May 2005
It has been a rather quiet year to date, but things ramped up in late April with the Spring Invitational/Herb Shear Memorial Snipe Regatta. Herb Shear, along with Earl Elms, modernized the Snipe in the early 70's. They got the Class to make it lighter, opened the cockpit up with a double bottom and open transom, dropped the dagger board trunk, and put in a keel-stepped and bendy mast. All of a sudden you had a lively and tactical sailboat that was easily sailed in breeze. Herb and Earl must have had sailing in the Bahamas in mind! More than a boat builder though, Herb started the Mission Bay Snipe Fleet in the mid-sixties, and he did it with a sense of flair and frivolity that lives on today. Every San Diego Snipe sailor owes a debt of gratitude to Herbie for helping to create a class of sailors that are fun and never boring. While it is sometimes tough in these modern times with new families, multiple careers, soaring house payments and the like, Snooley knows the spirit of Herb Shear still lives on. It can still be found, sometimes even in small gatherings of local Snipe sailors. It is still a beautiful thing, which deserves to be cultivated until the end of time. Keep sailing your Snipe!
To this end, we present the 2005 Snipe Nationals this summer at San Diego Yacht Club. The dates are July 8-15. If you are a Junior, we will have a Nationals for you too! The Juniors will sail in the North Harbor area on Saturday and Sunday, July 9 & 10. The Class Championships will be held in the ocean off Coronado July 11-15, but of course, Juniors are welcomed to sail in that regatta as well. You are young. You can do that. Right now, we are looking at about 30 local sailors and over 35 teams traveling in from destinations around the country. There could be more. You can go to our web-site at www.SDYC.org/raceinfo to register or check it out for more details.
What we can promise is some great sailing and a lot of fun, which will begin as soon as you land at the dock. Kegs will grace the wash area each afternoon. Later, we will proceed straight to the Pavilion where there is a pool, jacuzzi, food and entertainment. There will be a Mexican Fiesta, a Luau and a night at Fiddler's as well. We will also have an America's Cup boat on hand at the front dock for Opening Ceremonies. There will be more, but the best entertainment is yourself and your Snipe friends. This will be more than a Snipe Nationals. Hopefully, the spirit of Herb Shear will be with us to ensure a great time for all. We just need you all to be there!
Fleet Captain, Ken Redler has strung together a great series of local one-day regattas at Mission Bay comprising our Fleet Championships. To date, we have had two glorious days of sailing with lots of races. Everyone who has shown is a winner. With two more days scheduled, it is way too early to worry about who is leading, and you can still get in on these events if you haven't participated to date. The remaining days for the 2005 Fleet Championships are May 22 and August 7. Don't forget that TNT's begin Thursday night, May 5th. Hey! That is Cinco de Mayo. Perfect. Al is sure to have the margaritas flowing. There is always plenty of Snipe spirit both on the water and in the bar after sailing. I hope you will join us for this great summer of Snipe sailing here in San Diego.
Gotta finish here so I can catch the end of Elimidate. If you need more Snipe Nationals information, whether you are a Junior or Senior, contact Bob Bowden at Mission Bay Yacht Club or Joanne O'Dea/Rudderham at San Diego Yacht Club. They will get you plugged into some Snipe Spirit.
March 2005: SNIPE NATIONALS AT SAN DIEGO YACHT CLUB JULY 8-15
Only six years ago, Snipe Fleet 495 hosted a great Nationals event at Mission Bay Yacht Club where we had 94 teams compete. The sailing was split between Mission Bay and the Pacific Ocean, and made for an interesting format. The winds were rather light for early summer in San Diego, but we got all of the racing in. Despite our reputation for light winds, we rarely ever lose a race in San Diego due to lack of wind. For 2005, we have chosen a new venue in the San Diego area in hopes of providing a new and exciting sailing experience for Snipe sailors. This was our first concern in hosting this event. The small confines of Mission Bay and the light and lumpy ocean course off Mission Beach caused some less than ideal conditions at times, but we think we have solved that problem with our new venue. We will be sailing in the ocean just south of the San Diego Harbor entrance Zuniga Jetty and somewhat inshore off Officer's Beach on Coronado Island. This is roughly between the San Diego Harbor entrance and the famous Hotel Del Coronado Hotel. If you check our web-site at www.SDYC.org, we have some pictures of the general racing area and San Diego Yacht Club. We have sailed a couple of our District Championships there in recent years and the Youth Championships were sailed in this exact location in 2002.
This venue offers ocean sailing under more favorable conditions for dinghies. The ocean surface is more groomed and winds are quite good for the San Diego area here, especially in early summer when a steady sea breeze can be expected. Most days you will see winds 6-10 mph by late morning, often building to 10-13 mph by early afternoon. Winds usually decrease again by late afternoon. Some days will be a little less, and a few possibly a little more, but the bottom line is that we will have very easy and comfortable sailing conditions for everyone. This covers the casual sailor or novice racer right up to the current World Champion, Augie Diaz, who is already committed to being there. In fact, we have a 10-team U.S. Worlds contingent for the 2005 World Championships who are all expected to be here to race with us. So, whether you just want to come out for some fun ocean sailing or compete with the best the Snipe Class has to offer, we will have something for you to enjoy at this event. The weather will be mild- Mediterranean style, in the 70's by day and the 60's by night. Ocean temperatures are moderate, generally high 60's to near 70 degrees, and the scenery in the San Diego Harbor/Point Loma area on the way to the racecourse is stunning!
