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<strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />
US SNIPE SAILOR<br />
The Offi cial Magazine of the <strong>Snipe</strong> Class International Racing Association, USA<br />
US Nationals<br />
And Women’s Nationals<br />
Know Your Trophies<br />
e Griffi th and Slauson Trophies<br />
e Traveling<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> Fleet
2012 <strong>Snipe</strong> Winter Circuit<br />
Midwinters, Clearwater «» March 12–14 «» Dick Boblenz : boblenzrb@aol.com<br />
Don Q Rum Keg, Miami «» March 16-18 «» Gonzalo Diaz Sr. : gecmdiaz@gmail.com<br />
Bacardi/Gamblin, Nassau «» March 20-24 «» Lori/Jimmie Lowe : lorijim@coralwave.com<br />
Fried Elliott photo<br />
2 www.snipeus.org
US SNIPE SAILOR <br />
Volume 6, Number 3<br />
<strong>Fall</strong>, <strong>2011</strong><br />
Published by SCIRA USA<br />
P.O. Box 83866 Lincoln, NE 68501<br />
Publisher:<br />
John Buckley<br />
(402) 796-2510; buckley@inebraska.com<br />
Editorial Board:<br />
Rick Arneson<br />
rick.arneson@gmail.com<br />
Merrill Varn<br />
orts77@gmail.com<br />
Julia Marsh<br />
juliamarsh@gmail.com<br />
Advertising:<br />
Mary Buckley<br />
(402) 796-2505; direx@inebraska.com<br />
SCIRA USA<br />
Board of Directors:<br />
Gene Soltero (National Secretary)<br />
gene-snipe@soltero.org<br />
Martin Bebb (Vice National Secretary)<br />
martinrb@swbell.net<br />
Eric Reinke (Chief Measurer)<br />
ereinke@comcast.net<br />
Jack Gannon (District 1 Governor)<br />
jgmarineN10@comcast.net<br />
Rick Scofield (District 2 Governor)<br />
scofield@tconl.com<br />
Tug Townsend (District 3 Governor)<br />
tugtownsend@gmail.com<br />
David Muhlhausen (District 4 Governor)<br />
snipemon@yahoo.com<br />
Doug Hart (District 6 Governor)<br />
dbhart@cox.net<br />
Kirk Smith (District 7 Governor)<br />
kirksmith01@msn.com<br />
Lee Griffith (Member At Large)<br />
lee.griffith@contextgroup.com<br />
Art Rousmaniere (Member At Large)<br />
art.rousmaniere@gmail.com<br />
Aimee Heim (Member At Large)<br />
aimeegraham@msn.com<br />
Tom Henderson (Member At Large)<br />
thenderson@princeminerals.com<br />
Non-Voting Board Members:<br />
Mary Buckley (Executive Administrator)<br />
(402) 796-2505; direx@inebraska.com<br />
Ken Culver (Director of Finance)<br />
kculver@mo2inc.com<br />
Andrew Pontious (Legal Counsel)<br />
apontious@collette.com<br />
John Buckley (USSS Publisher)<br />
buckley@inebraska.com<br />
The US SNIPE SAILOR is published quarterly<br />
on March 1, June 1, September 1, and December<br />
1. The deadline for material submission is the<br />
10th of the preceding month.<br />
The <strong>Snipe</strong> Silhouette, the International <strong>Snipe</strong><br />
Class Crest, and the slogan Serious <strong>Sailing</strong>,<br />
Serious Fun are trademarks of the <strong>Snipe</strong> Class<br />
International Racing Association, and are<br />
registered in the US Patent and Trademark Office.<br />
US SNIPE SAILOR <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />
From Our<br />
National<br />
Secretary<br />
AFantastic Week!!! – for the 37 competitors who made it to North Cape Yacht Club for<br />
this year’s Nationals in late July. With outstanding organization by Terry Timm as<br />
Regatta Chairman and Dave Shaffer as PRO, the racing and shoreside activities were<br />
terrific. Many thanks also to Brainard Cooper for running the measurements and Jack<br />
McGrael for taking on the responsibility of SCIRA Representative during the regatta. Congratulations<br />
to Augie Diaz and Kathleen Tocke. Next year we look forward to seeing more of you at<br />
Coral Reef Yacht Club in Miami in late June.<br />
The Traveling <strong>Snipe</strong> Fleet made it to Dallas for the week prior to the Southwestern Championship<br />
at the end of May. As I write this now in mid-August, I can tell you that I still have<br />
non-<strong>Snipe</strong> sailors from our local clubs at White Rock contacting and wanting to know when the<br />
fleet is going to come back. Those who attended the clinics want more and those who didn’t get<br />
a chance to attend are lining up for next year. I am hearing that the response has been the same<br />
in many of the other venues visited by the Traveling <strong>Snipe</strong> Fleet. Let’s all work at helping to<br />
raise the $20-25,000 we need for next year so we can continue the program.<br />
As part of our program to appeal to other sailors, your board recently approved a new modern<br />
logo developed by our Media Manager, Maria Badia. You will be seeing it everywhere soon.<br />
We found one of the two volunteers we are seeking to publicize our regattas and post regatta<br />
results and reports on a timely basis. Kevin Hetherington will be your new Regatta Scheduling<br />
Coordinator. We will have information soon on the website on how to interact with Kevin. We<br />
are still looking for a Regatta Results Coordinator and now are also looking for an Assistant<br />
Publisher for US <strong>Snipe</strong> Sailor. Please send me your recommendations for people to fill these<br />
slots and I will make the contacts and ask them to join the leadership team.<br />
Fair winds and following seas,<br />
Gene Soltero<br />
SCIRA USA National Secretary<br />
On the cover: Jessica Claflin & Bridget Wiatrowski at the <strong>2011</strong> Women’s Nationals, Jubilee<br />
Yacht Club, Beverly, MA. Dan Neiman photo.
