Snipe Midwinters

Key Largo, FL, USA, February 12, 2023. Final results after 6 races (1 discard):

1. Ernesto Rodriguez & BB Bellacosa, 7
2. Raul Rios & Lexi Pline, 17
3. Enrique Quintero & Charlie Bess, 19
4. Trevor Bornath & Kathryn Bornath, 26
5. Felipe Canela & Alfredo Rovere, 28

80th Snipe Midwinters: New Venue, Old Friends

by Carol Cronin

After four years without a Midwinter championship, the Snipe Class leaped at an offer from the Upper Keys Sailing Club on Key Largo to host a weekend regatta immediately following the Comodoro Rasco in Miami. And after six races over two fantastic but quite different sailing days, I think all of the 28 teams appreciated the well-honed balance of Serious Sailing, Serious Fun found on Buttonwood Sound. A large bay on the “inside” of the Keys, depths of around six feet keep powerboat traffic to a minimum (even on a chamber of commerce Saturday). Onshore, UKSC Commodore Mike Austin led a large welcoming group of volunteers who organized trailer dropoff and storage, keeping traffic calm and flowing through the tight parking area. And there was pizza after rigging!

Commodore Mike was also our PRO, and his RC team fit in four races Saturday in a warm and gentle 8-12 knot southerly. Ernesto Rodriguez/BB Bellacosa had three bullets; Enrique Quintero/Charlie Bess also started off strong with a 2,1, but a pair of eighths left them tied with Raul Rios/Lexi Pline overnight.

After racing, UKSC offered up their friendly bar service as well as a great Cuban dinner. Dessert? That was a gorgeous sunset easily viewed from the dock and beach, surrounded by Snipe friends new and old. An excellent opportunity to chat with Commodore Mike about how to make this our new Midwinters home…

A cold front went through Saturday night, and we arrived on Sunday to see whitecaps kicked up by a 15-17 knot westerly, with breaking waves on the launching beach. With the breeze forecast to increase as the day went on, a few boats chose to pack up. Everyone else managed to launch safely and head out for a planned three races. 

The course was a two lap double triangle with the start/finish line in the middle, appropriate for the 15-18 knot breeze that built to the low 20s by the finish of race six. Reaches were fairly deep, so staying low always paid off. When Rodriguez/Bellacosa capsized on the second beat of the first race in a tack, the door opened for Rios/Pline to take the regatta (and also gave Trevor and Katie Bornarth a race win). But Rodriguez/Bellacosa came from behind to win the sixth race, and when the race committee decided the breeze had built too much and sent the fleet home, they took the regatta by 10 points over Rios/Pline.

Getting back ashore required a lot of cooperation and skillful boathandling, but soon we were all packing up—fueled by both an active bar and the burgers/hot dogs cooked up by regatta supporters. At the awards, when Commodore Mike offered to host the regatta again next year, there was a rousing cheer from the fleet. Dare I suggest that a new Midwinter tradition has been created?

	SAILORS	SAIL NUMBER	BOAT NAME	CLUB/ORG	NET	TOTAL	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6
1	Ernesto Rodriguez BB Bellacosa	31337	None	Royal Hialeah Yacht Club	7	17	1	3	1	1	[10]	1
2	Raul Rios Lexi Pline	29841	Chico	FVPR/CNSJ/SSA	17	24	5	[7]	3	4	3	2
3	Enrique Quintero Charlie Bess	31144	MAQ	Coral Reef Yacht Club	19	27	2	1	[8]	8	5	3
4	Trevor Bornarth Kathryn Bornarth	30321	Black Jack	Usscmc	26	34	6	[8]	6	5	1	8
5	Felipe Caneppa Alfredo Rovere	31111	Black Belt	Flamengo	28	46	8	4	[18]	6	4	6
6	Trevor Davis Diego Escobar	29940	Bad Panda Racing	Severn Sailing Association	30	42	9	[12]	5	3	2	11
7	Ava Anderson Watt Duffy	31300	Geaux Fast	Ocean Beach Yacht Club	34	51	4	[17]	4	12	7	7
8	Asher Zittrer Noah Zittrer	1300	None	Tulane / CofC / Lakewood Yacht Club	38	53	11	11	[15]	2	9	5
9	Carol Cronin Kim Couranz	31295	None	Severn Sailing Association	41	57	[16]	10	7	14	6	4
10	Charles Green	31776	None	US Sailing Center	41	41	–	–	–	–	21	20
11	Marina Cano Martin Hermida	29511	None	NYYC	47	72	7	[25]	2	9	15	14
12	Evan Hoffmann Shira Golub	31770	Pickle Rick	San Diego Yacht Club	48	67	3	6	10	[19]	14	15
13	Alex Pline Lisa Pline	31313	Old Folks Boogie	Severn Sailing Association	51	65	12	9	[14]	10	11	9
14	Peter Commette Ana Smith	31442	Ana & the King	Lauderdale YC/Mantoloking YC	57	77	19	2	12	[20]	12	12
15	Tyler Mowry Marissa Milliken	30928	TBD	Severn Sailing Association	61	83	15	15	[22]	13	8	10
16	Gavin McKinney Nikki Bruno	30202	None	Nassau yacht club	65	87	10	[22]	11	15	16	13
17	Andre Guaragna Logan Brickhouse	30023	None	Fleet 007 – Miami	67	86	14	5	[19]	18	13	17
18	James Lowe David Weir	BAH30511	None	Nassau Yacht Club	82	111	24	18	13	7	20	[DNC – 29]
19	Roberto Guaragna Isabel Guaragna	30743	Echo	Miami #7	88	117	13	19	16	11	[DNC – 29]	DNC – 29
20	Devon Feusahrens Jill Bennett	30860	Her Fault	Severn Sailing Association	92	115	21	[23]	17	17	18	19
21	Greg Virgin Chloe Constants	31805	None	Severn Sailing Association	94	117	18	20	21	[23]	17	18
22	Luis Borba Sarah Smith	31104	None	Yacht Club Paulista	96	121	17	24	20	[25]	19	16
23	Amanda Kremer Ryan Schubert	31790	None	Fleet 210 – Rocky Mountain	97	126	23	14	9	22	[DNS – 29]	DNC – 29
24	Charles Green	31776	Forever Young	US Sailing Center Miami	105	105	25	RET – 29	25	26	–	–
25	Rafael Jarauta Katrina Washburn	28812	RealtyWonders.com	US Sailing	110	139	20	13	24	24	[DNC – 29]	DNC – 29
26	Roberto Lizano Lorena Fundora	30888	None	Jaimanitaclub	114	143	22	16	26	21	[DNC – 29]	DNC – 29
27	Corinne Sackett Maddy Mcsweeney	30687	None	Edgewater Yacht Club	115	144	26	21	23	16	[RET – 29]	DNC – 29
28	Sarah Alexander	31635	None	Severn Sailing Association	145	174	[DNS – 29]	DNS – 29	DNS – 29	DNS – 29	DNC – 29	DNC – 29

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

•