Summer 2008 - United States Snipe Sailing

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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
One of the best ways to grow your local fleet is to put together an event that introduces prospective new members to all of the Serious Sailing and Serious Fun elements of Snipe sailing. What kind of event, you say? Well, how about something like this: • • • Fleet Development Activities Coming Soon! by David Odell A KidFest where you invite current and prospective members out for casual racing with kids as skipper and/ or crew. Bring games for those on shore, and organize a cookout afterward. An alumni reunion for the graduates of your yacht club’s junior sailing program. They’re probably off to college or beyond, and would love to get together to race with all of their old friends. Host the one day regatta in Snipes, then have a party afterwards. This will expose many people to Snipes who are likely candidates to join the Class. Host a tuning clinic, where you encourage all of those inactive fleet members who you haven’t seen in quite a while to come out and get ramped up by the local hot shot or sail maker. Start Planning Now!! Sailors’ Reunion Atlanta’s Halloween Regatta October 25–26 Nice ideas, but how do we pay for all of this? Great news – the US Snipe Class is able to fund 21 of these fleet development activities (3 in each of the 7 districts) thanks to the generosity of Gene Soltero and Soltero Resources, Inc. of Dallas Fleet #1. Gene understands the importance of growing the Class and bringing new people into the Snipe Family, so he recently donated $15,000 to the Class! This incredible donation will enable the Class to hold 21 fleet development activities each year for the next three years. Each fleet development activity will be allocated $250, and each district gets to have three in 2008. Your District Governor will decide where these funds are spent, so as you start planning your schedule for next year, give some thought to creative programs you can put in place to grow your fleet and then call your District Governor for funding. After your event, tell us what you did and how it worked out. And don’t forget to drop Gene a note and thank him for his generosity! Atlanta’s Halloween Regatta is unlike any other event – a gathering of friends, the culmination of the sailing season, a family oriented gathering to make memories that last a lifetime. Remember your first Halloween? Remember perfect weather, warm and windy, or a drifter, or a howling gale? We’ve had everything – except anyone NOT glad they came. While we don’t expect to get the 112 Snipes from 13 states and two foreign countries that we drew in the past, this year’s regatta should be special. We are planning several events off the water to encourage past snipers to come back and swap tales, to relive their exploits, and to reinvigorate and inspire present day sailors. US SNIPE SAILOR Summer 2008 19
Page 1 and 2: Summer 2008 US SNIPE SAILOR The Off
Page 3 and 4: US SNIPE SAILOR Volume 3, Number 2
Page 5 and 6: Serious Sailing, Serious Fun: A Spa
Page 7 and 8: Skipper Fleet Races Score Mary Jane
Page 9 and 10: Jumping into a Snipe did, however,
Page 11 and 12: US SNIPE SAILOR Summer 2008 11
Page 13 and 14: photos by david odell coming in fro
Page 15 and 16: Trailer Maintenance Tips Part II By
Page 17: MAKE FLEET RACING MORE FUN By Tom E
Page 21 and 22: Snipe Display In Quest Field At 200
Page 24: Fried Elliott photo Snipe Class Int

Summer 2008 - United States Snipe Sailing

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