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Index of past US <strong>Snipe</strong> Sailor articles.<br />
From time to time we get requests from people wanting to know which issue a certain article appeared in. Here’s a<br />
list of most of our past “how to” articles. Past issues are on the website at www.snipeus.org:<br />
Lake <strong>Sailing</strong> Tips Advice from Jim Bowers, John MacRae,<br />
and John Tagliamonte. Compiled by Art<br />
Rousmaniere.<br />
US SNIPE SAILOR <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />
<strong>Fall</strong> 2006<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> <strong>Sailing</strong> 101 - The Racing Compass Spencer Wiberley, McLaughlin Boat Works Winter 2006<br />
Measurement Corner - Jib Tack Location Proper location of jib tack. By Bob Ewoldt Winter 2006<br />
Measurement Corner - Centerboard<br />
Measurement<br />
Proper dimensions and marking of<br />
centerboard. By Bob Ewoldt<br />
Jiffy Rigging a <strong>Snipe</strong> A tongue-in-cheek look at tips for quickly<br />
getting your <strong>Snipe</strong> in the water. By Joel<br />
Zackin<br />
Measurement Corner – Bands on mast and<br />
boom; centerboard retention systems<br />
Proper placement of marking bands<br />
on mast and boom; legal and illegal<br />
centerboard retention. By Bob Ewoldt<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> <strong>Sailing</strong> 101 – The Boom Vang Basic set up and use of the boom vang,<br />
plus tips from experts. By John Buckley and<br />
Merrill Varn<br />
Trailer Maintenance Tips Trailer problems and how to avoid them. By<br />
John Buckley<br />
Spring 2007<br />
Summer 2007<br />
Summer 2007<br />
<strong>Fall</strong> 2007<br />
Spring 2008<br />
<strong>Sailing</strong> in Swell and Chop Tips for boat handling in non-flat water. Spring 2008<br />
Trailer Maintenance Tips – Part 2 Follow-up on previous trailer article. By<br />
John Buckley<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> <strong>Sailing</strong> 101 – The Mast Puller Basic tips for rigging and using the mast<br />
pusher/puller. By Rick Arneson<br />
Heavy Air Tuning Tips for trimming sails and using mast<br />
controls in heavy air. By George Szabo,<br />
Quantum Sails<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> <strong>Sailing</strong> 101 – Spreaders The hows and whys of setting up and<br />
adjusting your spreaders. By Rick Arneson.<br />
Heavy Air Gybing Advice from a super crew on gybing in<br />
heavy air. By Sheehan Commette<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> <strong>Sailing</strong> 101 – Less Rudder, More Speed A little physics on what makes a boat turn<br />
– and how to use it to your advantage. By<br />
Merrill Varn<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> <strong>Sailing</strong> 101 – A Guide to Courses A guide to the basic race course<br />
configurations approved by SCIRA. By Rick<br />
Arneson<br />
Downwind Speed Tips Getting the most out of your boat on the<br />
downwind leg. By Brian Bissell, North Sails.<br />
Choosing The “Right” Gate Tips for handling leeward gates. By Carol<br />
Cronin<br />
Strategies For The Last Upwind Leg Tips for sailing the last, and often deciding,<br />
leg of a course. By Rick Arneson.<br />
Ask The <strong>Snipe</strong> Experts – Changing Gears Tips for sailing when the wind is up and<br />
down.<br />
Ask The <strong>Snipe</strong> Experts – Starting Strategies Tuning and boat handling techniques for<br />
getting off the line fast.<br />
Summer 2008<br />
<strong>Fall</strong> 2008<br />
<strong>Fall</strong> 2008<br />
Winter 2008<br />
Winter 2008<br />
<strong>Fall</strong> 2009<br />
Spring 2010<br />
Spring 2010<br />
Summer 2010<br />
<strong>Fall</strong> 2010<br />
Winter 2010<br />
Summer <strong>2011</strong>
Fleet 554 Hosts <strong>2011</strong> <strong>Snipe</strong> Women’s Nationals<br />
A collection of quotes and photographs by participants and volunteers.<br />
By Julia Marsh<br />
Photos by Dan Neiman<br />
John Tagliamonte, Chief Judge:<br />
“Fledgling <strong>Snipe</strong> Fleet 554 located at Jubilee YC<br />
in Beverly, Massachusetts hosted a moderate to breezy<br />
Women’s Nationals this past July 16-17, which is the same<br />
weekend that Fleet 554 has hosted the New England’s and<br />
District 1 championships in recent years. There were nearly<br />
20 teams of all varieties at the event. There were teams<br />
with combined ages of less than 25 years to over 100 years;<br />
Olympians to first time skippers; <strong>Snipe</strong> veterans to those<br />
brand new to the class. All of the competitors enjoyed great<br />
racing and a lasting camaraderie. Sure proof that ‘variety’ is<br />
the spice of life! Several teams had their own ‘boat boys”<br />
who in many cases chartered their boats for next to zero<br />
cost and were at the beck and call of the sailors to help tune,<br />
launch, repair and tow their boats.<br />
“SCIRA rules limit Women’s events to a max wind speed<br />
of 18 knots, so reports of gusts in the 20-25 knot range atop<br />
a nearby J37 still were not enough to halt racing. When<br />
one team went swimming after their rudder popped off, the<br />
skipper said to the crash boat “Aw, the water’s almost 70<br />
degrees, I can stay in a bit longer”. Two boats lost masts in the<br />
penultimate race but who’s to say these weren’t about to fail<br />
anyway. Kerry Sullivan and Stephanie Muto were ultimately<br />
thrilled with their exact mid-fleet final result since it was<br />
rewarded with a new pair of Maui Jim sunglasses. Several of<br />
the ladies mentioned “the food at women’s regattas is much<br />
better” and healthier too. One travelling team made it a point<br />
to have lobster each of the three days in town since they<br />
couldn’t easily get it back home.”<br />
Harry Levinson, SCIRA Rep:<br />
“The regatta organizers requested permission from SCIRA<br />
All the Juniors get a Cool Shirt.<br />
to run modified W courses with the start/finish line 1/3 of the<br />
way up the beat, and they also had shorter courses approved.<br />
Without these changes it is likely the series would have only<br />
been three or four races instead of seven.<br />
The breeze was light and shifty Saturday afternoon, despite<br />
reports from a cruising boat and SailFlow(r) that the seabreeze<br />
was blowing 10-12 knots only a few more miles out to sea and<br />
it looked like it was<br />
moving towards the<br />
fleet. Unfortunately,<br />
the gradient winds<br />
were too much<br />
for the sea breeze<br />
to overcome, but<br />
after 20 minutes of<br />
drifting and some<br />
swimming, the PRO<br />
hoisted AP over A<br />
and the competitors<br />
were towed in.<br />
Sunday saw a<br />
lot more breeze<br />
out of the SW.<br />
The first race saw<br />
8-12 knots with<br />
forecast for 20+ for<br />
the afternoon. The<br />
PRO and SCIRA<br />
rep watched the<br />
Champions Carol Cronin and crew Kim<br />
Couranz.<br />
wind readings, since<br />
SCIRA women’s<br />
www.snipeus.org
events have a<br />
maximum sustained<br />
wind limit of 18<br />
knots. The winds<br />
occasionally gusted<br />
to 18, but did not<br />
hold steady. The<br />
modified W courses<br />
proved a little dicey<br />
for some of the less<br />
experienced skippers<br />
and unfortunately,<br />
several masts were<br />
lost. The last race<br />
was changed to a<br />
double triangle in<br />
an effort to keep<br />
the poles down, but<br />
the reach legs were<br />
Sarah Levinson and Briana Grenier. deep enough that the<br />
leaders still popped<br />
up their poles. With a big gust, Cronin/Couranz and Shore/<br />
Marsh took off on a great planing leg. After the races Kim<br />
Couranz said they had a lot of fun. It sure looked like they<br />
did! Further back in the fleet, it was a mix of poles and jib<br />
reaching. There was enough wind that it didn’t seem to hurt<br />
those that elected to keep their poles down.”<br />
Sarah Levinson, Winchester Fleet:<br />
“I enjoyed meeting all of the new people, and sailing with<br />
Bri.”<br />
Jack Gannon, Winchester Fleet:<br />
I was not there, but I heard through the grapevine that<br />
Kerry may have pulled the wrong line, on the run Sunday,<br />
andooops!! (i.e. broken mast?)<br />
Jessica Claflin, Newport Fleet:<br />
“In the final race of the regatta, I managed to rip the port plate<br />
US SNIPE SAILOR <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />
that holds the traveler for the main sheet. Not rip out of the<br />
deck mind you…no, I managed to rip the whole thing in half.<br />
Needless to say, our pointing ability on port tack was a bit<br />
lacking. So, Bridget and I decided to do what any tactically<br />
sound sailor would do, sail 95% of the race on starboard tack.<br />
It ended up working surprisingly well due to a 30 degree<br />
lefty we caught, allowing us to point as well on port tack in<br />
a huge lift as others could when the wind was centered. This<br />
kept us in the hunt and enabled us to finish 5th in the race<br />
despite a minor inconvenience like reaching on port tack when<br />
everyone else was at close hauled. All in all, it was a very<br />
interesting race and a great lesson: Under no circumstances<br />
should you stop fighting and to always finish what you start, in<br />
this case, a sailboat race.”<br />
Kerry Sullivan, Boston:<br />
“This was my first major event as a <strong>Snipe</strong> skipper and I was<br />
sailing with Stephanie Muto, who is also new to <strong>Snipe</strong>s. I was<br />
so happy that we didn’t quit! It was really windy on Sunday<br />
and we were overpowered, but we never gave up! As a result,<br />
we ended up winning<br />
the mid-fleet award!<br />
Thank you, Maui<br />
Jim!!!”<br />
Stephanie Muto,<br />
Winchester Fleet:<br />
“My favorite part of<br />
the regatta was the<br />
Boat Boys! It was<br />
great to see a lot of<br />
male <strong>Snipe</strong> sailors<br />
come out to the event<br />
and support us. It<br />
really meant a lot.”<br />
Bob Coyle , Official<br />
Boat Boy, Team<br />
Sullivan/Muto:<br />
“Well…That’s what<br />
she said!!!”<br />
The youngest team: Katie Bresnahan and Ally Kramer. Kerry Sullivan and Cinderella.
