Diaz wins Snipe NA's

by Lynn Fitzpatrick on 4 May 2007 The green monsters made the crossing to Bermuda, but the perpetual trophy that could give us an idea as to how many times Augie Diaz has won Snipe North American Championship did not. Everyone who sails Snipes has been saved by the parts, equipment and tools that Augie ships along with the most meticulously rigged sailboat to every regatta. Augie doesn’t know how many times he’s won the Snipe North Americans, but we are sure that he defended his championship title for yet another year. He and Kathleen Tocke sailed a spectacular North American Championship regatta out of Spanish Point Boat Club on the southern tip of Bermuda.

Augie was challenged by his Cuban-born Biscayne Bay rival, Ernesto Rodriguez. The duo has been duking it out for the past handful of years and the final race of the nine-race series was indicative of how close the competition is. Ernesto rounded the second weather mark ahead of Augie and went high. Augie went out and engaged him in a couple of jibes. The pair sailed off the course and Augie accomplished just what he knew he had to do. He could not allow Ernesto and Enrique Quintero to win the final race or be more than two points ahead of him and Kathleen Tocke. What he really wanted to do was have both boats sail their throw outs in the final race. Augie and Ernesto rounded the final leeward mark mid-fleet. They each tried to battle back and force other boats into the mix, but in the end of yet another glorious day of sailing on Bermuda’s Great Sound. Augie and Kathleen crossed the finish line in eighth and Ernesto and Enrique were two boats behind them in tenth.

Augie has been on the phone a lot today. His North American championship victory is almost inconsequential to the other news of the day – he’s now a grandfather. Congratulations to all of the Diaz family and the latest member of a world class family.

Spanish Point Boat Club hosted a wonderful cookout with a band, limbo contest and a free flowing bar (for a while). Over the course of the evening and many dark and stormies, we figured out that Augie has won the Snipe North American Championship at least four times. His first victory dates back to 1974. Three decades later, after raising his daughter and sons, he came back to win the championship. Augie has to keep track of the Snipe North American perpetual trophy for yet another year. At the moment, he is also the Snipe US Champion, the Snipe World Champion and the Snipe World Masters Champion.