Interview with the World Champion

In this interesting interview Julio Alsogaray, 2024 Snipe World Champion with his crew Malena Sciarra, talks about his sailing career, the Snipe and the last Worlds in Buenos Aires.

How many years have you sailed the Snipe?

I had just one experience in Snipe at the 2017 South American Championship in Buenos Aires, with Dante Citadini, and then we started the campaign in September 2022, together with Malena Sciarra, 2 years and 3 months.

With Male, we started the campaign together and from then on we have always been together… she is a gem… we get along very well and coordinate perfectly, especially downwind running where she provides the extra for the boat to sail fast.

Before starting the campaign I was motivated by the pictures of Matías Cappizano from the World Championship in Cascais, thinking about how nice it was to sail and race in Snipe, and then Luis Soubie announced that the World Championship was going to take place in Argentina and in Dársena Norte, and my enthusiasm and interest was total, so I took off…

I started sailing at the San Pedro Yacht Club in 1988, when I was 8 years old, since I was born on April 11, 1980. And since then I have never stopped, and have always been very competitive. I like to race, plan long-term championships and enjoy the process and the lessons, and with the Snipe I got all this in. I loved the class, its people, its friendliness and the boat´s handling. It is a class that I fell in love with.

Tuve una sola experiencia en Snipe en el sudamericano 2017 de Buenos Aires, junto a Dante Citadini, y luego empezamos campaña en Septiempre 2022, Junto a Malena Sciarra, 2 años y 3 meses.

Junto con male empezamos la campaña juntos y de ahí siempre juntos… es una joya.. nos llevamos muy bien y coordinamos a la perfección especialmente en las popas que ella pone el plus para q el barco navegue rápido.

Antes de empezar campaña fui motivado por las imágenes de Matías Cappizano del Mundial de cascáis, diciendo que lindo navegar y correr en Snipe, y luego Luis Soubie, comunico que el mundial iba hacer en Argentina y en Dársena Norte, mi entusiasmo y mi interés fue completo y arranque…

Yo empecé a navegar en el Club Náutico San Pedro 1988, con 8 años, ya que nací 11 de abril 1980. Y desde entonces no paré nunca, y siempre fui muy competitivo, a mi me gusta correr, planificar campeonatos a largo plazo y disfrutar el proceso y aprendizaje, y con el Snipe puse todo esto, me encantó la clase su gente, su cordialidad y manejo. Es una clase que me enamoró.

What are your main victories in the past, before the Worlds?

I have a great experience in Optimist:

4^th at the Worlds, Mar del Plata 1992, and runner-up in team racing.

3^rd at the Worlds, Sardinia 1994, and champion in team racings.

41th at the Worlds, Mariehamn 1995, and runner-up in team racing.

Laser:

Runner-up at the Worlds, 2008 Australia.

4^th at the Worlds , Canada 2009

4^th at the Worlds , United Kingdom 2010

10^th at the Worlds , Germany 2012

11^th at the Worlds , Mexico 2016.

Olympic Games:

7^th (Diploma), Beijing 2008

11^th, London 2012

10^th (Medal Race), Rio de Janeiro 2016

Pan American Games:

3^rd, Río de Janeiro 2007

1^st, Guadalajara 2011

6^th, Toronto 2015

Lightning:

World, North American and South American champion, 2017

Snipe:

National champion, 2022 and 2023

Gold, Pan American Games, Chile 2023.

South American champion, Porto Alegre 2024.

World champion, Buenos Aires 2024.

F18:

10^th at the Worlds, Buenos Aires 2016.

You sailed a lot in the Laser Class. How important was to sail in this Class and how did you adapt your Laser technique in the Snipe?

Having all this experience, the practice of planning championships and regattas, visualization and attention to detail makes the difference!

As for the imported technique from Laser, especially downwing, with more than 12 knots where the Snipe goes down waves, it becomes very similar to the Laser, and there we feel very comfortable and very fast…

Regarding the upwind leg, the hiking and stearing the boat is similar, but the Snipe in high mode is very difficult and I had to adapt to that… strategically you sail differently. You have to take advantage of every change of wind and not hesitate…

Contando con toda esta experiencia, y el ejercicio de planificar los campeonatos y las regatas y la visualización y estar en los detalles se hace la diferencia!

En cuanto a la técnica adaptada en láser especialmente en las popas, con más de 12 nudos donde el Snipe baja olas, se hace muy similar al Laser, y ahí si nos sentimos muy cómodos y muy veloces…

Y en cuanto a las ceñidas, la colgada y llevada el snipe es similar, pero bueno el snipe va a modo alto, cuesta mucho cerrar y me tuve que adaptar a eso… q estratégicamente se corre diferente. Hay q aprovechar cada cambio de viento y no dudar…

Was it an advantage for you to sail in Buenos Aires?

For me, sailing the World Championships in Buenos Aires is like running in my backyard. I trained a lot on that area, I felt very comfortable, but I also had a lot of uncertainty because the course was very close to the port breakwater where I had never sailed and the current and the effect of the wind are not what I expected, and the wave is really short… but it’s my home…

I have been competing in the Buenos Aires Week in the same month since 1999… for 25 years without interruption… and that gives me confidence… a lot of it…

Para mi correr el mundial en Buenos Aires es como correr en el jardín de mi casa, entrené muchísimo en esa cancha, me sentí muy cómodo, igual tuve una gran incertidumbre porque estaba fondeado muy cerca de la escollera del puerto donde nunca corrí y la corriente y el efecto del viento no es lo.

Mismo, y la ola re cortita.. pero es mi casa..