The Griffith and<br />
Slauson Trophies<br />
By Merrill Varn<br />
This is the fifth in a series of articles on the history<br />
of major trophies in the US <strong>Snipe</strong> Class.<br />
The Harold Griffith Trophy is awarded at <strong>Snipe</strong><br />
Nationals to the overall winner of the combined<br />
Crosby and Heinzerling Series.<br />
The Griffith family settled on the shores of<br />
Chautauqua Lake in Jamestown, New York before<br />
the Revolutionary War. Harold Griffith (“Griff”) was born<br />
there in 1904 and lived in Jamestown nearly all his life.<br />
The Chautauqua Lake Yacht Club (CLYC) had been<br />
founded in 1894 as a canoe and sailing club. Griff joined the<br />
club in the late 1920s and learned to sail in an E-Scow. He was<br />
lured to <strong>Snipe</strong>s in the late 1930’s because they were easy to<br />
launch and only had a two-man crew. There were a number of<br />
active <strong>Snipe</strong> sailors at the club, and Fleet 124 was chartered in<br />
1941. After World War II, the club hosted what was still called<br />
the <strong>Snipe</strong> World Championship in 1946. The Chautauqua<br />
Worlds was the first that was actually an international event,<br />
and the last one before <strong>Snipe</strong> Nationals and <strong>Snipe</strong> Worlds<br />
became separate events.<br />
Griff purchased his first <strong>Snipe</strong>, #2727 Tell Tale, in 1938. In<br />
1945, he bought a new Emmons <strong>Snipe</strong> #5524 Tell Tale II, and<br />
Edward “Red” Garfield (L, 1960 SCIRA Commodore) and<br />
Harold Griffith (R, 1949 SCIRA Commodore) with the 1954<br />
Wells Trophy which they won at Mentor Harbor, OH. Garfield<br />
skippered the winning <strong>Snipe</strong> (Mills #8570 “Tell Tale III”) in that<br />
event. Photo from Griffith family photo albums, provided by<br />
Cindy (Griffith) Koski.<br />
in 1951, two years after he was SCIRA Commodore, he and<br />
his crew bought a new Mills <strong>Snipe</strong> #8570. Tell Tale III. Griff’s<br />
daughter Cindy remembers sailing Tell Tale III in many junior<br />
races on Wednesday nights, and at the <strong>Snipe</strong> Junior Nationals<br />
in Green Lake Wisconsin in 1952.<br />
Griff competed mostly locally, at CLYC and in District<br />
1 regattas, but he did go to 1952 and 1954 <strong>Snipe</strong> Nationals,<br />
where he placed second and first respectively in the Wells<br />
Division. Of course he competed in and had a hand in<br />
planning and hosting the 1946 <strong>Snipe</strong> Worlds at Chautauqua.<br />
His crew was Edward “Red” Garfield, and the two sailed<br />
together well into their 70s. They also co-captained Fleet<br />
124, and started and ran the CLYC junior sailing program for<br />
years. Jack Wahlberg, a CLYC junior under their tutelage,<br />
says of Griff: “We learned life skills as much as how to sail;<br />
we learned how to compete as sportsmen”. He also remembers<br />
one day “when Griff and Red were driving all of us to sailing<br />
lessons, Griff screeched to a halt, jumped out of the car to<br />
resuscitate a small boy who had drowned, and then jumped<br />
back in the car and drove off to sailing lessons as though<br />
nothing had happened.”<br />
Griff had a handsome smile that could be spotted across<br />
the room and an energetic laugh that could be heard across the<br />
lake. He dressed smartly, could talk to anyone about anything,<br />
and loved a good party. Griff had his own graphic design<br />
business, but headed outdoors whenever he could. Besides<br />
sailing, he played badminton and golf and spent the winters on<br />
the ice, skating and iceboating.<br />
See “Griffith” on page 13<br />
www.snipeus.org<br />
Vince Becker
Vince Becker<br />
Awarded to the second place skipper and crew in<br />
the Heinzerling Series, the Slauson Trophy was<br />
established in 1961 in memory of Cleve Slauson.<br />
For the thirty years after World War II, the<br />
lakes of the upper midwestern <strong>United</strong> <strong>States</strong> were<br />
one of the hotbeds of <strong>Snipe</strong> sailing.<br />
Fleet 131 was chartered at the Illinois Valley Yacht and<br />
Canoe Club, nicknamed the Ivy Club, in Peoria right after the<br />
war. Cleve and Dottie Slauson joined the Ivy Club in 1950,<br />
and learned to sail in the world famous <strong>Snipe</strong>. Cleve, a color<br />
separator for a lithography company and Dottie, a secretary to<br />
the bank president, were newly married and had no children<br />
to “distract” them. <strong>Snipe</strong> sailing was their passion outside of<br />
work. The club had a fleet, but no sparkplug. Cleve and his<br />
magnetic personality was just what the fleet needed. Bright,<br />
witty and enthusiastic, he was the kind of guy that everyone<br />
wanted to be around. Slauson started his fleet building by<br />
July 1953 issue of <strong>Snipe</strong><br />
Bulletin showing (l to r) Cleve<br />
Slauson, Dan Wesselhoft and<br />
Hattie Carver getting ready<br />
to launch Carver’s 1948 Mills<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> #6938 “Dehattra” at<br />
Peoria, IL. This is the classic<br />
“Crosby” designed <strong>Snipe</strong><br />
Bulletin Cover<br />
US SNIPE SAILOR <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2011</strong><br />
This August 1953 issue of the<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> Bulletin used the cover<br />
designed by Cleve Slauson. It<br />
was used for that issue only.<br />
attracting local athletes to the fleet.<br />
“We had wonderful fleet parties, we’d meet at different<br />
member’s homes, and everyone would bring something to<br />
eat”, said Dan Wesselhoft, a retired Fleet 131 member. As<br />
the fleet grew, they had the manpower to launch and host the<br />
annual Peoria General Star Invitational Regatta. Cleve won for<br />
the first time in a tie-breaker with Buzz Levinson in 1955, and<br />
then again in 1959 and 1960. By then, Cleve was the perennial<br />
Fleet Captain, and his close friend Stan Salzenstein (“Shorty”)<br />
the perennial regatta chair. During its heyday, Fleet 131 also<br />
hosted the <strong>Snipe</strong> Nationals twice.<br />
The Slausons owned two Varalyays. The first was #9361,<br />
Amigo, which they bought in 1952. In this boat, they finished<br />
second in the Wells at the 1955 Nationals and qualified for<br />
the Heinzerling in 1957. They bought a new Varalyay in 1960<br />
(#12321 “Adios”)<br />
and finished ninth<br />
in the Wells that<br />
year.<br />
In the 1950s<br />
and 1960s there<br />
were much larger<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> fleets in<br />
Indianapolis,<br />
Springfield,<br />
Diamond Lake and<br />
Syracuse. Cleve<br />
was instrumental in<br />
getting his fleet to<br />
travel to these other<br />
areas for regattas,<br />
saying “If we want<br />
them to come to<br />
our regatta, we’ve<br />
got to go to theirs”.<br />
And travel they<br />
did throughout<br />
District 3, to<br />
Cleve Slauson. Photo Courtesy SCIRA.<br />
neighboring districts, to Midwinters and to Nationals. All their<br />
travel attracted talent to the General Star and talent in turn<br />
attracted interest. Wesselhoft said there were often upwards of<br />
80 boats split into green, red, yellow, and blue fleets.<br />
Cleve was also active beyond his fleet. He was District 3<br />
Governor several times and worked closely with Bill Crosby<br />
on the layout and printing of the <strong>Snipe</strong> Bulletin. In fact,<br />
Slauson was responsible for the redesign of the cover for one<br />
issue in 1953. He was on the Board of Governors from 1959<br />
until his untimely death in 1961.<br />
<strong>Sailing</strong> was a seasonal sport in the upper Midwest. Winter<br />
came and the <strong>Snipe</strong>s were packed up for a few months and<br />
sailors abandoned the softwater and took to the ice. There was<br />
little friction between the three runners and the “hardwater”<br />
and the boats quickly accelerated to speeds greater than the<br />
wind. Cleve Slauson, Fred Schenck, and Eddie Williams<br />
were all great fans of iceboating. Cleve, only in his mid 30s,<br />
drowned in a iceboating accident early one January morning<br />
in 1961. He left behind his wife and a new daughter.<br />
See “Slauson” on page 13
<strong>Snipe</strong> Nationals at North Cape Yacht Club<br />
Augie Diaz and Kathleen Tocke repeat as Champions; Raul Rios and<br />
