Nineteen teams competed June 10-11, 2023 at the Annapolis Snipe Invite (ASI) / US Snipe Junior Nationals hosted by Severn Sailing Association (Annapolis, MD). All age divisions raced together with the US Snipe Junior Nationals competitors (U22) separated for scoring purposes from the 22-30 year old age bracket. Current college sailors dominated the U22 Junior Nationals, with Tufts teammates (and Snipe veterans) Trevor Davis & Rees Tindall winning decisively to etch their names on all of the Junior Nationals perpetual trophies, as well as earning bragging rights for coming out on top of the 19-boat fleet. Second and third places in the U22 Junior Nationals were tightly contested between Snipe newcomers Nathan Smith (US Naval Academy ‘26) & Addi Harris (Georgetown ‘24) and Mariner Fagan (Georgetown ‘24) & Ryan Wahba (US Naval Academy ‘25). The Old Man Diaz Special Junior (skipper U22, crew 22+) was won by Raam Fox, a member of The Severn School’s high school sailing team.
Snipe experience won the day for the ASI U30 Division, with Bradley Adam & Thomas Walker winning by posting consistent top finishes in very inconsistent conditions. Adam/Walker earned second overall for full-fleet bragging rights by consistently finishing in the top 5 and winning two of the seven races. Former Snipe Junior Nationals Champion Christian Filter and crew Lydia McPherson took second place, with Katie Bornarth/Lily Theisen (also the Top Women’s team) rounding out the Top 3. All three of these teams own Snipes and competed in Annapolis the previous weekend at the highly competitive Colonial Cup.
Full results for the event can be found at: https://theclubspot.com/regatta/oV07ftgPSd/results
“Snipe Invites” are held annually in Miami and/or Annapolis to help promote the Snipe Class to the next generation of Under 30 sailors. To be successful, these events depend heavily on the fleets that host them to provide boats for charter and on-shore assistance to help new-to-the-snipe sailors learn how to properly rig and tune the boat, which requires much more technical knowledge than rigging a collegiate dinghy such as the Flying Junior or 420. Tufts 2022 grad Connor Sheridan remarked, “This was my first time out on a course since college sailing. I can’t tell you how great it was to get back out there and reconnect with the sailing community.”
The US Snipe Junior Nationals has been held since 1937 and is a qualifier for the Snipe Junior Worlds. This year’s regatta chairs, SSA Members and Snipe sailors Marissa Milliken and Devon Feusahrens, remarked, “It is so rewarding to help the younger generation hop in the Snipe for the first time and come back at the end of the day with huge smiles on their faces. The health of our class depends on our ability to continue to bring in young talent and hosting events like the ASI/Junior Nationals is one of the best ways to achieve that.”
The superb Severn Sailing Association Race Committee, many of whom are Snipe Class elders, pulled off seven races over the weekend, two in a dying westerly on Saturday and five in a shifty southerly on Sunday. Big wind shifts on the course translated into very jumbled scores for the competitors, with all but two teams having to drop a double digit finish. Off the water, competitors enjoyed quesadillas, burritos, and street tacos from SSA’s Botanas Fajardo snack bar and continued the regatta comradery Saturday evening at Forward Brewing Company and a local house party.
The Snipe Juniors Nationals is a qualifier for the next Snipe Junior World Championships, which will be held in January 2024 in Miami, FL. In an unusual turn of events, the top-three teams from this year’s U22 division will not be young enough to compete that event. As a result, a committee of USA Snipe Class board members will determine which teams from this and the handful of other qualifying regattas will earn berths at the 2024 Junior Worlds. One final qualifying opportunity will be at the 2023 Snipe North American Championship, which is being hosted by Norfolk Yacht & Country Club October 20-22. A few additional spots will be available for eligible sailors to apply by resume to the USA Snipe Class for sailors who will not turn 22 in the calendar year 2024. More information can be found at: https://snipeusa.com/international-qualifiers.
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Annapolis Snipe Fleet 532 