Summer 2008 - United States Snipe Sailing

Snipe Newbie
New to the Snipe Class last year,
Alison Bisbano is a member of
the Lake Quassapaug (CT) Snipe
Fleet.
Thank you for such a warm
welcome into your Class.
I truly enjoy all the experiences
sailing with you. Being
from the northeast, I’m
coming up on my third summer of the
most sailing I’ve done in
my life.
The Snipe was
introduced to me by a
friend, to whom I’m
grateful, who values
technical one design
sailboats, and who has a
tradition of Snipe sailing
passed down from family
members. I chose to
continue and to join the
Snipe Class because not
only is the Snipe an agile
internationally raced
two-person boat, but also
because the sailors are
exceptional performers.
Competing with your talent inevitably
improves any challenger’s sailing
skills because it pushes them to step
up to the next level.
Snipe sailing enables me to progress
as a person by bringing with me
the confidence I have gained on the
water to land. It provides me with an
opportunity to improve my sailing
skills and to translate those skills
to life. Those life skills include the
ability to work as a team, to work
quickly, to focus, and to think like an
athlete.
In addition to reasons of self-improvement
I also joined the Snipe
Class to build camaraderie with people
from around the world. Attending
regattas gives any person an excellent
chance to converse with people from
different cultures. What interests me
about the Snipe is that the Class is
international, the sailors are talented,
and the Snipe has great history.
My initiation into the sailing
world began in Long Island Sound
when my grandfather took us out for
the Fourth of July holiday celebration.
That memory sparked my interest
in sailing and led to the pursuit of
buoy racing in my years after university.
The adult classes at Longshore
Sailing School of Westport, CT gave
an excellent foundation to the theory
of sailboat racing. US Sailing opened
my eyes to big boat sailing, and
the people of Cedar Point YC have
afforded me experiences of racing
Thistles there and racing Snipes at the
nearby Lake Quassapaug.
The 2007 Snipe Nationals in Dillon,
CO was my third Snipe regatta.
The first was Surf City, NJ and the
second was Lake Quassapaug in
Middlebury, CT. Dillon nationals
were extremely well run. People from
all over the country attended. We
learned about the great photographer,
Fried Elliott. The nationals were set
in a gorgeous scene of mountains
that were about 9,000 feet above sea
level. The first six inches of the lake
was warm enough so that you could
stay in for no longer than ten minutes.
When clouds roll in, the position of
the mountains create microbursts of
wind over the lake, which may cause
the fleet to capsize. With all these
adversities my boat completed the
first two days and had an excellent
time. During the second day of racing
the fleet was called off the water due
to an incoming storm. It was a thrill
to race into the dock to make use of
the large hoist as fast as possible in
the event of lightning. I give compliments
to the race committee for good
calls and sound decision making.
What brought me to Nassau for
the 2008 Mid-Winter Championships
were the warm weather sailing
and my teammate. Upon receiving a
mailing from the Snipe
Class, the list of 2008
regattas were posted
and my university-mate
chose the regatta in his
home country. Thank
you to the organizers for
making us able to participate
in a fabulously fun
regatta. The last leg of
the winter circuit in Nassau
connected me with
well-experienced sailors.
We had two races each
day. A southerly weather
system came through
during the last race on
Saturday, which brought
heavy air for the last upwind leg and
sail back to shore. All that the Class
boasts about Serious Fun is by far
true. All the participants had loads of
fun together. The hosts were charming
and the parties were magnificent.
I enjoy the test of a regatta because
it teaches you how to think and
act quickly, and I look forward to
many more with the Snipe Class.
The US Snipe Sailor occasionally
presents a profile of a member who’s
new to the Class and wants to share
how and why they chose to buy a
Snipe. If this is you, or if you know
of a new member you’d like to recognize,
send contact information to
Susan Odell at seodell@yahoo.com.
18 www.snipeus.org