Fernando Monllor of Puerto Rico win Juniors.<br />
The <strong>Snipe</strong> Class descended on<br />
North Cape Yacht Club in<br />
LaSalle, MI the weekend of July<br />
23rd and set down roots for a<br />
week. This gorgeous location<br />
became the setting for an event and a<br />
vacation to remember. The hospitality<br />
extended to us from the moment<br />
we arrived at the club was simply<br />
unparalleled. I have never met such<br />
friendly, helpful, and accommodating<br />
people as I did that week. Leslie Hill,<br />
Terry Timm, and countless volunteers did<br />
everything in their power to assure that<br />
all participants felt personally welcomed.<br />
We are fortunate to have been taken care<br />
of so well. The affection was mutual and<br />
apparent. When I asked Commodore<br />
Duane Burgoyne what his impression<br />
of the <strong>Snipe</strong> Class was, he was quick<br />
to answer. “I’ve never met a friendlier<br />
group of sailors. I expected you guys to<br />
By Kerry O’Brien<br />
Photos Courtesy of Terry Timm<br />
show up, sail, and then disappear (back<br />
to our hotels, tents, etc.). It was really<br />
different from other Classes. I didn’t<br />
know what a gracious and fun group<br />
you would be. It was a perfect fit for<br />
us.” Duane’s excitement about hosting<br />
our event was made clear by his actions,<br />
especially when he facilitated multiple<br />
bonfires on the beach, even offering to<br />
turn a blind eye if we wanted to burn a<br />
couple of picnic tables (we didn’t need<br />
to – he had provided plenty of firewood).<br />
Duane was also impressed with the<br />
character of our most talented members.<br />
He was moved by the generous actions<br />
of Augie Diaz and Kathleen Tocke. The<br />
two eventual winners of this year’s<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> Nationals took the time to work<br />
with the young members of the youth<br />
sailing program at North Cape Yacht<br />
Club — teaching, coaching, and leaving<br />
a lasting impression of what it means<br />
10 www.snipeus.org
Old Man<br />
Diaz chalks<br />
up another<br />
Nationals.<br />
to be champions, and <strong>Snipe</strong> sailors.<br />
Commodore Burgoyne was always<br />
checking in with us, making sure we<br />
were having fun, and that we always<br />
had whatever we needed. He embodies<br />
the values of everyone we met at the<br />
club that week, from the members to the<br />
bartenders. They truly made us feel like<br />
honored guests, and I speak for many<br />
who can’t wait for the chance to return<br />
to North Cape. They set the bar high for<br />
future Nationals.<br />
There are always stories from every<br />
regatta. Some stories should be told<br />
because they remind us why we are<br />
members of the <strong>Snipe</strong> Class. For many<br />
of us, it is because we know that we are<br />
different, that this Class is made up of a<br />
unique and special collection of people.<br />
It is why you see many generations of<br />
sailors participating in regattas. It’s why<br />
people drive for days to get to an event.<br />
This is the Class to get into for the young<br />
and talented collegiate sailors, who are<br />
looking to continue the competitive<br />
sailing that they enjoyed as undergrads.<br />
One story to which I allude occurred on<br />
the first day of the Crosby series this<br />
year. Scott Irwin, a novice to the Class,<br />
was sailing a <strong>Snipe</strong> for the first time,<br />
having borrowed a friend’s boat from<br />
Detroit. After being frustrated for the<br />
first few legs of his first race in a <strong>Snipe</strong>,<br />
Scott found himself in great position on a<br />
run, sidled up next to Ernesto Rodriguez,<br />
former <strong>Snipe</strong> National champion.<br />
According to Scott, suddenly, Ernesto<br />
began coaching him, advising him about<br />
how to make his boat faster-adjusting his<br />
rake, tweaking his jib halyard. This was<br />
a first for Scott, “In 35 years of sailing,<br />
never has that ever happened to me…<br />
never has another competitor coached<br />
me, on the race course, during a race.”<br />
That this occurred is not as surprising to<br />
many who have been a part of the Class<br />
for a while. It’s what makes the <strong>Snipe</strong><br />
Class different. When Scott told me this<br />
story, I was reminded of a quote from<br />
the interview with Tyler Sinks in this<br />
summer’s US <strong>Snipe</strong> Sailor magazine.<br />
Sinks said “There [aren’t] any secrets<br />
[in the <strong>Snipe</strong> Class], everyone [makes]<br />
each other better.” That seems to be<br />
what sets our Class apart. All you have<br />
to do is sit around the dinner table, or a<br />
keg, after racing, and you hear sailors<br />
sharing their strategies, and experiences,<br />
offering suggestions and tips to others<br />
still figuring things out. There aren’t<br />
secrets in the <strong>Snipe</strong> Class. It is evident<br />
that every sailor who wins wants to win<br />
against other sailors who are performing<br />
at their best. The most satisfying win<br />
comes out of the scenario where the bar<br />
is high and all are sailing at the top of<br />
their game. On Wednesday night, Scott<br />
took Ernesto and others, myself included,<br />
out on his Tartan 10 to race, and we<br />
earned a victory in the evening’s contest.<br />
See “Nationals” on page 12<br />
US SNIPE SAILOR <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2011</strong> 11
Nationals - from page 11<br />
Cole Tillson scores some hardware at<br />
his first Nationals.<br />
A new <strong>Snipe</strong> sailor<br />
was gained in Scott,<br />
and friendships<br />
were born from the<br />
events of the week.<br />
This was just one of<br />
many stories worth<br />
telling from the<br />
week on Lake Erie.<br />
This year’s<br />
Nationals was all<br />
about having a good<br />
time. From hotel<br />
parties to fireworks<br />
to making s’mores,<br />
to posing with your<br />
skipper or crew for<br />
Prom-style photos<br />
on the final night,<br />
this year’s event<br />
was a collection<br />
of great times with<br />
extraordinary people.<br />
Why go to the <strong>Snipe</strong><br />
Nationals? Because it’s worth it. Where else will you get<br />
the opportunity to sail against the best, be schooled by the<br />
best, and leave knowing you are a better sailor than you were<br />
when you arrived? Those who were there know what a good<br />
time was had. Those who skipped this year…you missed out.<br />
For some, the <strong>Snipe</strong> Nationals is an opportunity to leave the<br />
concerns and responsibilities of your “real life” behind, and<br />
to throw yourself into all that the regatta has to offer. Many<br />
jokingly refer to<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> Nationals<br />
as summer camp<br />
for adults, and it’s<br />
sort of true. It’s<br />
more, though. In<br />
some ways, it’s<br />
like going home.<br />
In a sense, it’s like<br />
seeing relatives<br />
who live far away,<br />
or reconnecting<br />
with family<br />
members that you<br />
hadn’t realized you<br />
missed so much.<br />
See you next<br />
year in Miami,<br />
where more<br />
memories are sure<br />
to be made, and<br />
where there will be<br />
more stories to live,<br />
and to tell.<br />
Regatta Chairman Terry Timm (r) and<br />
Leslie Hill.<br />
The Nationals: A SCIRA<br />
Representative’s Perspective<br />
By John McGrael<br />
At the recent US Nationals, I served as SCIRA<br />
Representative. It was a great experience!<br />
Gene Soltero, the <strong>2011</strong> National Secretary, joined<br />
me for lunch in June before the regatta to review<br />
my role and duties. He explained the SCIRA rep is an<br />
extension of the National Secretary and the regatta<br />
chairman, and serves as an advocate for the sailors.<br />
The focus during the racing would be the intent of<br />
the rules rather than the technical construction of<br />
the wording. My role would be to provide a sense of<br />
fairness and understanding of the experiences that<br />
sailors go through on the water.<br />
Brainard Cooper, the former SCIRA Commodore<br />
and a seasoned race manager, wrote a note of<br />
suggestions to Harry Levinson, the SCIRA rep for<br />
the US Women’s Nationals in early July. Brainard’s<br />
comments were most helpful. I can recommend his<br />
