Why Join the Snipe Class Association?

Photo courtesy of Primi Murgui - Nassau, Bahamas

By Jerelyn Biehl

Sailors constantly ask, “Why Should I Join SCIRA?”

Below we’ve outlined the many reasons to support this 85 year old Association.

Let’s be clear:

Your International SCIRA dues are as follows:

Junior: $10
Senior: $15
Boat decal: $10

SCIRA Int. has kept the dues low to assist your national associations if they feel the need add a fee to help run their
national office. But let’s breakdown why you need to support your Snipe Class.

Benefits of a Strong Class Association

A strong class association means lots of boats to race against, near you and around the world!
A strong class association with lots of racing attracts the world’s best sailors – giving you the best racing possible!
A strong class association means major events scheduled at the best sailing locations and moving all over the continental regions – there will always be a big event near you!
A strong class association means solid class rules making all boats as identical as possible – you are competing against other sailors, not their check books!
A strong class association means lots of people looking to buy boats keeping the resale value of your boat high.
A strong class association keeps an eye towards the future and works with the builders to make improvements where needed while preserving as well as possible the compettiveness of older boats

To be strong, a class association needs the support of its sailors!

What are some of the direct benefits of membership?

You receive the Snipe Rulebook with the current class rules, class constitution, international Deeds of Gift & history, guidelines for events, contact information for your country and class officers
You receive the Snipe Bulletin, the quarterly publication which gives a wrap-up of international events sailed around the world as well as information from the international officers and office.
You will have access to the class website containing all the latest news as well as an up-to-date calendar of events. Regional and country websites are also listed and you can access archived copies fo the Snipe Bulletin as well as useful articles on how to rig and sail your boat faster.
Your membership makes you eligible to sail in any of the 100+ major Snipe Class regattas scheduled every year throughout the world, including open, masters, youth and women’s events.

You get direct benefit by joining the Snipe Class!

What does SCIRA do with your membership dues?

The first $5 of your dues go to pay the SCIRA office staff who work incredibly hard to: make sure our events get scheduled every year and that these events follow the high standards of the Snipe Class, ensuring all the boats are the same by complying with Class rules, keeping track of rules change proposals, and interfacing with World Sailing on various levels. and to have a knowledgeable person available to answer a question by phone or email.
A little over $5 goes to the quarterly assembling, printing & mailing of the Snipe Bulletin and the Rulebook every four years.
Around $1 goes to support promotion, ranging from stickers, decals, merchandise & the website.
Most of the remaining $4 goes to all the things it takes to run an organization of 3000 members, from some travel cost, class measurement support all the way to mundane office expenses.

Your meberships dues are used to keep the Snipe as THE doublehanded dinghy to sail and race throughout the world!

Why should you join SCIRA?

To enable the Snipe Class to remain a strong class association and continue to make the Snipe the pre-eminent doublehanded dinghy of our time.
To gain the benefits of membership outlined above
To protect your investment in your boat, making sure that if the time comes to sell then you can be certain that the high demand driven by a strong class will enagle you to get the best price for your boat.

SCIRA is what it is today because of the support of its members. Keep that tradition alive, join or renew your membership today!