Snipe Western Hemisphere and Orient Championship overall

by Jerelyn Biehl on 27 Nov 2012 At the Snipe Western Hemisphere and Orient Championship, Bruno Bethlem and Dante Bianchi proved their championship status by adding one more title to their resume. Three races were held on the final day on the Mar del Plata, finally serving up the conditions everyone had come for. The gradually building sea breeze was back with races held in 15-20 knots and providing optimal conditions for the Snipe.

Bethlem and Bianchi sailed a 8-9-(41) for their final races, realizing they had won the championship prior to the last race. Local sailors Luis Soubie and Diego Lipsszyc (ARG) turned it on the final day to move them up considerably in the standings to finish second overall, 10 points behind the leaders. Junichiro Shiraishi and Sinsei Ueda (JPN) dropped one position to finish third overall after a stellar week on the race course.

The top Master was Augie Diaz with Kathleen Tocke (USA) crewing who finished sixth overall. The top junior team was Yasuhiori Oguri and Naoyuku Nanba (JPN) who finished 17th overall with the honors of the top female team going to Brenda Quagliotti and Victoria Courtade (ARG) in 30th position.

Arguably the Western Hemisphere and Orient Championship is one of the toughest events in the Snipe class as the Snipe World Champions have hailed from a Western Hemisphere and Orient nation since 1977. The Snipe World Championship will be held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil in September 2013.

Full results can be found here