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Last posted 11/5/01
80 competitors from across the US and four other nations competed in the 2001 US Snipe Masters Championship in a three day regatta held in San Diego on October 30 through November 2. Despite the tragic events of September 11, dedicated Snipe sailors still traveled great distances to compete in sunny Mission Bay, racing in 5-10 knot conditions. From the West Coast, East Coast, Midwest, Southern states, Canada, Bahamas, Brazil and Denmark, the competitor list resembled a who's who of Snipe sailing past and present, demonstrating that the class is still going strong since its formation in 1931.
Although the Masters is normally touted as a social regatta (75% war stories and 25% racing), the fierce 40-boat competition resulted in only a ¼ point difference between first and second place after six races. Jim Grubbs and Ruth Paulling, from Long Beach California, just barely edged Jimmie and wife Lori Lowe of the Bahamas during the final race. Jim and Jimmie were followed by Jerry Thompson and Stacey Szabo in third. Bibi Juetz and her Brazilian stud crew Dante Bianchi finished in fourth, with Terry Timm and crew Mark Spicknall from Michigan just one point behind in fifth place.
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Jim was the recipient of the US Master Championship Trophy awarded to the top overall US skipper. In early September, he was very surprised to open up his birthday gift from sister and Masters competitor Abigail Ahmanson - a fully paid entry fee to the US Masters plus babysitting services for his infant twin son and daughter. Winning the Championship was very thick icing on the birthday cake.
Trophies were awarded to the top three skippers and crews in three different age categories: Apprentice Masters (skippers 45-54 years), Masters (skippers 55-64 years), and Grand Masters (skippers 65 years or older). The top three Apprentice Masters were Jim and Ruth, Jimmie and Lori, followed by Mission Bay's Jerome Fournier and Julie Calvert in third. Top Masters were Jerry and Stacey, with Terry and Mark in second place. Mission Bay sailors Doug and Jenifer DeSouza captured third place in the Masters division sailing their boat Captain America. In the Grand Masters division, Bibi and Dante won top honors with Gonzalo Diaz Sr from Miami and crew Lynn Fitzpatrick in second place. The father-son team of Frank and Andy Pontious from South Carolina and San Francisco, respectively, finished in third.
Besides the 45 year old requirement to compete as a Snipe Master skipper, the combined skipper/crew minimum age of 80 provided the ability for an older skipper to race with a much younger crew. The oldest skipper was Ralph Swanson, 77, from the Winchester Boat Club in Massachusetts. He was fortunate to sail with two different young blond crews, local San Diegans Lynn Sinks and Kelly O'Bryan, much to his wife Berta's dismay. Ralph, a past Snipe Class Commodore, was joined on the water by five other past Class Commodores: Jerry Thompson, Jimmie Lowe, Doug DeSouza, Gonzalo Diaz, Sr, and Terry Timm. A 7th former Snipe Class Commodore, Fred Schenck, attended the Friday Dinner and Prizegiving Ceremony at Mission Bay Yacht Club.
Notable Sailors: Sean Biehl of San Diego raced with his mother Patti, who is 73 years old. Patti had not raced sailboats on Mission Bay in 50 years, but remembered a certain wind shift that she claimed "was still there". Floridian Jim Fraser raced with young hot shot Snipe crew Brian Janney, who previously won the top US National Snipe Crew sailing with Augie Diaz in this year's Snipe National Championship in the Columbia River Gorge.
Notable Sailing Families: The Rix family celebrated Mary Ann's 70th birthday by driving out two Snipes from Wichita, Kansas. Mary Ann raced with daughter Deb and husband Ken raced with their son James. Mary Ann is noted as the oldest active female Snipe skipper in the US. The oldest skipper/crew combination was the MacKenzie team from Colorado. 70-year-olds Jim and Rita are living proof that you are never too old to race with your spouse in a Snipe.
What about the Social Events? Everyone raved about the Welcome Party and Eric's Lobster Broil on the first day. Mission Bay Snipe Fleet member and local fisherman Eric Krebs caught and boiled 130 lobsters for a fabulous kickoff dinner. The next night everyone trekked to Point Loma restaurant Fiddlers' Green for a wonderful meal complimented by surprise free drinks from Mount Gay Rum. The Trophy Dinner at Mission Bay Yacht Club was energized by the warm feelings of friendships and the opportunity to freely congregate-- sparked by the wit and humor of Tom Nute and Doug DeSouza as they handed out shiny sailboat trophies.
Sounds like a Society Column, doesn't it?
Next year the US Snipe Masters will be held in St. Petersburg, Florida, in the same location of the World Masters and Women's World Championship regattas. Look for the fuschia (or is it purple? or is it orchid?) Snipe from the San Francisco Bay area - it's definitely shocking.
"Serious Sailing, Serious Fun TM ." It's still happening even after 70 years.
For information please contact Regatta Chairperson:
Carolyn Brown e-mail cbrown4@san.rr.com
daytime phone (619)-544-5962
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