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CYC's Lake Washington-based Snipe fleet is taking a novel approach in its effort to offset the negative effects the economy is having on race participation.
One of the members, Cliff Wright, has an extra boat on the dock, and is offering it up for free to interested skippers during the 2010 season. That's right, free, moorage included. All you'd have to pay is the CYC race fee. There are four Tuesday night Series to participate in.
A Snipe is a 15 1/2-foot double-handed dinghy.
"We have five active boats left, even with a new member,"said longtime Snipe sailor and Fleet Captain Tom Colligan. "We really need to build our fleet back or we may be gone in a couple of years entirely, I fear, so we have to do something different"
The Snipe is a two-handed 15 ½-foot boat sailed without a spinnaker. The class has a long history in Seattle and just a couple of years ago had about 10 active boats.
The class is not alone in suffering the effects of the economy. The local J/24 fleet, which in recent years has been the largest one-design keelboat fleet in the region, also is expected to lose several boats this year, even though it will host the North American Championship regatta in May.
Colligan said offering a free boat "will get another Snipe on the line and fresh blood in our fleet."
A second Snipe fleet member who is currently inactive but has a boat on the dock also might offer his boat, according to Colligan.
Anyone interested should contact Colligan at t_colligan@hotmail.com.