2021 Snipe Western Hemisphere & Asia Championship

Augie Diaz and Barbie Brotons (USA) were able to sail conservatively to ensure their win at the 2021 Snipe Western Hemisphere & Orient Championship. Going into the final day, they had a 10 point lead over Arthur Blodgett and Gracie Howie (USA) who did their best to close the point gap by winning the final race.

Ominous skies and an impending forecast kept all Snipe competitors ashore for most of the day with AP over H raised early in the morning. Keeping a watchful eye on the radar, PRO Matt Hill and SCIRA Representative Jimmie Lowe made the call at 2pm to lower the flags and head out. Sailors were met with warm temperatures and beautiful breeze in the 12-16 knot range with a short chop on Boston Harbor.

Today's races were built around the forecast which ran the gamut from 5 knots to 20, and which proved to be true. The fleet headed out in beautiful wind of 8-11 that quickly had rain squalls roll through, leaving an unstable breeze and a challenge for Matt Hill and his Race Committee to set a proper course. After a recall start, followed by AP for 2 hours plus with little to no wind, the wind finally settled into a South Easterly with 8-11 knots and mostly sunny skies.

Light winds greeted the fleet as they pushed off the dock and headed out to the race course, just a 30 minute sail from Cottage Park Yacht Club and adjacent to the runway of Boston's Logan airport. After a 45 minute delay to wait for the wind, race 3 began but was quickly under AP to wait for the wind to settle. Race 3 began in 6 knots with puffs to 10 at times. Doug Hart/ Christina Persson (USA) led with a large margin at the weather mark and kept it until the second downwind gate. As the race progressed, a squall from the south formed and the wind shifted right with puffs to 23 knots at times. George Szabo / Dianna Waterbury (USA) were among those who went right capitalized on the increased breeze with rain and passed the leaders at the finish. Behind Szabo was Antonio Poncell & Carolina Martinez of Chile with John MacRae/ Linda Epstein (USA) in third.

Two races were held today on Boston Harbor in beautiful conditions for all.  Glorious 70 degrees with 6-8 knots of breeze greeted the anxious fleet as they waited for the first gun. A little too anxious as the first race was a general recall and after a second start under U flag, 6 teams were caught over with only 1 returning. As the race progressed, Arthur Blodgett and Gracie Howe (USA) lead into the gate and miscalculated the finish line allowing the Chilean team to cross first - but they were OCS so Blodgett/Howe became race winners followed by Taylor Scheuermann and Charlie Bess (USA) and Augie Diaz/Barbie Brotons (USA) in third.

The Snipes are returning to Boston to compete for the title of the Western Hemisphere & Orient Championship. Read more - click on the headline.

This article has a list of social media feeds we will use for the event, and links to other relevant feeds.

The Massachusetts Bay Snipe Fleet came into being in the late 1940’s. The first time that our fleet, #244, was listed in the Snipe Class Rule book was in 1947. The original address associated with the fleet was in Quincy, across Boston Harbor. but by 1954 the Mass Bay Snipe Fleet #244 address was in Winthrop.

Welcome to the 2020 Snipe Western Hemisphere Championship regatta, hosted in Boston, Massachusetts.