suggestions be reviewed by anyone interested in<br />
race management and SCIRA duty.<br />
Terry Timm, our host chairman, and Dave Shaffer,<br />
the PRO at North Cape Yacht Club circulated the<br />
sailing instructions for a few rounds of editing and<br />
simplifying. Then we were ready to race! The five<br />
days of the regatta, the Crosby Series and Heinzerling<br />
Championship, started exactly at 11:00 am each day<br />
and were tightly managed.<br />
The race committee, headed by Dave and Barb<br />
Shaffer, was assisted by its regular teammates, Lew<br />
and Marty Johnson. They ran a smooth and seamless<br />
operation. The wind was monitored for velocity and<br />
direction so the windward gates and leeward gates<br />
could be moved as needed. Some of the legs were<br />
also shortened. There were a total of 17 people and<br />
6 boats engaged in managing the races. The second<br />
race on Thursday was abandoned when the wind<br />
collapsed. After about 30 minutes it was started<br />
again, and we completed olympic and windward/<br />
leeward courses to get in 3 races.<br />
The Shaffers and Johnsons run major regattas<br />
at North Cape in the summer and work the winter<br />
circuit in Florida from November until April. They<br />
are very good at what they do. It is no wonder<br />
that watching and working with them is such<br />
a pleasure. If you have a chance to serve as a<br />
SCIRA representative, I hope your days will be as<br />
memorable as mine.<br />
12 www.snipeus.org
Griffith - from page Slauson - from page<br />
Griff was also a humble man. Cindy remembers his<br />
surprise when the Fleet gifted the National Trophy in his<br />
honor in 1958, “I don’t think he ever really understood how<br />
much he had done for the Fleet,” she said. He did what he did<br />
because he loved <strong>Snipe</strong>s, he loved sailing and he loved kids.<br />
The Junior program was a family affair; Griff and his<br />
wife Betty were known to several generations of young<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> sailors as “Uncle Griff” and “Aunt Betty”. In 1993,<br />
following his wife’s death and when his health began failing,<br />
Griff moved to Delaware to live his last three years with his<br />
daughter Cindy. She says he was still his wonderful self, but<br />
never adjusted to leaving his beloved Chautauqua. At the<br />
weekend cabin on the Chesapeake Bay, she said, her Dad<br />
would spend the days sitting on the deck “waiting for a <strong>Snipe</strong><br />
to sail past”.<br />
The Griffith Trophy has been won eight times by Augie<br />
Diaz, seven times by Earl Elms, and several times each by<br />
Bob Huggins, Steve Suddath, Hal Gilreath, Craig Leweck,<br />
George Szabo, and Ernesto Rodriguez.<br />
Thanks to Cindy Koski, John Rose and Jack Wahlberg.<br />
Members of the fleet changed the name of the General<br />
Star to the Slauson Memorial Regatta, and SCIRA collected<br />
donations for a trophy, which Dottie awarded for the first time<br />
in 1961.<br />
Long after his death, stories of Cleve have turned to<br />
legend. “He was quite the partier,” said Dick Schusler, another<br />
former Fleet 131 member. “One time down at Midwinters,<br />
there was a team from Bermuda. They were kind of health<br />
nuts…eating right and going to bed early every night. They<br />
weren’t doing as well as they had hoped at the regatta. One<br />
night Cleve had a little more party than usual, but as always<br />
the next morning when he got behind the tiller, he was<br />
sharp as a tack. In fact, he won the first race of the day. The<br />
Bermuda team asked him how he did it. Good clean living,<br />
said Cleve. So the Bermuda boys partied the next night and<br />
won the first race of the next day. Some things never change.<br />
Did someone say “Serious <strong>Sailing</strong>, Serious Fun”?<br />
Thanks to John Rose, Dan Wesselhoft, Dick Schusler, Buzz<br />
Levinson, and Brainard Cooper.<br />
SEATTLE SNIPE FLEET 444 HOLDS A MEMBER REUNION<br />
By John Rose<br />
An impromptu social reunion<br />
of current and former<br />
members of Seattle <strong>Snipe</strong><br />
Fleet 444 was held in<br />
mid-June. The Fleet was<br />
chartered in 1957, and has hosted<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> US National Championships in<br />
1962 and 1983. <strong>Sailing</strong> is held on Lake<br />
Washington and Puget Sound.<br />
The event was hosted by Paul and<br />
Martha Smith of Kirkland, Washington,<br />
a suburb of Seattle. Martha is the<br />
daughter of well-known 1950s Michigan<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> sailor Nate Whiteside. SCIRA<br />
US District 7 Governor Kirk Smith and<br />
wife Katia also welcomed the guests and<br />
provided updates on current activities,<br />
while “old-timers” brought scrapbooks<br />
and news clippings to share the past<br />
with others. Many stories were told<br />
of the old days, to the delight of those<br />
attending.<br />
Dave North (a <strong>Snipe</strong> sailor from<br />
the Sequoia YC <strong>Snipe</strong> fleet in Tulsa,<br />
Oklahoma) was the charter member of<br />
the Fleet, and his daughter Patty North<br />
attended the reunion to keep the family<br />
memory alive. Other early members at<br />
the reunion were Willard and Evelyn<br />
Wright, and John and Sharon Rose.<br />
They were joined by ten other former<br />
members and five current members,<br />
including Clifford Wright, Dick and<br />
Judy Buckingham, Dick Schusler, Pete<br />
and Libby Bristow, Bob Sanders, Bill<br />
and Pat Leffler, Ted Garman, and Carol<br />
Kane. Several of the current and former<br />
members have previous ties to <strong>Snipe</strong><br />
fleets in other states.<br />
It was a fun way to support and<br />
encourage local <strong>Snipe</strong> fleet activities,<br />
and something that other <strong>Snipe</strong> fleets in<br />
the US should consider doing to raise<br />
the interest level “off the race course.<br />
US SNIPE SAILOR <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2011</strong> 1
Remembering Mills-Built <strong>Snipe</strong>s<br />
By John Rose, SCIRA USA Classic <strong>Snipe</strong> Editor<br />
In the years from 1947 through 1961, wooden <strong>Snipe</strong>s<br />
built by Clark Mills at Dunedin, Florida (and later<br />
at nearby Clearwater, Florida) became popular with<br />
top sailors in the <strong>United</strong> <strong>States</strong>. These <strong>Snipe</strong>s were<br />
noted for their fast performance, especially in heavy<br />
winds, and the quality of construction. Early production<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong>s built by Mills featured varnished planked hulls<br />
and mahogany plywood decks, and were admired for the<br />
beauty of the wood and quality of construction – and their<br />
unique hull shape. More about that later.<br />
Clark Mills (1915-2001) had a long history in boat<br />
building, starting at age 10 by building a small skiff, and<br />
later many other boats for fishing and pleasure sailing<br />
in the Clearwater area. During WWII, he worked in<br />
Navy shipyards in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania and the<br />
Panama Canal Zone, and returned to the Clearwater<br />
area after the war and started building boats again at<br />
Clark Mills Boat Shop in Dunedin. In 1947, he started<br />
building <strong>Snipe</strong>s, the first of which (#6480) went to the<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> fleet at Chattanooga, Tennessee. Word spread that<br />
these were fast, beautifully built <strong>Snipe</strong>s and early orders<br />
Below - 1951 Mills <strong>Snipe</strong> #8570 Tell Tale III with skipper<br />
Harold Griffith (1949 SCIRA Commodore) and crew Edward<br />
“Red” Garfield (1960 SCIRA Commodore ) from Chautauqua<br />
YC, sailing at Oak Orchard YC/Point Breeze, NY on Lake Ontario<br />
in 1952, when this <strong>Snipe</strong> was almost new. Photo from<br />
Griffith family albums, provided by Cindy (Griffith) Koski.<br />
Clark Mills (1915-<br />
2001), Florida<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> builder<br />
from 1947-1961.<br />
Photo courtesy<br />
of Tom Mayers/<br />
Lands End Marina<br />
Inc. (Longboat<br />
Key, FL).<br />
poured in from well-known sailors such as Hazel (Hattie)<br />
Carver, Francis Seavy, Don Cochran Sr., Cliff McKay<br />
Jr., Clark King, and Birney Mills (no relation, SCIRA<br />
