Snipe USA and Italian Open Championships

The Snipe Class has been quite busy lately with some important events on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean.

The Quantum Snipe Nationals took place over four days on Salem Sound, a unique body of water in the dent between Gloucester and Marblehead. Hosted by Jubilee Yacht Club (Beverly, MA), the event attracted 51 boats from 12 states and 2 countries. And our esteemed SCIRA Commodore (and SnipeToday editor) Pietro Fantoni leveled out all those Boston accents with his own Italian flair!

Though the weather was challenging with record heat and humidity levels, that didn’t stop the Serious Fun—though it did impact the Serious Sailing on two of the race days. The first day was surprisingly chilly, with what turned out to be a dying northeast breeze, and three races worked up appetites for “burgahs” and “beeahs” ashore afterward (along with the chance to catch up with old friends and make a few new ones). With a wide mix of returning Snipe sailors, newbies, and the veterans who never left, there was plenty of catching up to do.

Very light breeze on days 2 and 3 made only two more races possible, and (unfortunately) left plenty of time to discuss the subtleties of light-air Snipe sailing. It also left plenty of energy for Friday night’s Mexican dinner and pub crawl, and the fantastic “lobstah” dinner on Saturday night back at Jubilee Yacht Club.

A building gradient westerly on the final day gave teams a chance to stretch their hiking legs and remember their tighter tuning numbers, as well as enjoying a few fun downwind rides. Local sailor (and light air specialist) Tomas Hornos, 2009 Snipe World Champion, proved that he and Kathleen Tocke could hang in the breeze as well, winning a tie break for first overall (over another Snipe world champion, Augie Diaz, and crew Margeaux Barco). Third overall went to 2019 Pan Am Games representatives Ernesto Rodriguez/Hallie Schiffman, who used the event as a final training opportunity before leaving for Peru.

As usual, Jubilee Yacht Club (a small club of primarily bigger boats than Snipes) was extremely welcoming and shared their small parking lot (and air-conditioned bar) with grace. Thanks to the McAdoo family, led by Shan, for creating such a Snipe go-to spot in the northeast US!

1 - Tomas Hornos/Kathleen Tocke 26

2 - Augie Diaz/Margeaux Bacro 26

3 - Ernesto Rodriguez/Hallie Schiffman 27

4 - Carol Cronin/Kim Couranz 50

5 - Jimmy Bowers/Julia Marsh Rabin 50.5

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Final Results

About a week earlier in Italy’s Gulf of Trieste, in the city of Monfalcone, birthplace of many Italian sailing legends, the Open Nationals 28 years after the first one organized by Società Vela Oscar Cosulich. Six countries represented by 40 teams who have finished 9 races.

The winner is the Belgian Manu Hens with the Norwegian crew Maj Kristin Hansen Borgen, followed by Pietro Fantoni ITA (Class Commodore) with the American Kathleen Tocke (who recently won the Snipe Women Europeans with Gintare Volungeviciute Scheidt), and in third the actual Italian Champions (because they’re both Italians) Dario Bruni and Emanuele Zampieri. Enrico Michel with Giovanni “John” Turazza and Fabio Rochelli with Daniela Semec (Class secretary) complete the Italian Championship podium.

Open Italian Nationals