2025 Midwinters

The Snipe Midwinters, stop #3 on the winter circuit, held for the third time at the Upper Keys Sailing Club, did not disappoint. This event is held the weekend after the Comodoro Rasco Regatta and is reminiscent of the back to back Midwinters/DonQ regattas of the past. A number of travelers planned this as a “regatta week” and during the days between the Rasco and Midwinters, many teams doing both events found time for some practice sessions in Coconut Grove – often juggling some sailing in between remote work – before heading south. Most of the fleet arrived in Key Largo on Thursday to rig and get in a few hours of practice before the pizza party. 

Racing started at a respectable noontime on Friday with champagne Buttonwood Sound conditions of 6-12 knots from the east, enough to be mostly full hiking. But with the confined area of Buttonwood Sound, it was shifty and there was a real premium to getting off the line cleanly in order to stay on the lifted tack. Often times both sides worked, but it was critical to hit the last several shifts close to the weather mark. Downwind, staying in the pressure throughout the leg, not always an easy task, was the key. Because of the competitive nature of the fleet, after an initial general recall, the race committee went right to the U flag, which stayed for every start thereafter, but was successful in getting the races off in an expedient manner. Three races were completed on this first day.

Launching is from the beach with only a few feet of tide was easy and the entire fleet of 28 boats (a recent record) was in the water and sailing to the course in just a few minutes. Furthermore, the starting line was only a 10 minute sail from the beach. These logistics make sailing here very relaxed, dovetailing perfectly with the vibe of the club in particular and the Keys in general. Just remember if you come next year, make sure to borrow a beach launch dolly if you don’t already have one as the club does not have a crane launch capability. You can beach launch a trailer, but it’s not fun.

Saturday was a carbon copy of Friday’s conditions and with an hour earlier start, four races were completed, giving the fleet time to relax in the late afternoon warmth before the Cuban dinner was served. Sunday was quite a bit lighter with the breeze moving right to the southeast (with big shifts and differences in pressure) making conditions a bit more challenging, similar to the Rasco. Two races were completed in the lighter breeze. Overall, 9 races were completed and at the end of the day only two points separated the top three, Doug Hart/Efe Derman (36), Arthur Blodgett/Laura Varela (37) and last years winner Bradley Adam/Thomas Walker (38). Despite winning five of the nine races, Ernesto Rodriguez/Taylor Scheuermann suffered two UFDs on the last day to finish fourth.

A big thanks to the Upper Keys Sailing Club for continuing to host the Snipe Midwinters and a big thanks for bringing professional photographer Natalie Bailey on to photograph the event; the cost was split between UKSC and the SCIRA USA perpetual fund. The full photo album is available with free downloads (if you use them, please provide photo attribution per the watermark):

https://nataliebailey.smugmug.com/Sailing/SNIPE-MIDWINTERS-2025

Up next on the winter circuit is the Bacardi Invitational in March, a “high production value” regatta, something a little different, but very much fun.

Full Results:

	Sailors	Sail Number	Boat Name	Club/Org	Net	Total	R1	R2	R3	R4	R5	R6	R7	R8	R9
1	Doug Hart Efe Derman	31297	None	MBYC	36	52	4	5	[16]	2	3	4	10	1	7
2	Arthur Blodgett Laura Varela	31771	Mary Alice	Severn Sailing Association	37	66	3	6	5	5	7	3	5	[UFD – 29]	3
3	Bradley Adam Thomas Walker	29044	None	Severn Sailing Association	38	48	1	9	[10]	7	6	2	8	3	2
4	Ernesto Rodriguez Taylor Scheuermann	31337	None	Miami Snipe fleet	44	73	2	8	1	1	1	1	1	[UFD – 29]	UFD – 29
5	Evan Hoffmann Jillian Aydolette	31770	Riggity Riggity Wrecked Son!	San Diego Yacht Club	53	70	[17]	1	9	3	16	9	12	2	1
6	Mark Spearman Alejandra Harris	31776	Rome	RFBYC/CGSC	61	90	6	4	14	6	5	8	7	[UFD – 29]	11
7	Danny Lawless	31637	None	Rochester Yacht Club	69	91	11	[22]	17	11	4	5	4	5	12
8	Aidan Dennis Ciara Rodriguez-Horan	131776	Flat Spin	Lakewood YC	70	90	10	10	2	9	[20]	11	6	12	10
9	Carol Cronin Kim Couranz	31295	None	Severn Sailing Association	71	86	9	13	6	8	10	12	3	10	[15]
10	Lisa Pline Alex Pline	31313	Old Folks Boogie	Severn Sailing Association	71	94	15	[23]	7	4	8	10	9	14	4
11	Luiz Felipe Caneppa	31111	Black Belt	ICRJ	74	103	12	12	15	10	2	6	11	6	[UFD – 29]
12	Kevin Reali Ashley Reali	29112	None	SPYC	78	107	[DNF – 29]	3	8	DNF – 29	9	7	2	15	5
13	Miguel Costa Feargal Finlay	12733	Leandro	RCNPalma	86	115	8	2	3	[UFD – 29]	14	14	17	8	20
14	Marina Cano Anna Flynn	28702	Dog Mom’s	🙂	86	105	5	14	11	14	11	[19]	14	4	13
15	Amanda Kremer Ryan Schubert	31790	None	None	110	139	13	7	4	17	18	15	16	20	[UFD – 29]
16	Emilie Leung Simon Leung	29324	None	GCBC/PCYC	121	140	14	16	13	12	17	16	[19]	17	16
17	Asher Zittrer Leigh Zittrer	1300	Slippery When Wet	Obyc	122	145	20	15	12	18	12	13	13	19	[23]
18	Jim Bowers Julia Marsh Rabin	31555	None	Winchester Boat Club	124	145	16	18	[21]	15	15	20	21	13	6
19	Greg Virgin Nikki Bruno	31805	None	SSA	124	146	19	11	18	21	[22]	18	18	11	8
20	Emmy Geller	27903	Malibu	Davis Island Yacht Club	129	155	[26]	17	24	16	13	21	22	7	9
21	Audrey Foley Avery Baldwin	69	Prime Real Estate	LYC/CRYC	129	150	7	[21]	20	13	19	17	15	21	17
22	Gene Soltero Laura O’leary	30777	Princess Soggy Bottom VIII	Dallas Snipe Fleet 001	149	178	18	19	19	19	[UFD – 29]	22	20	18	14
23	Adam Field	30618	None	None	162	187	24	20	23	20	[25]	23	24	9	19
24	Charles Green	31847	Snipeovation	CGSC	179	208	21	24	22	[UFD – 29]	24	24	27	16	21
25	Joe Frey Victor Franco	31977	Good Vibes	Lincoln Snipe Fleet	191	220	22	26	[UFD – 29]	UFD – 29	21	25	26	24	18
26	John Buckley Mary Buckley	31636	None	Lincoln Snipe Fleet 567	194	221	25	25	25	22	[27]	27	23	25	22
27	Matthew Johns Dave Daniels	24711	Lily Rose	North Channel Boat Club	199	227	27	27	26	24	23	26	[28]	22	24
28	Sonya Glasser Grace Fang	28376	None	210	203	232	23	28	27	23	26	28	25	23	[UFD – 29]