Lisa Pline Takes 4th US National Women’s Snipe Championship

By Sydney Brown, Lincoln Sailing Club, Fleet #567

Light air and shifty winds on a Midwestern lake were played to perfection by Annapolis Fleet #532’s Lisa Pline and crew Laura Varela to take Pline’s fifth US National Women’s Snipe Championship with 6 points. However, Colorado’s Amanda Kremer and crew, Alanna Fernandez, both from Rocky Mountain Fleet #210, insisted Pline earn the title and delivered Pline’s only loss in a photo finish in race five of seven. With 11 points, Kremer and Fernandez finished second and were six points ahead of third place finishers Devon Feusahrens and Valentina Kraiselburd, also of Annapolis.

While the top three battled it out at the front of the fleet, a fierce contest for fourth place entertained those aboard three spectator boats. Sailing newcomers Sydney Brown and crew Marcia Dority took what they learned in Alex Pline’s Friday clinic and used it to some effect in their efforts to best fellow Fleet #567 members Mary Buckley and her crew Ayndrea Cannon. At the end of the five races held on Saturday, August 11, Buckley had the advantage by a single point. However, after the final race Sunday, Brown’s errors had added up while Buckley’s consistent best-of-the-rest finishes put her solidly in fourth with 28 points, while Brown finished fifth with 34 points.

The Susan Waskow Memorial Trophy was awarded to sixth-place crew Lily Guthrie of Dallas Fleet #001. The trophy is awarded to the first crew who doesn’t place and get a regatta trophy. Susan crewed for her husband Darryl for many years.

“We always had fun, but didn’t win hardware,” Darryl said. “This is a way to honor the memories of Susan- her spirit and dedication as crew.” Susan was killed in 2021 by a motorist while riding her bike. Her husband, Darryl, introduced her to sailing and they enjoyed racing Snipes and Lightings. Susan enjoyed the sailing community as much as the competition.

The three-day championship event was held at the Lincoln Sailing Club in Lincoln, Nebraska, at Branched Oak Lake August 9 through the 11. A total of 15 teams took part with skippers and crew from New York, Maryland, California, Colorado, Missouri, Kansas, Nebraska, and Texas. The uncharacteristically cool temperatures in the 60s and 70s combined with an overcast sky kept motorboat chop to a minimum and competitors enjoyed excellent conditions for testing their skills. The club previously hosted Women’s Nationals in 2019.

Leading up to the championship, Lincoln Sailing Club hosted Tuesday night practice sessions which helped local sailors gain skills and confidence to participate.

“This time last year, I was struggling to round a mark consistently, so I’m very grateful for all the mentorship at LSC that helped me get out there today and I’m excited to keep learning as a sailor,” said Laura Selivanoff, who finished the event in 14th place.

The day before races began, attendees enjoyed a day-long opportunity to learn from Alex Pline.

Beginning in the morning, Pline took competitors through rigging and tuning their Snipes, even highlighting a new rule addressing the length of the safety line affixing the centerboard to the centerboard trunk. While intended to ensure the requisite minimum 12 inches of board below the keel while racing, the rule also ensures a way to right the vessel in the event of a capsize. An inopportune gust later in the day illustrated the importance of such a measure.

After lunch, competitors took to the water for some practice starts and a couple of short races. During the following chalk talk, many questions were posed and Pline, along with chief race officer Will Thomas and SCIRA representative John Buckley, shared their knowledge and feedback.

“This is really nice. It’s like people can ask even a beginner question without feeling judged,” a male volunteer whispered.

After the chalk talk, lively conversation and laughter filled the venue as old friends arrived and new friends were made.

On Saturday,winds were light ranging from 5-8 knots from the southwest. Racing started at 10 and two races were held before lunch. After lunch and concerned about Sunday’s forecast, the race committee decided to run three races for a total of five. At the end of the day, tired sailors were revived with a cocktail social followed by a prime rib and grilled salmon dinner, orchestrated by club commodore, Andrew Ozaki.

“If there was a gold medal for regatta food, you’d be the winners,” announced the eventual regatta champ Lisa Pline.

Sunday morning’s lack of wind delayed the 930 start until 10 when ripples and a smattering of raindrops disrupted the lake’s glass smooth sheen. The southeast breeze stayed constant and two races were held. They served only to cement the rankings with the exception of places 9 and 10 with Sonya Glasser and Grace Fang moving ahead of Cait Park and Anne Hansen.

All boats were off the water shortly after noon and competitors enjoyed a hearty lunch followed by awards and announcements of upcoming regattas.

Trophies were made and donated by Roberto Guaragna. Roberto graciously designed and hand crafted the trophies for the 2024 Snipe Mid-Winters and dedicated his time to do the same for Women’s Nationals 2024. Roberto said this is a way he can give back to the Snipe community that has long been an active and important part of his life for so many years. He lives in Miami and can be found high on the roster of several East Coast Snipe regattas.

The championship gave women opportunities to take on roles they might not have otherwise, as well as sail a different model of boat — the Snipe.

“I think all the events I’ve attended are very supportive – but there is a special comradery that comes with women-only events. I think this type of event gives women a chance to skipper boats who might have otherwise been crew and also gives people like me and Jen and maybe others a chance to crew on a boat we have little experience with. If this were not women-only, there would have been plenty of experienced sailors and we likely wouldn’t have taken part since we don’t sail snipes. There were quite a few sailors who were new to snipes and I think events like this are a great and less intimidating way to promote participation among women.”

— Heather Piscatelli, crew of 7th place skipper Lexi Hind.

According to long-time Snipe sailors and 2024 champions, the welcoming and supportive atmosphere isn’t unique to women-only events, but is rather a general quality of Snipe regattas and sailors.

“If you sail a Snipe, you’re really part of a big family around the world,” Varela said during the awards ceremony.

Major regattas like this one require massive volunteer support, both from the Lincoln fleet and many others from around the District 2 region. In addition to all the types of activities such as food and venue preparation, people loaned their sailboats to racers who did not have their own, or who flew in for the event. Afterall, unlike a bicycle or a surfboard, a 14-foot two-person sailboat can’t be checked at the airport.

Fourth-place skipper Mary Buckley said the effort was worth it because it introduced new people to the Snipe class.

“Many teams participated in their very first Snipe regatta. In fact, three teams from the Kansas City area had only been in a Snipe once or twice before and new class member, Chris Bradshaw, from Jacomo Sailing Club, asked where she could find out about other Snipe regattas.”

For others, the event sparked interest in racing other Snipe regattas in the region.

That new Snipe sailors express this type of interest is a hallmark of a successful event and hope that the Snipe class will grow and thrive.

Final Results Download