Executive Secretary 1953-1970). Further acclaim was<br />
solidified when Mills-built <strong>Snipe</strong>s won the 1950 and 1956<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> US National Championships (Clark King, #7876)<br />
and the 1951 Nationals (Francis Seavy, #6995).<br />
What was special about these <strong>Snipe</strong>s? Not only was<br />
Mills an accomplished builder of wooden boats, he also<br />
became proficient as a boat designer. After studying the<br />
plans and specifications and tolerances for the <strong>Snipe</strong> hull,<br />
Mills developed a hull shape that utilized the tolerances<br />
in such a way that a long waterline length and flat keel<br />
profile in the fore and aft ends of the hull, made for a<br />
fast, quick planing boat when the wind piped up and for<br />
open water sailing such as in the Gulf of Mexico. This<br />
“tweaking” of the tolerances was not favored by the<br />
SCIRA Rules Committee, and later rules changes were<br />
enacted in the 1952-1954 time period to control the stem<br />
profile and reduce tolerances for overall length of the<br />
hull (effective with #9100 for the bow and #9800 for the<br />
length tolerances). However, a number of fast Mills <strong>Snipe</strong>s<br />
with planked hulls were built before the changes to the<br />
tolerances took effect.<br />
In 1954, <strong>Snipe</strong> rules were expanded to permit<br />
construction of hulls with fiberglass and also plywood.<br />
Mills and well-known <strong>Snipe</strong> sailor Frank Levinson went<br />
into partnership and started Clearwater Bay Marine Ways<br />
(CBMW) in Clearwater. Levinson ran the day to day<br />
operation of the business, Mills built <strong>Snipe</strong>s with plywood<br />
hulls (#9870 was the first Mills plywood <strong>Snipe</strong>), and Joan<br />
(Mrs. Frank) Levinson took over the <strong>Snipe</strong> sail making<br />
1 www.snipeus.org
usiness from Guy Roberts of Clearwater and started<br />
Levinson Sails in the loft at CBMW.<br />
Continuing the winning ways, Mills plywood <strong>Snipe</strong>s<br />
won the 1959 <strong>Snipe</strong> US Nationals (Dick Tillman, #10350)<br />
and the 1960, 1961 and 1965 Nationals (Harry Levinson,<br />
#12192). Mills <strong>Snipe</strong>s also finished “in the money” at<br />
other <strong>Snipe</strong> US Nationals, under the skillful handling of<br />
Frank Levinson, Morris Whitney, and Harold Gilreath;<br />
and were often winners of regional and local area<br />
championships in many other <strong>Snipe</strong> events. Other notable<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> sailors who have raced Mills <strong>Snipe</strong>s include Carl<br />
Zimmerman, Tom Lundquist, Edward “Red” Garfield and<br />
Rare photo of Francis Seavy and Mike McLaughlin (crew)<br />
sailing 1948 wooden Mills <strong>Snipe</strong> #6995 Honey. This boat<br />
has a planked hull and has been modified slightly from<br />
the original configuration, including updated rigging and<br />
equipment. Photo by Dennis Kelly; photo courtesy of Bob<br />
Foster (Clearwater, FL).<br />
1951 Mills <strong>Snipe</strong> #8653<br />
Texan II originally owned by<br />
Harold Gilreath (1956 SCIRA<br />
Commodore), showing nearly<br />
original configuration. Note<br />
flat keel run in fore and aft<br />
sections, and “long waterline,”<br />
full bow profile for enhanced<br />
performance in higher wind<br />
and wave condtions. Photo<br />
from Gilreath family collection.<br />
Harold Griffith, Alan “Buzz” Levinson, Bud Hook, and<br />
Dr. Don Cochran, Jr. The last measured Mills plywood<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> in the SCIRA boat database is #13331, built in 1961<br />
for an owner in the Bahamas.<br />
Mills also is well-known for designing some other onedesign<br />
sailboat classes; most widely known is the 7’-9”<br />
International Optimist pram which is used around<br />
the world as a youth sail training dinghy; and the 16’<br />
Windmill – a fast, easily-built plywood sharpie-type open<br />
sailboat with a <strong>Snipe</strong> rig. Mills also designed the popular<br />
ComPac series of daysailers and cruising sailboats built in<br />
fiberglass by Hutchins Co., Inc. of Clearwater.<br />
Of the 54 <strong>Snipe</strong>s that Mills built during the years 1947-<br />
1961, only about 10 have been identified currently with<br />
known owners or locations. Mills <strong>Snipe</strong> #6995 Honey,<br />
owned since new in 1948 by Francis Seavy and updated<br />
and restored to top condition, is slated to be donated to a<br />
historical museum at Heritage Village in Largo, Florida<br />
(near Clearwater), where it will be displayed in a replica<br />
of Clark Mills’ Dunedin boat shop, which is planned to be<br />
built on the museum site.<br />
Information for this article was derived from many<br />
sources including articles by Cindy Goebel for Southwinds<br />
magazine (January 2002); Tom Mayers (Lands End<br />
Marina, Inc./Longboat Key, FL); Jim Flannery (staff<br />
writer for St. Petersburg, FL area newspaper); Daniel<br />
Mills (draft biography of Clark Mills, father); and<br />
personal contacts and correspondence with Barbara<br />
(Levinson) Werder, Dr. Barry Cochran, Harry Levinson,<br />
Bob Foster and Gene Fleming.<br />
US SNIPE SAILOR <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2011</strong> 1
My Summer as the Nomad <strong>Snipe</strong> Coach<br />
By Austin Kana<br />
Introduction by Don Hackbarth<br />
The US <strong>Snipe</strong> Class Traveling <strong>Snipe</strong> Fleet was based on the concept of ‘take your<br />
product on the road to your target market’. The idea was originally proposed<br />
several years ago by then National Secretary David Odell on a much larger<br />
scale, and appropriately called ‘Project Grand Slam’. Tempered by the realities of<br />
financial resources and management time, the plan was implemented on a smaller<br />
scale this past May with donated funds, three boats, a triple trailer, a van and a<br />
coach/ driver who travelled over ,000 miles from mid May to mid August visiting<br />
11 sailing clubs and introducing the <strong>Snipe</strong> sailboat to over 100 prospects.<br />
When I accepted the job as the Traveling <strong>Snipe</strong><br />
Fleet coach back in May, I had no idea what kind<br />
of summer lay ahead of me, and to be honest, I<br />
don’t think those who voted for this program<br />
did either. Despite some uncertainties in the<br />
beginning, the overall goal of the summer could not have been<br />
clearer; attract new sailors of all ages and all sailing abilities<br />
to the <strong>Snipe</strong>. To this end I can happily say that this summer<br />
was a huge success.<br />
We were able to introduce the boat to over 60 individuals<br />
for the first time, with 13 of them becoming new members to<br />
the Class. Of those, we had roughly three who expressed clear<br />
interest in purchasing a boat of their own in the near future,<br />
with one of them actually doing so!<br />
The summer began when I picked up boats in both Atlanta<br />
and Jacksonville in mid May, then drove down to Miami for<br />
the Master’s Nationals. After a weekend there I took the rig to<br />
Dallas for two weekends where they were hosting both their<br />
centennial celebration regatta and the Southwesterns. The fleet<br />
then went north to Annapolis and Surf City for the Colonial<br />
Cup and District 1 Championships, respectively. New Haven,<br />
Connecticut was the next stop on the tour, where the fleet took<br />
part in a new team race event, followed by the Whittemore St.<br />
John regatta at Quassapaug Lake, CT.<br />
After Connecticut, the boats continued on to the Winchester<br />
Boat Club in Winchester, Massachusetts for two weekends,<br />
where they hosted the annual Winchester Invitational. The<br />
following weekend, only a few miles up the road in Beverly,<br />
Massachusetts, the boats were used at the Women’s National<br />
Championship at Jubilee YC. After Women’s Nationals, the<br />
boats were packed up and shipped off to La Salle, Michigan<br />
for the Nationals at North Cape Yacht Club. After a short<br />
clinic the Sunday after Nationals in Clark Lake YC near<br />
Jackson, Michigan, the boats traveled west to Lake Manawa<br />
in Iowa for a long weekend of clinics and fleet races to end<br />
the summer. The summer concluded after dropping the boats<br />
