Summer 2008 - United States Snipe Sailing

Bob and Sandy Rowland
Win 2007 Minneford
Bob and Sandy Rowland, of the Cowan Lake Snipe Fleet, are
repeat winners of the Minneford Trophy for the 2007 season.
Emblematic of the US boat owner having on file the highest
net point score in fleet races for the official racing season of
SCIRA, the Minneford trophy is one of the oldest, if not the
oldest, trophy of the Snipe Class International Racing Association
in the United States. It was first awarded to J. M. Martin of
the Dallas Sailing Club in 1932.
Eight fleets turned in point scores for 2007, from 71 skippers
(up from seven fleets and 65 skippers last year). If you haven’t
been racing fleet races, make plans now to do so this season,
so that you can compete for the Minneford Perpetual Trophy
for 2008.
Bob began
sailing when he
was 8 years old in
a Sailing Seashell
(pram) in the
Chain of Lakes
in Illinois. In his
teens, while sailing
C Scows, he
met Sandy and
invited her on the
boat as the third
crew when conditions were windy. When they got married and
moved to Ohio, the local Cowan Lake Fleet wasn’t racing C
Scows, so they had to choose between Thistles and Snipes for
competition. Wanting to be free to travel to regattas without
looking for a third crew, they bought a Snipe and have been
sailing and traveling to regattas ever since.
Through their years of sailing Snipes, they have sailed several
other classes. They raced FJs, won the Rhodes Bantams
Internationals 2 times, and won the Windmill Nationals once.
They found they really liked Y Flyers, when they participated
in the Championship of Champions at Carlyle IL when it was
sailed in Y Flyers. They have won the Y Flyer Nationals 3 times
and the Internationals 2 times. They now limit themselves to Y
Flyers and Snipes, choosing the closest regatta when there is a
conflict. Since the busy season for their company, The Sailors’
Tailor, happens to be the racing season, it’s difficult taking time
off for longer trips.
“We’ve made so many great friends locally and across the
country sailing Snipes through the years. It’s great to participate
in a sport that allows us to work as a team striving for
the same goal. The keen, tight competition of Snipe sailing has
taught us that you have to be sharp at all times, because any
time you make a mistake, there is always another Snipe right
there to take your place. Selecting the Snipe was a good fun
lifetime decision.”
Having won the Minneford several times, it’s clear that in
addition to their regatta travels, they find time to race at home
on Cowan Lake (home of the Riff Raff Regatta), participating
in 28 Fleet races this year.
Sandy says: “We have the Minneford hanging in our showroom,
and people from all boat classes really marvel at how
many years that trophy goes back, and how old the Snipe Class
is!
Here are the complete results for 2007:
Skipper Fleet Races Score
Robert Rowland Cowan Lake (OH) 28 1722.00
Joe Norton Green Lake (WI) 12 1693.70
Clifford Wright Seattle (WA) 24 1678.40
John Buckley Lincoln (NE) 9 1663.67
Jim Bowers Winchester (MA) 16 1660.00
John MacRae Cottage Park (MA) 12 1656.00
John Fry Seattle (WA) 9 1655.10
Tom Townsend Indianapolis (IN) 18 1633.70
William Thomas Lincoln (NE) 14 1629.00
Chris Scofield Iowa/Nebraska (IA) 12 1623.58
Jay Carey Cowan Lake (OH) 27 1620.00
Ted Garman Seattle (WA) 20 1614.80
Andrew Zeratsky Green Lake (WI) 9 1612.10
Bob Coyle Cottage Park (MA) 22 1611.00
Pat Keane Lincoln (NE) 13 1599.54
Art Rousmaniere Winchester (MA) 30 1591.00
Mike Recker Iowa/Nebraska (IA) 10 1587.00
Sue Lodico Winchester (MA) 17 1587.00
Andrew Davis Winchester (MA) 18 1579.00
William Worster Cowan Lake (OH) 27 1576.00
John Lally Winchester (MA) 35 1573.00
George Rood Iowa/Nebraska (IA) 8 1572.38
Bruce Kitchen Cowan Lake (OH) 17 1570.00
Ken Kinas Green Lake (WI) 14 1568.30
Jennifer Rousmaniere Winchester (MA) 17 1561.00
Katia Smith Seattle (WA) 7 1558.90
Andy Klein Winchester (MA) 28 1554.00
Harry Levinson Winchester (MA) 18 1549.00
Jim Russell Lincoln (NE) 11 1542.91
Mac Jacob Cowan Lake (OH) 11 1528.00
Robert Ewoldt Lincoln (NE) 10 1525.70
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