Women’s Worlds Petition

Introduction by Kathleen Tocke

Future Women’s Snipe Worlds Cancelled
Unhappy Women Create (Non-Approved) Women’s Snipe Committee and Petition SCIRA Board

If you are like most of us, you did not know that the Women’s Snipe Worlds has been cancelled.

Because the Championship did not meet ISAF World Championship Requirements during the last three editions, it can no longer be called a World Championship and the winners cannot be called “World Champions.”

… read the petition …

During a time when ISAF is pushing for greater participation of women – more women’s classes in the Pan American Games and the Olympics, it seems illogical that our Class has not been enthusiastically working to promote women’s Snipe sailing.

Women’s sailing is an area of growth for the Snipe Class if promoted enthusiastically and properly. Sailors who participate in the Women’s Worlds are very often students, teachers, and mothers. Our last three Worlds were scheduled during the school year when most women cannot attend.

People say there are not many women snipe skippers. Not true, you will very often find us in the front of the boat. Good women skippers are recruited by men who need small crews. However, women want to have regatta where we are in the front and back of the boat. The Women’s Worlds are a fun event and we like sailing with our female friends. Women’s regattas have a different feel than mixed events.

Unlike a mixed team, due to our size, weight, and strength, we cannot compete on an equal level in an Open Worlds. This is why we need our own championship.

The new (unofficial) Women’s Committee comprised of Snipe Women from JPN, ARG, URU, ESP, POL, USA, CAN, ITA, and NOR wrote a petition as a group, line by line, in Talamone. Read our petition. We want control over our Championship (place, time, promotion), more Women’s regattas, and better promotion of women in the Snipe Class.

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23/09/2015
Women’s Worlds Petition

The women of the Snipe Class present at Open World Championship in Talamone, Italy 2015
Request the continuation of Women’s World Championship.

OUR REASONS FOR THIS REQUEST ARE AS FOLLOWS:

1. The Women’s Worlds is a special regatta, that most women’s partecipate in because it is fun. It has a very different feeling than mixed regattas. Special friendships are made and we can race with our female friends on the same boat.

2. Women’ teams cannot compete on equal level at the Open World Championship due to our:
• Size
• Weight
• Strenght

3. We believe the Women’s Championship and women’s sailing is an area of growth for the Class, must be promoted and organized properly. The Snipe Class is one of the only classes where women can sail together at an affordable cost.

4. We are students, mothers, and teachers, therefore, we request that the dates for the Women’s Worlds Championship be held during a period that maximizes participation (ie. Summer vacations in Northern or Southern Hemisphere, Easter or mid July).

5. The location must be appealing for women sailors and a women’s regatta.
• Easy to travel to venue and transport boats – near major international airport.
• Located near a large fleet to help reduce costs of charter boats and housing.

For the promotion of this event and to reach ISAF requirements, we propose a Women’s Committee that would be responsible for the following:

1. The selection of the regatta dates
2. Recruit club/venues to bid for the regatta
3. Review and choose bids
4. Promote the Championship
5. Invite women from within the class and from other classes to participate not only in Women’s World Championship but also in other Snipe events.

We propose the Committee include women from all SCIRA continents and at minimum one junior representative.

We ask that the SCIRA Board consider our request and are sure that we can organize an event that will benefit the Class globally.

Signed on September 23, 2015 at Talamone, Italy