But we won't stop with the good sailing that we expect. San Diego Yacht Club is a phenomenal facility. There is a large swimming pool and jacuzzi immediately adjacent to the pavilion area, which we have almost every night for our use. We have events planned for competitors at or near the yacht club that will keep you busy and entertained from the moment you get off the water without having to expend any undue energy. This regatta will be fun and easy! We are also planning on having one of the former America's Cup boats on display Sunday afternoon just before Opening Ceremonies.
So here's what to expect:
Friday July 8 - registration and measurement opens at 9:00 A.M.
Saturday and Sunday July 9 & 10 - registration and measurement opens at 9:00 A.M. Junior Nationals and Junior/Senior Nationals will be sailed in the North San Diego Harbor venue (not the ocean) on these days.
Sunday evening - Opening Ceremonies and Junior Trophy presentation
Monday through Friday July 11-15 - Crosby, Heinzerling and Wells sailed on the Pacific Ocean
And remember we will have fun, food and entertainment planned for you every night, immediately after sailing. We have events running the gamut from a Mexican Fiesta to a Luau, a civilized sit-down dinner at Fiddler's Green and of course, the Trophy Dinner and Celebration in the main dining room at San Diego Yacht Club. There is a lot of America's Cup memorabilia, full cup-boat models, a lounge and a library at SDYC that can also keep you busy during the week as well.
I know San Diego is a long ways for many of you. Perhaps there are double or triple deck trailers in your area that could be used to share the driving and expense of coming to a long-distance Snipe regatta. Perhaps whole fleets can be trucked out to this event. If you send them, we can take delivery for you and safely store them until you arrive. Try to talk it up with your fellow fleet and district members and encourage them to attend. San Diego is a great summer destination. You can get away from the heat and humidity in many areas of the country as our mild Mediterranean climate is really mellow! Come early and stay late. San Diego has much to offer beyond our event if you have the time. We will have a lot more information soon, both straight to our class membership and via our web-site at www.SDYC.org/raceinfo/snipe. I look forward to hearing from you and doing whatever it takes to get you and your fellow Snipe sailors out to San Diego for this event.
Bob Bowden, Co-Chairman
2005 Snipe National Championships
858/454-8146 home
858/866-5636 office
619/246-1577 cell
bobbysue33@aol.com
December 2004
It is the quiet time of the sailing season for MBYC and local Snipe sailors. But, that doesn't mean we won't be getting together and having fun! Saturday, December 11, we have Race Committee duty for the MBYC Hot Rum followed by the annual Snipe Christmas Party, hosted by Jimmy Elms. Jimmy's neighbors have already told him that they expect to be disturbed, so there you go. We don't want to disappoint the neighbors now! Be there for a great time. It will help us get into the holiday spirit and our juices flowing.
Immediately following the Christmas party, we have a one day Hot Rum at MBYC for the Snipes on Sunday, December 12. Expect "Santa" to get really good starts. This will be the last day of Snipe sailing for 2004, so don't miss it!
As is customary, Fleet 495 begins the New Year with the 2005 Snipe Golf Challenge. Yes, we have many challenges facing us in the New Year as usual, but perhaps none more daunting than surviving 18 holes at the Lomas Santa Fe Executive Course layout. Play golf your way. Be there at 10:00am, Saturday, January 8th to reaffirm your love/hate relationship with the game of golf and have a great time with your friends. Prizes and festivities will follow at the MBYC bar around 4:00pm. Please reserve your spot or your twosome, threesome or foursome early by calling Bob Bowden. Snipers, friends of Snipers, relatives of Snipers, fake Snipers, trolls, hobbits, hobos, pilgrims of all types … virtually everyone is invited. Just get in early and call Bob now!
Other 2005 events coming soon include the Women's Snipe Challenge (date TBD), the Las Vegas Regatta & Texas Hold'Em Tournament (a new twist for Las Vegas '05) and, of course, the Mid -Winters at ABYC. Don't forget that we will be hosting the 2005 Snipe Nationals at San Diego Yacht Club July 8-15th. This will include the Junior Nationals on July 9 & 10 and the Senior Nationals July 11-15th. Be sure to set aside this week for some great ocean sailing. If you are a junior, or even a part-time Snipe sailor, start to line up a boat early. We had an awesome fleet of nearly 60 rabid Snipe teams this year in Cleveland on Lake Erie. A repeat of that group at SDYC would be epic! Please make your plans now to be there.
Well that's about it for the year. Have a great holiday season all, and may 2005 be an even better year! Peace.
