The big rivalry this year was between Scott Nixon/Sam Rosemont and Hal Gilreath/Alex Stout. In the past two years, the Annapolis team of Nixon/Rosemont both St. Mary's grads, has been narrowly ousted by Snipe veterans Gilreath/Stout in both the spring Colonial Cup and fall Frigid Digit regattas. Hal Gilreath is a USNA grad living in Atlanta and Annapolitan Alex Stout is also a St. Mary's grad. With lots of practice and a good year behind them, the Nixon/Rosemont team was determined to finally prevail in their home waters.
This year's regatta on October 18-19, two weeks later than normal and combined with the annual Lighning Class Frigid Digit, lived up to its name with rainy and breezy conditions on the Chesapeake Bay. The racing started out on Saturday in a 10-15 knowt NNE breeze which was very shifty. Both Gilreath and Nixon were consistent though and posted no races less than 4th for the first four races with Nixon winning the 3rd race. The regatta was still up for grabs.
Saturday evening was lively with refreshments and an excellent catered dinner by Chesapeake Chicken. The mixing of the Lightning and Snipe participants was nice change and some new friendships were established. After dinner the group trekked over to the revamped Marmadukes for additional refreshments and Pedro Lorson and Henry Filter's biannual rounds of oyster shooters. As if oyster shooters at Marmadukes wern't enough, they went over to the Chart House for more punishment. Pedro must be getting soft as he was reported to have turned down a shot (OK, it was tiquilla, so it can slide).
The rain, wind and cold really picked up for Sunday as the weak Nor'easter drove up the coast. Two more races, the last slightly longer than the previous 5, were completed in the 15-22 knot breezes. The Nixon/Rosememont team, finished 3rd in the fifth race with Gilreath/Stout posting a 5th. With no race lower than a 3rd and a throwout imminent with the completion of 6 races, Nixon/Rosemont were able to come in early, warm up and enjoy their Frigid Digit triumph.
Lee Griffith and local Lianne Dunbar were overall less consistent than Gilreath/Stout, but with two bullets were able to pull off an overall 2nd place. Pedro Lorson, with regular crew Mimi Berry back from maternity leave, finished 4th despite a DSQ from a windward mark incident. Locals Eric Reinke and Kim Couranz came on strong in the breeze with a 1,3 to finish 5th. Locals Bob Oberg and Kristn Jones, who are on fire in the Snipe after their 4th place finish at the Nationals just narrowly finish 6th with only .75 points separating 4th, 5th and 6th places.
Special thanks to Don Moore our RC chairman for 6 great races in very shifty conditions. They set good courses and were able to get both fleets off for each race in a very timely manner. Team McLube provided a $30 can of their McLube dry lubricant to the top finishers in both the Snipe and Lightning fleets.
| Pos | Sail# | Helmsman | Crew | Race 1 | Race 2 | Race 3 | Race 4 | Race 5 | Race 6 | TotPts | Pos |
| 1 | 28214 | Scott Nixon | Samantha Rosemont | 3 | 3 | 0.75 | 2 | 3 | -16DNC | 11.75 | 1 |
| 2 | 29204 | Lee Griffith | Lianne Dunbar | 0.75 | 6 | 4 | -10 | 2 | 0.75 | 13.50 | 2 |
| 3 | 28142 | Hal Gilreath | Alex Stout | 2 | 4 | 3 | 4 | -5 | 2 | 15.00 | 3 |
| 4 | 28044 | Pedro Lorson | Mimi Berry | 7 | 0.75 | 7 | 0.75 | 4 | -9DSQ | 19.50 | 4 |
| 5 | 25483 | Eric Reinke | Kim Couranz | 6 | 5 | 5 | -8 | 0.75 | 3 | 19.75 | 5 |
| 6 | 26130 | Bob Oberg | Kristen Jones | -10 | 2 | 2 | 3 | 8 | 5 | 20.00 | 6 |
| 7 | 29148 | Craig Beardsley | Mimi Beardsley | 5 | 7 | 6 | 5 | 7 | -16DNC | 30.00 | 7 |
| 8 | 28199 | Bill Hall | Michelle Morphew | 8 | -10 | 9 | 7 | 6 | 4 | 34.00 | 8 |
| 9 | 24695 | Robert Coyle | Chuck D'Antonio | 9 | 9 | -14 | 12 | 9 | 6 | 45.00 | 9 |
| 10 | 29147 | Alex Pline | Jones Genie | 4 | 8 | 8 | 9 | -16DNC | 16DNC | 45.00 | 10 |
| 11 | 27872 | Charlie Bustamante | Michelle Bustamante | 12 | 14 | 10 | 6 | 10 | -16DNC | 52.00 | 11 |
| 12 | 25522 | Bill Clawson | John Knapp | 11 | -15 | 13 | 14 | 11 | 7 | 56.00 | 12 |
| 13 | 27444 | Mike Delaney | Maggie Delaney | -16DNC | 12 | 12 | 11 | 16DNC | 16DNC | 67.00 | 13 |
| 14T | 29255 | Seiichiro Kashimari | 14 | 11 | 15 | 13 | -16DNC | 16DNC | 69.00 | 14T | |
| 15T | 24806 | David Whyman | Osian Morgan | 13 | 13 | 11 | -16DNC | 16DNC | 16DNC | 69.00 | 15T |
| 16 | 29099 | Ted Pinkerton | Tracy Pinkerton | -16DNC | 16DNC | 16DNC | 16DNC | 16DNC | 16DNC | 80.00 | 16 |