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Raul Rios and Manuel Inserni win Jr. Snipe Nationals

Date: June 20, 2012
Author: David Muhlhausen

PUERTO RICANS WIN THE SNIPE JUNIORS’ NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIPS IN MIAMI’S BEAUTIFUL WIND AND WAVES
Miami, Florida

By Connie Bischoff

The 2012 US Snipe Junior National Championship, hosted by Coral Reef Yacht Club, just ended with clear proof that age and experience count when the wind blows. Raul Rios and crew, Manuel Inserni, won the event on Sunday with a first and a second in the day’s races. Nineteen-year-old Raul used the local knowledge he earned when he won the International 420 Class in last December’s Open Orange Bowl Regatta. He also won the Snipe Juniors last year. His team won with a 4 point lead over San Diego’s 18-year-old Nevin Snow and Claire Reidman. Nevin, an accomplished sailor himself with a National High School Single-Handed and Team Racing Championships under his belt (or should we say life jacket), made a great fight out on the Bay. Unfortunately, their boat capsized in race 4 and they fought their way back to 15th. That race became their discard. In third place were Addison Hackstaff from St. Petersburg Yacht Club and Natalya Doris from Coral Reef Yacht Club. The top local sailing team was Scott Ewing, age 15, and Liz Ryder of Coral Reef Yacht Club who placed 4th. In 9th place, the winners of the “Old Man Diaz Trophy” for the top Special Junior (youth skipper with adult crew) were Coral Reef Yacht Club’s Ivan Shestopalov (recently won the Opti Team Trials qualifying him to represent the United States in the upcoming Optimist World Championships), and crew Nick Voss, a University of Miami Senior and sailing team star. The top all girl team, finishing in 6th place, was made up of Taylor Scheuermann of Coral Reef Yacht Club and Jessica Claflin of Edgewood Yacht Club.

With Saturday’s consistent 15-knot wind and Sunday’s breezes gusting up to 21 knots, the 21 teams put the Snipe Class motto of “Serious Sailing, Serious Fun” into reality. Principal Race Officer Jaime Ramon pushed them to sail hard and Regatta Chair Rich Raymond then hosted them back at Coral Reef Yacht Club where they enjoyed the pool and Opening Ceremonies of the 2012 US Snipe Nationals. Racing for the National Championship begins Monday and will continue through Friday on Biscayne Bay with 46 boats competing.

Raul Rios/ Manuel Inserni (PUR) 2-(-4)-1-1-2 T.(6); 2. Nevin Snow/Claire Reidman (CAL) 1-2-3-(-15)-4 T.(10); 3. Addison Hackstaff/ Natalya Doris (FLA) (-6) 5-6-3-1 T.(15); 4. Scott Ewing/Liz Ryder (FLA) 3-3-8-2-(-13) T.(16); 5. Axel Sly/Pere Puig (FLA) 5-1-(-9)-8-3 T.(17)

Complete results:
http://www.coralreefyachtclub.org/Waterfront/Snipe-Nationals-2012.aspx

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