Snipe Fleet Captain : Larry Bull

2008 Georgia State Championships
Valdosta, GA

Regatta Results

(based on Saturday's races due to light air on Sunday)

Sailors came from Chattanooga, TN; Raleigh, NC; Jacksonville, FL; Birmingham, AL; Charleston, SC; Bradenton, FL; as well as the Atlanta area and good ol AYC

Reported by Larry Bull

Four years ago I couldn't tell you what a windward mark was. Now I'm the Snipe Fleet Captain? How did that happen? I was bitten late in life by the sailing bug. Now I can't seem to get enough of it. All the members of the Snipe Fleet have been extremely helpful in "getting me up to speed." I can honestly tell you there is some very competitive racing going on at the back of the fleet. Somebody has to be first but I have learned there is no shame in being last. As we move into 2008 we are presented with a number of challenges. To meet these challenges we have a strong staff this year with Peggy Davis as Vice Captain, Tom Henderson returning as Treasurer, and Co-Secretaries in Gayle and Craig Mclean. I am looking forward to working with them.

To bring everyone up to date, the Snipe Fleet hosted the winter meeting of the SCIRA US Board. Tom and Liz Henderson hosted the welcome dinner at their home on Friday. We also conducted a brief Fleet meeting where Commodore Jim Womble presented veteran Snipe sailor John Hill with the Club Goodwill Ambassador Award. John's courage and perseverance is an inspiration to all.

The SCIRA meeting was held at Peggy and Means Davis' Convention Center. I know all the board members appreciated the hospitality and it was a very productive meeting. I'm sure our new District 4 Governor, Tom Henderson, will keep us posted on SCIRA developments. I know that SCIRA is working on several new programs that will benefit everyone at the Fleet level.

We have three main goals this year. First, we need to focus on membership and attracting new sailors to the fleet. I'm not above stealing members from the Thistle and Y-Flyer Fleets. That boom is very low on those Thistles. "Avoid Head Injuries, Sail a Snipe." This could be our new bumper sticker. Seriously, we will be concentrating on building the fleet. Second, we want to provide all fleet members the opportunity to sharpen their skills. We would like to hold a number of clinics concerning rig tuning, boat maintenance, tactics, crew and skipper skills. I will be asking for a lot of input on this. Finally, we want to bring some extra fun on the water. Peggy Davis has proposed a number of very interesting race scenarios that sound like a lot of fun. In the past, Lee Bradley designed a new kind of race that I think we are ready for. Anyway, we want to try some different things this year and will need commitment from all members.

For those of you who haven't heard, we have a new little fleet member, Leif Peter Carlson. Congratulations to Susan and Mike. Now, we will not stand for this Laser nonsense for Leif. He is the perfect weight for a Snipe!

In looking ahead to 2008 we have to look back at 2007. I want to thank Ian Elliott for all his hard work last year and his inspiration in helping me with the Halloween Regatta. Ian is a hard act to follow. With everyone's help, we will have a great 2008. Hey that rhymes.

02/08

This motto of the Snipe Class also sums up the essence of the fleet at AYC. For just a little background the Snipe is a 15-1/2 foot, 2 -person, one-design racing dinghy with a rich history dating back to 1931. Originally designed by William Crosby to comply with the emerging "trailer class" of racing sailboats, it has evolved into a modern, tactical racing dinghy with fleets around the world. The Snipe class at AYC has been in existence since the club was started in the early 50's. Today we average around 30 to 35 members with an average 10 to 12 boats racing at any given time. The fleet at AYC has a variety of members at different age groups and different skill levels. This is the beauty of the Snipe- it can be very competitive or it can be a learning experience with every outing at any level! Our fleet does enjoy a party and will generally organize at least one per month during the racing season. Why don't you give us a call if interested in crewing or skippering a Snipe -- we would be glad to show off our fleet and our boats!

Contact our Fleet Captain:
email SnipeCaptain@AtlantaYachtClub.org