Annapolis team second at regatta
Class ‘rock stars’ lead the way at Snipe Frigid Digit
When Ernesto Rodriguez comes to your Snipe regatta, there’s a strong probability he’ll go home with the win.
Rodriguez is one of the most legendary skippers in the class, ranking alongside good friend and fellow Miami native Augie Diaz when it comes to capturing major championships.
Pair Rodriguez with Kathleen Tocke, one of the most accomplished crew in the class, and that’s a team that is hard to beat.
There is no shame to finishing runnerup to Rodriguez and Tocke, which is what Annapolis residents Tyler Mowry and Izzy Fadullon did during last weekend’s Snipe Frigid Digit held out of Severn Sailing Association.
Mowry steered while Fadullon trimmed and hiked as the Severn Sailing Association tandem placed second on the strength of first- and second-place finishes in the five-race series. They finished six points behind RodriguezTocke and five points ahead of Charlie Miller-Lindsey Kloc.
Mowry spent two years as a skipper with the Boston University intercollegiate dinghy team. The South River High graduate is taking the 2020-21 school year off because of the coronavirus pandemic.
This is the fifth year Mowry has been sailing the Snipe and his second with Fadullon as crew. They placed fourth at the Snipe Colonial Cup and won the SSA Summer Series last season. Last month, the tandem won the Snipe class at Hospice Cup XXXIX.
“Early in the week, we were very stoked and a bit nervous to go against thatmany accomplished sailors,” Mowry said. “Consistency is key in big, talented fleets. In the light and variable wind, boat speed, patience and a bit of luck fromlocal knowledge helped us produce consistent results.”
Mowryand Fadullon, amemberof the Annapolis High sailing team, are preparing for the Snipe National Championship that will be held off Annapolis in 2021.
This year, the regatta lived up to its name as it was somewhat frigid and the wind never rose above single digits. Frigid Digit doubled as the 2020Atlantic Coast Championship with Rodriguez and Tocke taking that title thanks to strong score line that featured two bullets and a second.
“It was really tough conditions, very light and shifty. Itwas really challenging to say the least,” Rodriguez said.
Principal Race Officer Mark Hasslinger was able to complete five races— two Saturday and three Sunday. Significant shifts that produced multiple general recalls prevented the race committee from reaching six races, whichwould have introduced a discard.
Severn Sailing Association members Carol Cronin and Kim Couranz were tops among seven all-female teams, placing fifth with awin in Race 4. Cronin was among eight women skippers and17 boats were steered by sailors 30years old or younger.
Snipe Frigid Digit (28 boats)
1. Ernesto Rodriguez& Kathleen Tocke, 1-6-12-2-1=22; 2. Tyler Mowry & Izzy Fadullon, 7-1-8-10-2=28; 3. Charlie Miller & Lindsey Kloc, 5-2-5-3-18=33