Farewell from Jerelyn Biehl, Executive Director

After 32 years at the helm of SCIRA, Executive Director Jerelyn Biehl is setting sail on a new chapter.
From guiding the Class through major transitions to attending championships around the world, Jerelyn’s dedication has shaped SCIRA for generations of sailors. She reflects on her journey, the friendships made and hopes for the future in her farewell message.

The Class will be in transition between Executive Directors through December 2025

Farewell from Jerelyn Biehl

After 32 years as Executive Director of SCIRA, it’s time for me to begin a new chapter. This decision comes with mixed emotions, because what started as a role quickly became a way of life — one filled with incredible people, unforgettable experiences, and countless friendships made through sailing.

Back in January, I informed Commodore Martin Bermúdez and the SCIRA Board that I would not be renewing my contract, giving SCIRA plenty of time to find a suitable successor. I’m grateful for the thoughtful way this transition has been handled and confident the Class is in a good spot moving forward.

Over these three decades, I’ve had the privilege of working alongside 23 Commodores and Boards, and with National Secretaries representing more than 32 countries. Together, we’ve steered the Class forward, adapting to change while always keeping the spirit of the Snipe alive.

Looking back, I feel proud of how much the Class has grown and modernized. We moved from faxes and mailed newsletters into the digital age with websites, email, and online membership systems. We streamlined finances, strengthened our archives and records, and introduced tools to help regatta organizers, measurers, and builders keep the Class running smoothly. We brought the Snipe Bulletin in-house, launched new programs like coaching clinics, and found creative ways to promote the Class through merchandise, posters, and even The Best of the Snipe Bulletin. On the international stage, I worked with World Sailing and our National Secretaries to ensure sustainable participation at junior and women’s events and even helped reinstate the Snipe in the Pan Am Games after a brief absence.

The journey has taken me around the world: 15 World Championships, 12 Junior Worlds (including one that will always be extra special as my son’s victory), 4 Women’s Worlds (where I proudly competed), 7 World Masters (three times as competitor), 14 Western Hemisphere & Orient Championships, and 15 Europeans. Each regatta has been more than just a competition — it has been a gathering of friends, old and new, who share the same passion for the wind, the water, and the boat we love.

When I think back to where we started and see where we are now, I feel grateful to have helped guide the Class through so many transitions. But what I treasure most are not the systems or the trophies — it’s the people. The friendships forged through SCIRA have been the real prize, and they will stay with me long after my official duties end.

To my successor, I leave not just an organization, but a family of sailors who care deeply about this Class and its future. You will have the privilege of guiding a community that is passionate, loyal, and always ready to lend a hand. I am confident that SCIRA will continue to thrive and that the next chapter will be just as exciting as the last.

Thank you all for welcoming me, supporting me, and sharing this incredible voyage together. SCIRA is truly a family, and I feel so fortunate to have been part of it for so long. Though I am retiring, I will never be far from the water — or from all of you.

With gratitude, pride and warmest wishes,

Jerelyn Biehl
SCIRA Executive Director 1993-2025

Key milestones during tenure as Executive Director

• Transitioned the Class finances into QuickBooks, separating International and US accounts. Implemented credit card payments for quicker global transactions.
• Transitioned the Snipe Bulletin to in-house production, saving the Class approximately $1,200 per month. Then to a digital newsletter before the website became the primary communication to members.
• Designed and negotiated a custom database to track members, boats, measurement data, and builder information, which also produced reports for National Secretaries.
• Transitioned the Class into the email and web era from a fax/phone/mail system.
• Overhauled the Rulebook into an International-only publication, converting to the metric system and restructuring the Constitution, By-laws, Rules of Conduct, NORs, and SIs.
• Created a Regatta Management Package distributed to all major regatta organizers.
• Assisted in reinstating the Snipe into the Pan Am Games in 2003 after its temporary removal.
• Created promotional posters and “The Best of the Snipe Bulletin,” generating $5,000 in revenue.
• Implemented International Sail Royalties (since 1996), raising $100,000 for the Class.
• Introduced SCIRA merchandise (shirts in 1996, ties in 1999), with additional revenue for the Class.
• Helped design a new measurement program and guidebook, ensuring global consistency with the new frame and sticker system.
• Moved membership registration online, saving an estimated $10,000 in printing and postage over four years.
• Created and managed the Coaching Clinic program (launched in 2014).
• Introduced dedicated websites for major Snipe regattas.
• Transitioned SCIRA’s database to a cloud-based system with online payment.
• Assisted in transitioning from the old SCIRA website to Snipe.org/SnipeToday.
• Transitioned Class to social media platforms for additional communication
• Worked with World Sailing to lower overly restrictive entry thresholds for Junior and Women’s Worlds, ensuring sustainable participation.