in Atlanta in mid August after adding nearly 9,000 miles to the<br />
van.<br />
During these ten stops I always tried to fill the boats<br />
with local sailors (non-<strong>Snipe</strong>rs) first, before extending the<br />
invitation to any individuals interested. Roughly half of the<br />
time I was able to use the local <strong>Snipe</strong> fleet’s network to fill<br />
all the boats, while the other half I needed to do some more<br />
extensive outreach. On three occasions we had sailors cancel<br />
on using the boats at the last minute, leaving the local fleet<br />
and me no time to find a replacement. While times like this<br />
I had trouble filling all the boats, other times I had excess<br />
demand, and had to ask current <strong>Snipe</strong> sailors to sail with new<br />
sailors or use the a local fleet boat to make sure everyone was<br />
able to sail. The local fleets were obviously very happy to help<br />
out in these ways.<br />
Sometimes I found sailors were even willing to travel<br />
across the country – literally – to come try out the <strong>Snipe</strong>. We<br />
had Mike Wilson and Lisa Spitz fly from Dallas to Annapolis<br />
and Surf City, NJ to go for a second test drive, while Allie<br />
Rowe flew from San Francisco to Beverly, MA to try out the<br />
boat for Women’s Nationals. We even had Joe Petrucci fly<br />
from Seattle to Michigan to sail for the week at Nationals.<br />
This does not even mention all the sailors who drove up to six<br />
hours to try out the boats for the Colonial Cup or the Quassy<br />
regatta. I am pleased to announce that all sailors told me their<br />
efforts were well worth the trip.<br />
After getting to know Mike Wilson and Lisa Spitz in Dallas,<br />
it did not take much to compel them to come up for both the<br />
Colonial Cup and the Surf City event. If you haven’t read it<br />
already, Mike wrote a great article about his trip up north to<br />
1 www.snipeus.org
Surf City that is still posted on snipeus.org. He used the words,<br />
“fantastic”, “not to be missed”, and “we will be back in 2012”<br />
to describe his experience.<br />
Jamie Landi, a recent college sailing graduate and one<br />
of the sailors who tried out the boat for the fi rst time at the<br />
Colonial Cup had this to say about racing <strong>Snipe</strong>s, “it was the<br />
most fun I have had sailing in many years.”<br />
On top of accolades from new <strong>Snipe</strong> sailors, we even had<br />
long time <strong>Snipe</strong> sailors sing the praises of the program. Art<br />
Rousmaniere, an active <strong>Snipe</strong> sailor from the Winchester fl eet,<br />
wrote this about the program after traveling to New Haven<br />
for their inaugural team race, “the program is a success on<br />
numerous accounts because it: 1) enabled the New Haven<br />
team race event to happen and hopefully serves as the kick-off<br />
to future events, 2) elevated the presence of the New Haven<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> fl eet, and 3) exposed late-teen early-20ish sailors to the<br />
Class via the cool game called team racing.”<br />
Everywhere I traveled fellow <strong>Snipe</strong>rs and non-<strong>Snipe</strong>rs<br />
welcomed me with open arms to their homes, and helped<br />
make this program the success that it was. I do want to give<br />
a big thank you to everyone who hosted me along the way,<br />
including (in chronological order): the Gilreath family, Brian<br />
Kamilar, Gene Soltero, Cameron Adams and Kathy O’Neal,<br />
Lee Griffi th, the Sampson family, Joel Zackin and Celeste<br />
Suggs, Josh Parks, the Croteau family, Paul Earl, the Dieball<br />
family, Lee Nowak, Phillip Lee, and Don Hackbarth. I also<br />
want to thank everyone else who has helped fund, support, or<br />
otherwise contribute to the success of this program; however,<br />
they are too numerous to list here. I look forward to seeing<br />
everyone I met along the way again soon on the <strong>Snipe</strong> circuit.<br />
Spring <strong>2011</strong><br />
R US SNIPE SAILOR<br />
The Offi cial Magazine of the <strong>Snipe</strong> Class International Racing Association, USA<br />
Your Photo Here<br />
Austin Kana, now 24, grew up on the Eastern Shore of<br />
Maryland where he sailed at Tred Avon Yacht Club. He moved<br />
away when he went to college in upstate New York at Hobart<br />
and William Smith Colleges, where he spent signifi cant time<br />
sailing with Morgan Commette. Since Morgan grew up in<br />
a <strong>Snipe</strong> family, Austin got introduced to the Class that way.<br />
After a short time away from the boat after graduating college<br />
in 200 , Austin purchased his own boat in the fall of 2010,<br />
and will be in the Class for many years to come. He will be<br />
attending the University of Michigan in the fall to do graduate<br />
work in naval architecture.<br />
Traveling <strong>Snipe</strong> Fleet Update<br />
The Traveling <strong>Snipe</strong> Fleet is back at Home Base in<br />
Atlanta now until next May. Visits for clinics and events<br />
in the east can be arranged with the coach/driver on a<br />
volunteer basis (Guess who!) Many thanks to Austin<br />
Kana for a great job as driver/coach this summer. Austin<br />
is off at graduate school at the University of Michigan.<br />
The Board has approved the operation of the Traveling<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> Fleet program in 2012 for the period May through<br />
August, subject to our raising $25,000 to $30,000 in<br />
donations to properly operate the program. A fund raiser<br />
will be conducted this fall. Donations can be made to<br />
SCIRA USA and mailed to Mary Buckley. For further info<br />
regarding visits and donations, contact Don Hackbarth<br />
at dhackbar@bellsouth.net.<br />
We Need YOU!<br />
to send us your photos<br />
With the proliferation of digital cameras in<br />
recent years, we know there are lots of good<br />
(and bad) sailing photos out there. If you think<br />
you have one of the good ones, send it along<br />
and we’ll try to use it.<br />
For an example of some good amateur<br />
photography, just look at the cover of this issue.<br />
Or see the cover of the <strong>Fall</strong> 2010 issue.<br />
If you have a good story to go along with any of<br />
your photos, send it as well.<br />
Send your photos to John Buckley (contact info<br />
on page 3).<br />
US SNIPE SAILOR <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2011</strong> 1
Learning the Ropes<br />
By Kathleen Tocke<br />
Line is often one of the most overlooked and undervalued equipment I see on racing boats.<br />
While new sails and a smooth tefloned bottom certainly contribute to speed, if you can’t<br />
fine tune sail shape because your jib cunningham or your vang doesn’t run freely, then you<br />
lose speed and distance. You need to maintain your lines and be sure you have the best line<br />
for each application.<br />
In addition to having the proper line<br />
for each application, be sure that<br />
the blocks you are using are not<br />
too small; line turns more easily<br />
around larger blocks. The easier<br />
and more efficient your lines run, the<br />
more you will play them.<br />
The more knots and the larger the knot<br />
in your sheet, the more apt it is to knot<br />
more while you are racing. No double<br />
eight knots! Also, splice when you can<br />
– knots reduce the breaking strength of<br />
your line.<br />
Diameters can differ. Despite the<br />
listed diameters, one 1/4 inch line is not<br />
always the same size as another. Often<br />
line diameters stray from their specified<br />
diameter, sometimes by several<br />
millimeters. You can have a “fat” 5/16<br />
mainsheet.<br />
Rope 101:<br />
Cover: This is the part of the line your<br />
hands touch.<br />
Core: The inner part of line. Usually the<br />
cover is braided over a pre-made core.<br />
The core is what gives line it primary<br />
strength.<br />
Stretch: The temporary amount a line<br />
will stretch under tension.<br />
Creep: The inherent permanent stretch<br />
of a line<br />
Strength: The breaking strength,<br />
determined by the maximum load a line<br />
can handle.<br />
Construction: The type of braid used<br />
to make a line, and the combination of<br />
fibers used:<br />
• Single Braid: No core – Maffioli<br />
Swiftcord or New England Ropes<br />
(NER) Salsa or Buzz Line.<br />
