2010 Classic Snipe Rally Know Your Trophies Strategies for the ...

Family Sailing
By Lanny Coon
My dad didn’t make a big thing about it. He
enjoyed sailing and when he had “the duty” he
took me along. I remember it was nice to get
away from the 100 degree plus heat inland and
spend some quiet time exploring the bay with
him. Sometimes we would venture out into the ocean and
check out the seals on the harbor entrance buoy. He called it
“getting the seal of approval”.
Lanny Coon, center, at the 2009 Masters in Atlanta.. John Rose
photo.
I started sailing with him on a 21 foot Albatross sloop
when I was about fi ve. It was kept on a mooring in front of the
club and eventually Dad built a small beach house across the
street from the club. I was lucky to have a yacht club as a front
yard and I hung out there much of the time. I guess it kept
me out of trouble and it gave me a chance to hang out and
sail with some of the best sailors, including Snipe champions
Darby Metcalf, Fred Schenck, Tom Frost, Clark King, and
many others, including several world Star champions. Dad and
I eventually won the Albatross class championship. Soon I had
a chance to sail in a Snipe as a crew for Fred Schenck in the
Pacifi c Coast Championship. We won and I was so excited and
enjoyed the boat so much that Dad and I bought one. The next
year I won the same event. Fred jokingly said he shouldn’t
have introduced me to the boat. He later made me a partner in
his yacht brokerage business.
I raced a lot of different types of boats but kept coming
back to the Snipe. When I had my young family of girls, I
would often take two of them as crew. The weight of two little
girls would come close to the weight of an adult crew. We had
lots of fun and won our share of races. The girls went on to
be very good sailors themselves. Even after the girls went on
to do their own things my wife Margie and I continued racing
Snipes. Eventually the yacht building business and the lure of
international offshore racing led me astray.
Last summer I took a trip to Mission Bay to see some
of my old Snipe sailing friends. This led me to a crewing
position. In spite of our weight, we managed a fi rst place in
one race. Later I talked with Jerelyn Biehl about my newfound
excitement for the boat and she suggested I go to the Masters
Regatta at Lake Alatoona in Atlanta. It didn’t take much
thought and I decided to go. One of my daughters would sail
with me in the Masters and another would crew for me in the
Halloween Regatta. Sam Norwood had asked me to come
there many years ago. I had heard of their hospitality but this
was far beyond expectation. I met up with many old friends.
One of my daughters, from Florida, had an unexpected
emergency and had to go home early. But we had so much fun
that when I returned to California I bought a Snipe from my
long time friend Jerry Thompson.
Soon I had it hooked up behind my car and was headed
to Saint Pete to sail in the January Gaspar Regatta with my
daughter. Her kids, my grandchildren, showed lots of interest
in the boat so I decided to leave it there so they could all sail
together and I could join them occasionally. It is nice to think
of them sailing as I had done with my dad and my kids. Four
generations of great fun and good memories; I can’t think of a
better boat for it.
Snipe Bumper Stickers!
SNIPE
SNIPE
SNIPE
SNIPE
SNIPE
Serious Sailing, Serious Fun ®
Serious Sailing, Serious Fun ®
Serious Sailing, Serious Fun ®
Serious Sailing, Serious Fun ®
www.snipeus.org
Serious Sailing, Serious Fun ®
www.snipeus.org
www.snipeus.org
www.snipeus.org
www.snipeus.org
You’ll get one when you pay your 2010 dues.
If you need more, contact Mary Buckley in the
SCIRA USA offi ce.
US SNIPE SAILOR Fall 2010 5