Yo desde el 1999 corro la Semana de Buenos Aires en el mismo mes… hace 25 años ininterrumpidos… y da confianza.. y mucha..

Did you have a coach during the Worlds?

For both the Pan American Games and the World Championships, we worked very hard in the previous months with Alejandro Noé, which was fundamental for me. The final set-up is essential, working on the sailing, driving, set-up, equipment, getting the whole boat ready, studying the race course, studying the sails trimming, etc. Without this final set-up, it is impossible, and lots of sailing, until the boat becomes part of you.

Tanto para los Juegos Panamericanos y Mundial trabajamos muy fuerte los meses previos junto a Alejandro Noé, que para mí fue fundamental, la puesta a punto final es indispensable, tanto trabajar en la llevada, conducción, puesta a punto, equipamiento, alistar todo el barco, estudiar campo de regatas, estudiar llevada de las velas. etc. Sin esa puesta a punto final es imposible y navegar mucho, así el barco pasa a ser parte de uno mismo.

Can you describe your week in Buenos Aires during the Worlds and how did you manage this long week of sailing? How were your expectations at the beginning of the regatta and your strategy day by day?

During the week of the World Championship it was hard to get started! It is always hard psychologically, but in this championship in particular, because in the first day there was no races due to lack of wind and the second day was a long one until the breeze came in, there was a lot of anxiety to manage but ok, you have to find ways to keep your head calm. The first two races were hard because we did not get off to a good start and it was very difficult for us, especially the first one, but the second one was a bit easier to make decisions.

On the third day of racing, so for race 2 and 3, we decided to go out more aggressively in the starts and that change of attitude was decisive from then.

On the fourth day, with medium, stable winds from the SE and waves just the way I like them and 100% confidence, we were able to achieve a wonderful day that put us at the top.

Durante la semana del mundial fue duro arrancar!! Va siempre es duro psicológicamente, pero en este campeonato en especial que el primer día no se corrio por falta de viento y el segundo se hizo rogar hasta que entró la brisa, mucha ansiedad se maneja pero bueno hay que buscar formas para q la cabeza esté tranquila. Pero bueno las dos primeras regatas fueron dura ya que no largamos bien y nos costó mucho espacialmente la primera, ya la segunda un poco más suelta para tomar decisiones.

En cuanto el tercer día de regatas que fueron la 2 y tercer regatas nos planteamos salir más agresivo en las partidas y ese cambio de actitud, fue decisivos de ahí en más..

Ya para el 4 día y con vientos medios estable del SE y ola como a mi me gusta y la confianza al 100% pudimos lograr un día maravilloso donde nos colocó en la sima.

On the last day you were leading. Which was your plan on the last day and before the last race?

As for the last day, it seemed like we were solid, but with the discards we had only a 10 point margin, which with a compact fleet and an offshore wind was not easy.

In the penultimate race on the last running downwind we had the wind and the technique on our side… we hung on to a gust on the left and by planning and going down the wave we managed to pass several boats, including Ernesto, and get a 15 point lead over him, which put us in a very favorable position…

But still the last race left and it was required for us a place same or below our excluded race while Ernesto not to finish in the top 3. The first upwind was very tricky, fortunately, and none of us rounded the first mark in good position. He came back during the race up to 6th but it was enough for us to be World Champion.

En cuanto al último día parecía que estábamos sólidos pero con descarte solo estábamos a 10 puntos que con flota compacta y viento del tierra no fue fácil.

La ante íntima regata en la última popa tuvimos el viento y la técnica de nuestro lado… nos colgamos de una racha por la izquierda y planeando y bajando ola logramos pasar varios barcos entre ellos a Ernesto y sacarle 15 puntos de diferencia y eso nos ponía en una situación muy favorable…

Pero todavía había q correr la última y solo tenía q pasar q Ernesto salga dentro de los 3 primeros y nosotros el descarte y por suerte fue muy complicada la primera ceñida y ninguno de los dos derivó bien, y el pudo llegar hasta el 6to lugar y con eso nos alcanzaba para cumplir nuestro sueño de salir campeones mundiales…

Can you describe your equipment (boats, mast, sails)?

Our equipment is standard:

Boat DB Marine DBR1 2022

Mast Sidewinder Gold

Sails North Argentina CB2 and SW3

Rudder Zeltic

Centerboard DB

Do you have a person to whom you dedicate your victory at the Worlds?

All of this achievement is undoubtedly thanks to Mateo and Martina, my children. They are my driving force every day, and I am grateful for the support of Enard, Fay, SDN, the club that we represent and where we were born, the San Pedro Yacht Club and our new club in Buenos Aires, the Yacht Club Olivos. Thanks to them we were able to have the time and budget to get there in the best shape and dedicate ourselves to sailing, which is what we do best!!

Todo este logro sin dudas son gracias a Mateo y Martina mis hijos.. son mi motor de todos los días, y agradecido por el Apoyo del Enard, fay, SDN, al club que respresentamos y donde nacimos al Club Náutico San Pedro y nuestro nuevo club de Buenos Aires el Yacht Club Olivos. Gracias a ellos pudimos tener tiempo y presupuesto para llegar de la mejor forma y dedicarnos a navegar, q es lo

Mejor sabemos hacer!!

Your programs for the future?

Para el próximo año, tenemos un calendario muy bueno y divertido.

Febrero Mar del plata, arg.

Marzo en Buenos Aires

Abril Sudamericano Caldera Chile

Mayo en Córdoba Arg y Buenos Aires.

Junio : Semana de la Bandera en Rosario, Arg.

Septiembre: Europeo en Portugal y Buenos Aires.

Octubre: Semana de Buenos Aires.

Noviembre: Nacional Snipe

Santa Fe.