Uruguay Remembrance Regatta

photos | results

A new idea to promote our Snipe Class went under way on November 9th and 10th in Uruguay. Originally thought an "Old Snipers Regatta", the competitors, who did not think themselves "old" changed it to "Remembrance Regatta". According to the logo that Juan Grunwaldt and Miguel Vidal designed, "Jurassic Park Regatta" would have perfectly fit!

Even before the World Championship, we were thinking in how to motivate ex-Snipers to enjoy sailing in the class again. Several reasons prevented them to race regularly. Being overweight in combination with their former crews, the impossibility of taking time out of their families or just feeling that they were not competitive any more were among those reasons.

We organized a regatta for skippers and crews who did not sail Snipes regularly in the past 10 years. The key to the great success was giving the chance to former crews to enjoy competing against others in the same condition. Different to the Master category, where master skippers chose younger crews, current snipers were not allowed to race and were all asked to lend their boats to their old fellows. A special wind limit of 15 Kt was established, to make the boat lenders sure that no crew would need to hike out hard with their 170 Kg (375 pounds)!

On a unstable forecast for the weekend, we realized that we only had chance to race on Saturday. In spite of the changing and light wind, they went out and raced 3 excellent W-L under the cheers of a big crowd. As Carlos (Tico) Gomez, the club's Race Officer, was also racing, the RC was formed by current Snipers. They did an excellent job, changing the course several times, and even pleasing Tico! On Sunday the forecast prevailed and a 30 Kt Pampero ended the championship with Saturday's races only.

Crews included Horacio García Pastori/Felix Leborgne (4th in 1975 Worlds), who raced against their sons Alejandro, Horacio and Felix. Also Fernando Thode/Alberto Demichelli (Bronze Medal in 1983 Pan Am Games) and Carlos Murguía/José (Bocha) Torre took part of this regatta, fighting until the last minute for the first place, which was finally won by Murguía/Torre.

The trophy presented by Aldo Centanaro carried the name of the late sniper Dr. Pedro Garra. Everybody agreed that he would not have participated in this regatta, as he would have been racing regularly still!

At the closing ceremony Alberto Demichelli showed an collection of old photographs that everybody enjoyed. The atmosphere was so high, that 2 championships of this type were already scheduled on the spot for 2003. An unofficial concession was made to the ones that decide to buy a Snipe and start racing regularly again: they will be allowed to race anyway in 2003!

We would like to encourage fleets of the rest of the world to try to bring back former snipers in this way. In addition to the pleasure of helping them reencounter with their fellows and enjoy racing in state of the art Snipes, the spirit builds on the one of younger generations. As always, a very special Snipe family feeling was present in the "Remembrance Regatta 2002".

Pedro Garra

Photos

Results

YACHT CLUB URUGUAYO
REGATA DE LA NOSTALGIA - CLASE SNIPE
NOVIEMBRE 2002
SERIES SUMMARY

Pl	Sail #	Crew	1	2	3	Tot.
1	28193	CARLOS MURGUIA & JOSE TORRE	4	0.75	0.75	5.5
2	28026	FERNANDO THODE & ALBERTO DEMICHELLI	0.75	3	2	5.75
3	29828	EDUARDO THODE & RICARDO UMPIERRE	2	2	7	11
4	29785	HORACIO GARCIA PASTORI & FELIX LEBORGNE	7	4	5	16
5	29825	ALDO CENTANARO & PATRICIO LEBORGNE	5	5	6	16
6	28025	FEDERICO CARRAU & ENRIQUE DE SOUZA	3	6	15	24
7	28826	ALEJANDRO SALUSTIO & GABRIEL FAGGI	10	10	4	24
8	21597	BERND KNUPPEL & JORGE SANGUINETTI	12	11	3	26
9	29824	ALEJANDRO GARCIA TERRA & FELIX LEBORGNE (H)	6	14	8	28
10	29829	HORACIO GARCIA TERRA & LEONARDO FILIPELLI	11	7	13	31
11	28774	FERNANDO MONTERO & ALEJANDRO MONTERO	8	9	14	31
12	29251	RICARDO MIGNONE & JORGE MANGANELLI	15	8	10	33
13	28579	GUSTAVO RAÑA & MIGUEL VIDAL	14	12	9	35
14	29827	FEDERICO GRUNWALDT & JUAN GRUNWALDT	9	16	12	37
15	28024	JOSE PETORUTTI & MARIO GULLO	13	15	11	39
16	29886	CARLOS GOMEZ & MARIO CARBALLO	16	13	16	45

13 Nov, '02
St. Pete Scorer