John Rose (USA)

John was the Snipe Class historian. His father bought him his first Snipe in 1948 for $200. He went on to own 18 Snipes. In his later years he loved to restore Snipes and had a small collection, one boat from each decade 1940’s, 1950’s, 1960’s, and the 1970s. He had a vision of each country starting a classic Snipe Museum. He even dreamed of a Snipe retirement community, close to a body of water so the Masters could continue sailing. 

He would do tireless research on a specific boat or fleet, not only in the United States but around the world. He helped to reconstruct the history of fleets in Italy and Northern Ireland, for example. John was the person you went to if you wanted to know the history of a boat or a fleet. He collected and maintained an extensive collection of historical information on Snipes and their owners. 

John was instrumental in bringing the Snipe Fleet #444 to Seattle. He died in 2022 and his knowledge is missed by the Class. 

SnipeToday: 14 Questions to John Rose