Controlling Our Fleet Destiny: 2025 Newport Snipe Sailing

by Carol Cronin 09/12/2025

Photo: The midsummer Newport Regatta attracted 29 Snipes. ©DanielForster.com/Sail Newport

by Carol Cronin – from Where Books Meet Boats

On Labor Day, Narragansett Bay’s Snipe Fleet 17 scheduled a final Monday of racing with a fleet dinner afterward: the local version of our class motto, Serious Sailing, Serious Fun. Making the familiar commute, I found myself smiling. Because there is nothing—absolutely nothing—quite so satisfying as driving INTO Newport to go sailing when so many others are already driving OUT of town, their summers over.

I was also smiling because summer Mondays are now synonymous with Snipe sailing. After boisterous discussions at our May fleet social, we settled on a low-key rabbit start approach that kept our small but intense fleet close together and allowed us to complete 3–4 short races each night. 3-6 boats sailed most Monday evenings from mid-June to mid-August, and we made sure to get ashore in time for a sunset debrief. The flexible format (and excellent summer weather) both welcomed newcomers and challenged Snipe veterans, because we could all learn at our own pace. And though no race committee meant no scores recorded, no one seemed to mind.