Fleet, #495
John Lally Winchester, Fleet #77
Lisa & Craig Leweck San Diego Area Snipe Fleet, #495
Sam Mollet Portage Lakes, Fleet #110
Woody Norwood Atlanta, Fleet #330
David and Susan Odell San Francisco Bay, Fleet #12
Derek Peters Atlanta, Fleet #330
Andrew & Elizabeth Pontious San Francisco Bay, Fleet #12
James and Julie Richter Gull Lake, Fleet #190
Javier Sanchez Atlanta, Fleet #330
Francis A. Seavy District 4
2007 SCIRA USA Premium Members
Neal Snebold Winchester, Fleet #77
Eugene Soltero Dallas, Fleet #1
Susan M. Steidley Chippewa, Fleet #621
Steve & Danielle Suddath St. Johns River, Fleet #630
Mrs. Ralph Swanson Winchester, Fleet #77
Doug Swenson Rocky Mountain, Fleet #210
David, Barb, Cole & Shane Tillson San Diego Area Snipe Fleet, #495
Bill Welch St. Petersburg, Fleet #801
Sherry Welch St. Petersburg, Fleet #801
Dan Williams Privateer, Fleet #142
Celeste Suggs & Joel Zackin Quassapaug, Fleet #231
Gold
Jon Anthony Annapolis, Fleet #532
Martin Bebb Windycrest, Fleet #68
Gary & Phyllis Beck Lake Lanier, Fleet #781
Don Bedford San Diego Area Snipe Fleet, #495
Michael M. Blackwood Milwaukee, Fleet #128
Lee Bradley Atlanta, Fleet #330
George & Joan Kanter Buck San Diego Area Snipe Fleet, #495
Cynthia Crowley Narragansett Bay, Fleet #17
Gary W. Derrick Oklahoma City, Fleet #14
Lucas Diaz Miami, Fleet #7
Ian M. Elliott Atlanta, Fleet #330
Henry C. Filter III Annapolis, Fleet #532
Bryan Fishback Annapolis, Fleet #532
Bob Foster St. Petersburg, Fleet #801
Martin Fraser Medford, Fleet #777
Lee Griffith Barnegat Bay, Fleet #256
Peter Harding Iowa/Nebraska, Fleet #309
Mark & Julie Heup Milwaukee, Fleet #128
Matthew Heywood Wolf Lake, Fleet #141
Laura & Will Jeffers St. Petersburg, Fleet #801
Malcolm Kinmont Atlanta, Fleet #330
Phil Lee Iowa/Nebraska, Fleet #309
Harry & Sarah Levinson Winchester, Fleet #77
Dick Loomis San Francisco Bay, Fleet #12
Michael Mack San Francisco Bay, Fleet #12
Jim & Rita MacKenzie Rocky Mountain, Fleet #210
John MacRae Cottage Park, Fleet #244
Mark Miller District 6
John Muhlhausen Atlanta, Fleet #330
Alex Pline Annapolis, Fleet #532
Lisa Foulke Pline Annapolis, Fleet #532
Eric Reinke Annapolis, Fleet #532
Ernesto Rodriguez Miami, Fleet #7
George Rood Iowa/Nebraska, Fleet #309
Steve & Mary Snider Windycrest, Fleet #68
Jim Tomassetti District 5
Peter Wolcott Quassapaug, Fleet #231