• Double Braid: Lines with a braided<br />
cover and core.<br />
• Double plait: non-smooth cover. i.e<br />
Marlow Pre-stretch.<br />
Common Fibers:<br />
• Polypropylene: light weight, high<br />
stretch, low UV resistance, low cost.<br />
• Polyester: all purpose fiber, heavy,<br />
medium-strength, good UV resistance,<br />
very chafe resistant, long-lasting and<br />
low cost.<br />
• Dyneema/Spectra (same fiber,<br />
different manufacturer names): very<br />
lightweight, high strength, less UV<br />
resistant, expensive<br />
• Vectran: light-weight, very strong,<br />
poor UV resistance, very poor chafe<br />
resistance, does not react well to knots<br />
or making tight turns, very expensive.<br />
• Spun: the tiny fuzzy fibers blended<br />
into cover material to make the line<br />
comfortable on the hand.<br />
Mainsheet<br />
There is a lot of personal preference<br />
when it comes to mainsheets, and<br />
probably the largest choice of any<br />
application. Choose a line that is both<br />
low-stretch and lighter-weight. Some<br />
people prefer a larger sheet because it<br />
is more comfortable on the hand. If you<br />
are going with a larger diameter (5/16,<br />
8mm), be sure then that you are using a<br />
lightweight cover with a strong core, so<br />
that the line will not sag/sink in light air.<br />
If your ratchet is worn on your<br />
mainsheet blocks, replace them so that<br />
your lines run efficiently.<br />
Recommended line: Samson Ultra-lite<br />
(polypro cover with a Dyneema core).<br />
Budget conscious choice: NER Sta-Set<br />
Jib sheets<br />
Many jib sheets I see are too big.<br />
Crews may like them because they can<br />
be comfortable, but they don’t run well,<br />
are heavy, and don’t fly well across the<br />
boat when tacking.<br />
I prefer not to use single-braids like<br />
NER’s Salsa Line or Maffioli Swiftcord.<br />
1 www.snipeus.org
Yale Maxibraid<br />
NER Sta-Set<br />
NER Spyderline<br />
Samson Amsteel Blue<br />
NER Vectran<br />
First, they absorb a lot of water and their<br />
diameter increases over time, resulting<br />
in a heavy, fat line that doesn’t run well<br />
through blocks. These single-braids<br />
are “low stretch,” but only after they<br />
are fully tensioned. They have a lot<br />
of “slack.” To illustrate this, imagine a<br />
slinky made of a high strength, lowstretch<br />
material. Due to the construction<br />
of the slinky, you will never break it,<br />
until the slinky is fully straightened.<br />
The single-braid construction acts in a<br />
similar manner. You cannot fine-tune<br />
your jib trim easily with a single-braid,<br />
due to its stretchy nature.<br />
I recommend having light air (3/16)<br />
and heavy air jib sheets (1/4); ideally,<br />
a polyester or polypro cover with a<br />
Dyneema core.<br />
Recommended line: Samson Ultra-Lite,<br />
Yale Maxibraid.<br />
Budget conscious choice: NER Sta-Set<br />
Control Lines<br />
Control lines are the most poorly<br />
maintained lines on most boats. You<br />
need to pay close attention to their<br />
wear and tear. New lines run smoothly<br />
and make fine-tune adjustments easy.<br />
Small lines don’t last as long because<br />
they have more wear going around<br />
many smaller sized blocks. Also, when<br />
washing down boats at the end of the<br />
day, people neglect to wash well under<br />
the deck and reach the lines running in<br />
the centerboard trunk. Saltwater erodes<br />
your lines.<br />
Boom Vang<br />
Probably the most important control<br />
line to maintain is your vang. Make your<br />
life easier on the water: don’t neglect<br />
replacing/upgrading your vang lines.<br />
Take care – despite the coating on<br />
Dyneema/Spectra and Vectran, they will<br />
still deteriorate more rapidly due to their<br />
low UV resistance.<br />
Recommended line: 3.5 mm to 5 mm,<br />
NER Spyderline, Marlow Excel Pro,<br />
NER Vectran, Samson Amsteel Blue<br />
(Dyneema).<br />
Budget conscious choice: Marlow Super<br />
Pre-stretch. It is not as low stretch or<br />
strong as the line listed above, runs<br />
great, lasts forever and is a great allpurpose<br />
control line that comes in many<br />
colors.<br />
Samson Ultra-Lite<br />
Marlow Excel Pro<br />
Marlow Super Pre-Stretch<br />
Pole Launcher Line:<br />
Remember, it is not always the crew!<br />
Many pole lines I see are either too fat,<br />
too worn, or too thin. Lines should be<br />
around 4-5 mm and soft to the touch,<br />
but not too soft. Too soft or squishy<br />
lines have a greater tendency to wrap<br />
and get tangled. Also, beware when<br />
replacing your pole line. Most new lines<br />
are too slippery on the hand. Before<br />
first use, rinse your line thoroughly in<br />
water to rid it of the soap-like lubricant<br />
found in the fibers of line. You can also<br />
try lightly sanding your line with sand<br />
paper if you don’t have a practice day to<br />
break in your new line.<br />
Recommended line: NER Spyderline<br />
Budget conscious choice: NER Sta-Set.<br />
Kathleen Tocke has crewed at the<br />
championship level for years in the<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong>, most recently winning the<strong>2011</strong> US<br />
Nationals with Augie Diaz. She is also<br />
a skipper in her own right, in the <strong>Snipe</strong><br />
and other Classes. Kathleen worked<br />
for two years as project manager at<br />
New England Ropes, developing a new<br />
product line for dinghies and one-design<br />
racing boats<br />
US SNIPE SAILOR <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2011</strong> 1
Tri-fold Promotional Brochures Available From SCIRA USA<br />
As part of our ongoing effort to provide tools and materials to help promote the <strong>Snipe</strong><br />
Class, SCIRA USA has produced this promotional brochure. Get a supply now for your<br />
promotional activities. They’re FREE! Contact Mary Buckley in the SCIRA USA office.<br />
20 www.snipeus.org
Cartoon Caption Contest<br />
And the winner is...<br />
This month’s winner is Adrienne Korkosz. A<br />
past District Governor and US Board member,<br />
Adrienne has been sailing <strong>Snipe</strong>s since she began<br />
crewing for her father at the age of eight. Her<br />
sailing experience includes J24s and Lightnings,<br />
and she competed in this year’s Women’s National<br />
Championship.<br />
Create a clever caption for this cartoon, drawn by US<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> Sailor’s resident tactician and cartoonist Rick<br />
Arneson, and email it to John Buckley (buckley@<br />
inebraska.com), by November 1, <strong>2011</strong>, and USSS will<br />
publish the winner’s picture and sailing biography.<br />
“Those birds have the strangest looking feet.”<br />
Adrienne Korkosz, Schenectady New York<br />
US SNIPE SAILOR <strong>Fall</strong> <strong>2011</strong> 21
Sep 10-11<br />
Sep 10-11<br />
Sep 17-18<br />
Sep 17-18<br />
Sep 30 - Oct 2<br />
Oct 1-2<br />
Oct 29-30<br />
Mar 12-14<br />
Mar 16-18<br />
Mar 20-24<br />
<strong>2011</strong> – 2012 SCIRA USA Regatta Schedule<br />
Michigan Open & State Championship - Grand Rapids Yacht Club, Grand Rapids, MI<br />
Rich Grant: rgrant@fveng.com<br />
Surf City Regatta - Surf City Yacht Club, Surf City, NJ<br />
Lee Griffith: lee.griffith@contextgroup.com<br />
Missouri Valley Championship - Lake Manawa, IA<br />
Phil Lee: philipjlee@aol.com<br />
Mystic Lake Open - Medford Boat Club, Medford, MA<br />
Martin Fraser: mwfraser@comcast.net<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> North American Championship - Mission Bay Yacht Club, San Diego, CA<br />
Doug Hart: dbhart@cox.net<br />
Frigid Digit - Severn <strong>Sailing</strong> Association, Annapolis, MD<br />
Kim Couranz: kimcouranz@yahoo.com<br />
Halloween Regatta - Atlanta Yacht Club, Atlanta, GA<br />
Lee Bradley: lbradley@weoga.com<br />
<strong>Snipe</strong> Midwinters - Clearwater Yacht Club, Clearwater, FL<br />
Dick Boblenz: boblenzrb@aol.com<br />
Don Q Rum Keg - Coconut Grove <strong>Sailing</strong> Club, Miami, FL<br />
Gonzalo Diaz: gecmdiaz@gmail.com<br />
Bacardi/Gamblin - Royal Nassau <strong>Sailing</strong> Club, Nassau, Bahamas<br />
Lori or Jimmie Lowe: lorijim@coralwave.com<br />
Go to www.snipeus.org for updates to the Regatta Schedule<br />
22 www.snipeus.org<br />
Fried Elliott
800.729.9767<br />
The World Leader in Outfitting Performance Sailors.
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