Commodore’s Address

Dear members,

As we approach the end of 2025, we reflect on a year marked by significant restructuring and hard work. The Board of Governors and the Technical Committee have held numerous meetings and dedicated countless hours to this effort. We are fortunate to have such a strong and committed team, and I would like to publicly express my sincere gratitude to everyone involved.

Looking ahead to 2026, after more than ten years without any change to membership fees, we are planning a series of initiatives that will require a modest increase in fees for both members and manufacturers.

The Snipe Class is in a strong position today, and this is precisely the moment to invest in its future. By taking these steps now, we can ensure continued growth as we work to further strengthen and consolidate our standing.

Among the projects we would like to develop are the following:

1. Promotion of the youth class, through World Championship and Junior Continental Championships.

We want to subsidize a youth team from each country, to encourage more sailors to attend these championships; to obtain this financial aid, countries must hold a junior selection regatta, which will in turn motivate more sailors to attend and fight for the first position.

2. Promotion of women’s and mixed sailing, with the organization and promotion of World and Continental Championships.

A mixed European Championship is already being held in Europe, and perhaps we should also consider holding one in the Southern Hemisphere or a Mixed World Championship.

3. Promotion of the Class: emerging countries, new fleets and countries which have seen a decline in the number of boats in recent years, will be offered help from SCIRA by organizing training clinics and video conferences for those fleets, which we most definitely cannot afford to lose.

4. New technologies: we believe that we must not fall behind in this area, and the use of systems such as Vakaros is yielding great results in other classes. Given that other brands are developing similar systems, I would not dare to decide on one system or another for now, but it would be good to take advantage of this new technology in the next World Championship.

For these and other projects that will continue to grow our fleets, the Snipe Class will need everyone’s support and contributions.

I hope to see you soon on the water and wish you a very Merry Christmas and a 2026 full of successful regattas.

All the best,

Martin Bermúdez de la Puente

SCIRA Commodore 2025 – 2026