Julio Alsogaray & Malena Sciarra claim victory at the 2024 Snipe World Championship at Yacht Club Argentino
by Snipe Class International Racing Association, 2 Nov 14:47 PDT
26 October – 2 November 2024
Day 5 of the 2024 Snipe World Championship in Buenos Aires, Argentina © Matias Capizzano / www.capizzano.com
After 29 years since Santiago Lange and Mariano Parada claimed the Snipe Worlds (1995), Julio Alsogaray and Malena Sciarra (ARG) executed a cautious yet effectively managed regatta to triumph in the 2024 Snipe World Championship on home waters.
Their years of preparation bore fruit as they clinched the title in front of family and friends, proudly displaying the Argentine flag immediately after finishing! On the final day, they were one of the few crews able to navigate the unpredictable breeze, which varied in both direction and speed between 11-20 knots due to an advancing weather system.
Many of the leading teams performed well on the last day, reshuffling the rankings and narrowing the final race to a mere 2-point margin as Alsogaray/Sciarra maintained their lead while Ernesto Rodriguez/Taylor Scheuermann (USA) pressed closely. The Argentinians scored a 6-19, in contrast to the 11-6 by Rodriguez/Scheuermann. Bernardo Peixoto/Gustavo Baino (BRA) gained positions to secure third overall with a 2-4 finish on the day.
Race 7 commenced with a black flag carried over from the previous day’s AP, causing 7 boats to remain ashore for the opening race of the day as the rest raced in 11-12 knot double windward/leeward conditions. The final race, Race 8, saw wind speeds rise to 18-20 knots but also included several lulls, ultimately stabilizing around 12-14 knots, offering excellent hiking and planning conditions for the concluding race.
As they crossed the finish line, Julio and Malena proudly waved the Argentine flag to their awaiting spectator fleet. Malena becomes the third female to inscribe her name on the O’Leary crew champion trophy and they also emerge victorious of the Bibi Juetz Mixed team trophy. Ricky Fabini and Lore Fundora (URU), who won the last race, take home the Earl Elms Perpetual trophy. The Hub E. Isaacs trophy—symbolic of the winning team—has been awarded since 1934.
Final results are available at www.snipeworlds.org