January 2004
Well, well. Another year is here. But, before you all start yawning and poo-pooing this fact, remember that there is always a twist somewhere or sometime during each new season which guarantees that this "Snipe thing" will keep on going. Let's start out with our new fleet captain and new dad, Ken Redler. With a brand new son, you would think the fleet would have mercy on Ken's soul, but no. Ken was somehow volunteered or coerced into taking over for Carolyn Brown. Carolyn did set a precedent, getting married and still holding duty as fleet captain. Not bad, you say. So why should being a new dad be any kind of excuse to get out of serving as fleet captain? Clearly it should but doesn't, and there you have it. Direct all your fleet issues toward Ken. He always has new ways of looking at things, so expect this attitude to carry through the year for some fun and interesting times. Ken already has us cleared to sail with SCRA the first weekend of each month (with the Lasers). They promise 6 quick races with no lunch break once each month. We will start in March, for those that are interested. More on this later, I am sure.
The year already got off to a good start with the 14th Annual Snipe Golf Challenge. Held January 3rd at the Lomas Santa Fe Executive Golf Course, this year's edition saw a festive group of 12 foursomes venture out and survive yet another outing on the links. For many, this is an annual ritual, kind of like the Polar Bear Clubs around the nation who jump into various frigid bodies of water to initiate the New Year. It's once a year on the links, and once a year only. But it is good enough for most to do something totally different and fun and let the chips fall where they will. After surviving the 18 hole event, it was off to the MBYC bar to settle ties and pass out prizes. It was a spirited evening and a good start to 2004. Scores ranged from a low of 59 on the par 56 course to well over 100. But in the end, all who participated were winners! The course is plenty demanding for novice golfers which caused Craig Leweck to call BS on the Lomas Santa Fe track and threaten a summer evening outing at the far friendlier Presidio Golf Course in Old Town with a party at his house to follow! While this would entail a second yearly golf outing for many, it just might be worth it. Look for a 9 hole golf outing/fleet meeting/party at Leweck's later this year when the days are longer. A little flogging is good for getting the party juices flowing and spirits up.
OK, so that was interesting, but that's already in the past. So what is up next to peak your interest in the New Year? Plenty. The Las Vegas regatta is coming right up. This is the perfect New Year low risk tune-up, and it is set for January 31-February 1st. We will try to break in time to catch the Super Bowl on Sunday, but this is an important regatta for those wanting to get their Snipe Sailing back on track after laying off for the winter. The following Sunday, February 8th is another MBYC Club Regatta for more opportunities to come out and sail. The Women's Snipe National Championship is slated for SDYC the last week in February, so there you have plenty of reasons to come out and sail and expect lots of competition.
Let's look at this Women's Nationals coming up at SDYC for a moment. What a great idea this is to hold it separately from the US Nationals week. We have had a lot of women sailing over the years in the Snipe Class and this will give them a week they can focus on their own sailing rather than as crew or sailing against the guys (though many can hold their own just fine!). The sailing area will be down off the Star of India, and everyone is invited to come and spectate, preferably from one of the SDYC stake boats. Any women out there who haven't already heard, please contact Ken for a direct line on how to get into this event. Good luck and good sailing ladies!
After that, March of 2004 brings the 50th annual celebration of the Snipe Circuit in the Bahamas. Snipe sailors from all over the World will be making a point of not missing this event featuring the 50th anniversary of the Bacardi and Gamblin Regattas. Woo hoo!! We're talking Yellow Birds, cocktail parties, two hour breaks between races by the pool, warm tropical breezes and crystal clear water. You can throw in the Midwinters in Miami the week before and you have two weeks of primo spring sailing and some epic parties and it still not into April. Many in our fleet are planning on going. Check with Doug Hart or George Szabo for possible trailer opportunities if you haven't already made plans and want to go. We all want to go, of course, but make your dreams a reality, if you can.
Besides that, of course, we will have the Spring Regatta in April. But long before that, we have to work hard to get the team of Dave Tillson and John Fretwell race hardened for their Western Hemispheres campaign to be held this July in Brazil. Hey, Dave will be a new dad by then, but as we have seen, this is no excuse. In, fact, we have so many new moms and dads in this fleet now, I am sure that a baby-sitting service on MBYC race-day Sundays is sure to happen sooner rather than later. New fleet captain, Ken Redler will see to that, I am sure. This alone could boost our head count on race days dramatically!
One other thing to ponder is the fact that the 2005 US Snipe Nationals are likely to be held in San Diego. We must face this reality and come up with a regatta chairman and some preliminary planning soon. While many would like to see the venue in the South Bay (Snooley likes the sailing there), we must face the fact that the best and most practical venue all around may be right here at MBYC with another Bay/Ocean shoot-out. Snooley says there is nothing wrong with this either.
OK, there is going to be more, but that is enough for now for you all to get the picture. If you are a non-Sniper reading this and want in on the action, ask Patty Widders at the MBYC office to hook you up with someone in the fleet who can get you a crew job, Snipe demo or a good used boat. We should be looking at a couple of great years here in San Diego with the best Snipe Fleet in the land.