Snipe Fleet 77 and 777:
Upper Mystic Lake, Winchester and Medford, MA

The Winchester and Medford Boat Club (see photo) Snipe fleets race on the Upper Mystic Lake, a ~3/4 mile wide body of fresh water 8 miles northwest of downtown Boston. The lake is the home of the perennial collegiate powerhouse Tufts sailing team and is well known for its shifty conditions and moderate breezes. "No-sail" days are rare in that there is usually enough wind to race and the ban on power boats (except race committee boats) makes for pleasant days on the water - at least until you get shnookered by a 90 degree shift and lose the entire fleet with 100 yards to go. The locals have grown to appreciate patience and to find warped amusement in watching visiting racers pull their hair out over the challenging conditions.

The Winchester Boat Club, home of Fleet 77, has ~25 Snipes making it one of the largest and most active Snipe fleets in the entire US. Medford Boat Club, home of Fleet 777, resides on the opposite side of the lake and has just under 10 Snipes in its ranks. In addition to being one of the largest Snipe fleets in the country, the Mystic Lake fleet is also one of the largest and most active one-design fleets in the Boston area, particularly as a dinghy class.

While many of the current Snipers have been around for a number of years, there are usually at least a few teenagers (or younger) on the line each weekend. The controlled environment makes racing with young tots possible, as John Tagliamonte and Lee Hetherington can attest. Another example is Adam Rousmaniere, who had logged enough racing time on the lake to give him the skills to crew for his father at the age of 9 at the Barnegut Bay Nationals in 1998. The fleet holds 3-4 parties over the course of the season to keep the party atmosphere alive and to help join the multiple generations together.

The Snipe fleet has had many sailors go through its ranks over the years and compete successfully at the national and international levels, including Norm Towle, Tom Legere, Ralph Swanson, Art & Jennifer Rousmaniere, Dave Lence, Jimmy Bowers and John MacRae. Today, the Mystic Lake fleet is becoming a hotbed of youthful Snipe potential, with many Snipe families encouraging their "younger generations" to take the helm.