Silver
Rafael Abella Jr. Miami, Fleet #7
Abigail G. Ahmanson Alamitos Bay, Fleet #218
Robin Baker Palm Beach, Fleet #51
Bill Baldwin Winchester, Fleet #77
Jim Barr Rocky Mountain, Fleet #210
Lee Barrett Valdosta, Fleet #580
T.H. Barrett Jr. Valdosta, Fleet #580
Howard Beeck Lincoln, Fleet #567
Terry Bihary Atlanta, Fleet #330
Ethan Bixby St. Petersburg, Fleet #801
Ellen C. Booth Onondaga, Fleet #18
Bob Bowden San Diego Area Snipe Fleet, #495
James Bowers Winchester, Fleet #77
Jim Bowers Winchester, Fleet #77
Larry L. Briggs Lincoln, Fleet #567
Larry Bull Atlanta, Fleet #330
Rowena Carlson San Diego Area Snipe Fleet, #495
Mike Coffman Charleston, Fleet #52
Tom Colligan Seattle, Fleet #444
Charles Courtsal Newport Y.C., Fleet #103
Robert Coyle Cottage Park, Fleet #244
The Id Crook Family Canada
Andy Culver St. Johns River, Fleet #630
Norman Dahl Newport Y.C., Fleet #103
Ned Daly Quassapaug, Fleet #231
Packy Davis San Francisco Bay, Fleet #12
Mark R. Ernst Milwaukee, Fleet #128
Robert & Donna Ewoldt Lincoln, Fleet #567
Bill Felder Dallas, Fleet #1
Adrian Ferguson Iowa/Nebraska, Fleet #309
Patrick Flood Iowa/Nebraska, Fleet #309
Jim Foreman Cowan Lake, Fleet #433
John Fox Melbourne, Fleet #445
Jack Gannon Winchester, Fleet #77
John Gondring Iowa/Nebraska, Fleet #309
Richard P. Grant Jr. Grand Rapids, Fleet #137
James R. Hand Portage Lakes, Fleet #110
Ernest E. Hardy Jr. Cottage Park, Fleet #244
Dexter Harshbarger Wolf Lake, Fleet #141
Doug Hart San Diego Area Snipe Fleet, #495
Mitchell N. Harvey Rocky Mountain, Fleet #210
Brian Hetherington Annapolis, Fleet #532
Kate Heywood Wolf Lake, Fleet #141
David Hiebert Miami, Fleet #7
Theodore F. Horvath Newport Y.C., Fleet #103
Larry Hoskinson Alamitos Bay, Fleet #218
Doug & Bonnie Howson San Francisco Bay, Fleet #12
Monica Irgens Carlyle Lake, Fleet #705
Stephan Irgens Carlyle Lake, Fleet #705
Dustin Kays Atlanta, Fleet #330
Steve Keckler Austin, Fleet #505
2007 SCIRA USA Premium Members
Lloyd H. Ketchum Jr. Eagle Lake, Fleet #145
John Korkosz Galway Lake, Fleet #412
James Lampros Willamette, Fleet #533
David Lence Dallas, Fleet #1
Pedro Lorson District 1
John J. Marx Lake Mohawk, Fleet #10
Blaine & Adrienne McCleskey Rocky Mountain, Fleet #210
Craig McLean Atlanta, Fleet #330
Mike Merganthaler Annapolis, Fleet #532
Butch Michel San Francisco Bay, Fleet #12
Dick Mitchell Onondaga, Fleet #18
Ava Moore Atlanta, Fleet #330
Charles M. Oman Winchester, Fleet #77
Michael J. Otto Gull Lake, Fleet #190
Bob Panza Quassapaug, Fleet #231
David C. Patterson Willamette, Fleet #533
Tom Peterson Milwaukee, Fleet #128
Robert Pincus Rocky Mountain, Fleet #210
Gene Ratliffe San Diego Area Snipe Fleet, #495
Roger F. Ream DDS Portage Lakes, Fleet #110
Ken & Julie Redler San Diego Area Snipe Fleet, #495
Bill Reed Winchester, Fleet #77
Phil Richmond Annapolis, Fleet #532
Ken Rix Wichita, Fleet #93
Mary Ann Rix Wichita, Fleet #93
Eugene Sartori Winchester, Fleet #77
Thomas Schmitt Atlanta, Fleet #330
Andrea Sepanski Carlyle Lake, Fleet #705
Dixon R. Smith San Diego Area Snipe Fleet, #495
Jim Stillson Dallas, Fleet #1
Steve Stucky Indianapolis, Fleet #409
Christian Suddath St. Johns River, Fleet #630
Danielle Suddath St. Johns River, Fleet #630
Jack Suddath St. Johns River, Fleet #630
Kelly Suddath Miami, Fleet #7
Karen Swenson Rocky Mountain, Fleet #210
Andrew Towles Oklahoma City, Fleet #14
Steve Travis Seattle, Fleet #444
Ken & Kay Voss Miami, Fleet #7
Chuck Wahl Lincoln, Fleet #567
George Walker III San Diego Area Snipe Fleet, #495
Susan Wallace St. Petersburg, Fleet #801
Darryl Waskow Barnegat Bay, Fleet #256
Gifford Weary Hoover, Fleet #760
Colton P. Weatherston Detroit River, Fleet #5
Harold M. Whitacre III Annapolis, Fleet #532
Robert W. Whitman Cowan Lake, Fleet #433
Robert Williams Annapolis, Fleet #532
Frank Workman Indianapolis, Fleet #409
William Worster Cowan Lake, Fleet #433
Martin Zonnenberg District 4

2008 Snipe USA Regatta Schedule
Jan 12-13 Dead Of Winter - St. Pete Sailing Sailing Center, St. Petersburg, FL
Colin Park: crewcolin@aol.com
Mar 8-9 St. Johns Tea Party - Florida Yacht Club, Jacksonville, FL
Hal Gilreath: hgilreat@cisco.com
Mar 30-Apr 1 Snipe Midwinters - Clearwater Yacht Club, Clearwater, FL
Dick Boblenz: boblenzrb@aol.com
Apr 4-6 Don Q Rum Keg - Coconut Grove Sailing Club, Miami, FL
Gonzalo Diaz, Sr.: gcdiaz@accesspro.net
Apr 9-12 Bacardi/Gamblin - Royal Nassau Sailing Club, Nassau, BAH
Lori/Jimmie Lowe: lorijim@coralwave.com
May 9-11 2008 Snipe USA Women’s National Championship - Puget Sound, Seattle, WA
Kirk Smith: kirksmith01@msn.com
Aug 2-3 2008 Snipe USA Junior National Championship - Richmond Yacht Club, Richmond, CA
Vincent Casalaina:vincesail@aol.com
Aug 4-8 2008 Snipe USA National Championship - Richmond Yacht Club, Richmond, CA
Vincent Casalaina: vincesail@aol.com
Tattoo You!
Don Hackbarth has donated about a zillion temporary
Snipe tattoos like the one shown here. Get a supply for
your regatta or other Fleet function.
Contact Mary Buckley, direx@inebraska.com
Go to www.snipeus.org for updates to the Regatta Schedule
Fried Elliott
2 www.snipeus.org

US SNIPE SAILOR Winter 2007 27

Photo Fried Elliot, www.friedbits.com
Snipe Class International Racing Association USA
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