MIAMI SNIPES
NATIONAL & INTERNATIONAL RACING OPPORTUNITIES
FOR SAILORS AGE 21 & UNDER
PREMIERE YOUTH EVENTS
MIAMI SNIPE INVITE
January 2 - 4, 2026
JUNIOR WORLDS
July 20 - 26, 2026
ANNAPOLIS SNIPE INVITE
August 16 - 17, 2025
JUNIOR
EUROPEANS
April 14 - 15, 2025
Jr.Snipes
The Snipe Class is well-suited for juniors because it allows many different crew combinations - mixed, all-girls, two boys, a junior skipper with an adult crew, or an adult skipper with a junior crew.
More than most youth sailing classes, the Snipe is extremely technical and tactical and greatly improves any young person's level of sailing. It's also very athletic.
The Class hosts local and national level U31 clinics and regattas and the Junior Worlds is held every two years. Junior teams (U22) can participate in all but the Master events.
U22 and U31 prizes are awarded at most major regattas in North America and the Top U22 team in North America also qualifies for the biannual Snipe Western Hemisphere and Asia Championship.
The Class Junior wind limit is 17 knots sustained. Ideally, juniors would compete with a minimum combined weight of 260 pounds (117 kilos), with an optimal weight being 270 - 300 pounds (123 - 136 kilos).
IMPORTANT NUMBERS
JUNIOR AGE
UNDER 22
(in the year of the regatta)
JUNIOR WIND LIMIT
17 KNOTS
JUNIOR TEAM WEIGHT
RANGE
260 lbs. to
310 lbs.
U23Clinic
New Snipe Sailors Welcome
Boats & Sails Provided
The clinic is aimed at sailors already in club or high school racing programs
Sailors will have the opportunity to learn both skipper and crew positions. All new Snipe sailors will be paired with an experienced Snipe skipper or crew and later be paired with a teammate.
The clinic will focus on basic rigging, controls, boat handling, and racing.
Sailor's participating will have the opportunity to compete in the Miami Snipe Invite U31 (qualifier for the 2026 Snipe Junior Worlds in Spanish Morocco and also the US Women's Snipe Nationals (fall 2025).
SCHEDULE
Saturday, May 24
2:00 - 6:00
Sunday, May 25
2:00 - 6:00
Late afternoon Clinic
May 24 & 25
FINDINg A BOAT &CHARTERS
Compared to youth classes like the ILCA and 420, Snipe charters are very reasonable - under $150 or less per day. It is not uncommon for adults to lend their boats to juniors at no cost for youth events.
Both the Miami Fleet and the Annapolis Fleet have rent to own programs and leases for younger Snipe sailors. Most larger fleets also have fleet boats reserved for junior sailors and sailors new to the Class.
The Snipe is a heavy, but very durable boat. The hulls stay competitve far longer than all junior boats and most other popular dinghy classes.
A competitive used Snipe costs between $4,000 - $10,000. Depending on the builder, the vintage, and how the boat was cared for, some Snipes 25 years-old are still very competitive. In North America, a new Snipe costs around $16,500.
A set of sails is about $1,500. Top level Snipe sailors will sell quality used sails after Championships for less.
2026 JUNIOR WORLDS QUALIFIERS TEAM USA
Annapolis Snipe Invite
August 16 - 17, 2025 (3 spots)
Miami Snipe Invite
January 3 - 4, 2026 (3 spots)
SAN DIEGO REGATTA
ONE SPOT BY RESUME
TBD (3 spots)
2026 SNIPE JUNIOR WORLDS
MELILLA, SPANISH MOROCCO
TEAM USA
QUALIFIERS
Annapolis Snipe Invite - August 16 - 17, 2025 (3 spots)
Miami Snipe Invite - January 3 - 4, 2026 (3 spots)
San Diego U30 - August 1 - 2 (3 spots)
One Spot by Resume
SNIPE
Junior Worlds
EVERY TWO YEARS
The Junior Worlds is held every two years. The last edition was hosted in Miami with 47 teams and sailors from 20 countries. The previous Junior Worlds was in Portugal.
Sailors cannot be more than 21 years of age in the year of the regatta.
The US has10 spots. Skippers must qualify for the US team at one of three qualifying events. They must be US residents. Skippers and crews need not be from the same country.
Next Junior Worlds
Melilla in Spanish Morocco
July 20 - 26, 2026.
CLUB MARÍTIMO MELILLA
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Melilla
Spanish Morocco
CITY, CLUB LOCATION & GETTING AROUND
Melilla is an autonomous Spanish city on the north coast of Africa, bordered by Morocco. The city has a unique feeling - a mix of Spanish and Moroccam culture and architecture.
There are direct flights from Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Malaga, Granada, and Almeria. The airport is tiny and a short taxi ride from the club (10-15 mins).
Melilla has all the amenities of a European city - beautiful boulevards, parks, a walled city, historic district, commercial port, beaches, even Lidl and Carrefour supermarkets. It is safe and walkable.
Airbnbs and hotels are very reasonable and in walking distance to the club.
The club is most welcoming to sailors and offers competitors acess to its restuarants, bar, pool, and changing rooms.
The club will provide charters from its fleet. Charters are also brought to Melilla from Spain, usually with ferry transport free of charge or greatly discounted.
Boats are launched via a ramp.
Junior Worlds Videos
TRADITION
BE A PART OF HISTORY
The Snipe Junior World Championship was first organized by Italy in 1973. The first Champions and winners of the Vieri Lasinio Di Castelvero Trophy were K. Sourtti & Juna Hyttinen from Finland.
Since then, the event has been hosted by 13 different nations including Russia, Denmark, Japan, Sweden, Portugal, Canada, Uruguay, Finland, Spain, Argentina, Brazil, and the United States.
The competitors' list is impressive with its number of Olympians, National Team members and Snipe World and Continental Champions.
Originally, the Championship was only open to two boats per nation, but was increased to 10 boats per nation before the Junior Worlds in Rio de Janiero in 2013.
Mario Tinocco (BRA) holds the record - one time World Champion as crew and two-times World Champion as skipper.
Five sailors have appeared on the podium twice, including Mafalda & Tomas Pires de Lima (POR), Raul de Valnezuela (ESP) Andre Fonseca (BRA) and Horacio Carabelli (URU).
Justin & Mitchell Callahan
2024
Junior World Champions
1973
Italy
K. Suortti & Juna Hyttinen (FIN)
1975
Finland
Heikki Haimakaimen & Timo Karlsson (FIN)
1976
Argentina
Torkel Bergstom & E. Assad (ARG)
1978
United States
Torben Grael & Eduardo Mascarenhas (BRA)
1980
Spain
C Luis Martinez & Andres Longarela (ARG)
1982
Canada
A Steve Bloemke & Gregg Morton (USA)
1984
Uruguay
A Horacio Carabelli & Luis Chiaparro (URU)
1986
Riva del Garda, Italy
Horacio Carabelli & Chris Schewe (URU)
1988
Tampa, USA
Kenichi Nakamura & Sinichi Murata (JPN)
1990
Cartegena, Spain
Cristobal Saubidet & Andres Onis (ARG)
1992
Motola, Sweden
Fernando Soler & Francisco Fraga (ESP)
1994
Mikkabi, Japan
Luis Calabrese & Jorge Englehard
1996
Mar Menor, Spain
Andre Fonseca & Pablo Furlan (BRA)
1997
São Paulo, Brazil
Andre Fonseca & Roberto Paradeda (BRA)
1999
Almería, Spain
Lucas Gomes & Marcos Montanaro (ARG)
2001
Cleveland, USA
Raul de Valenzuela & Jose LaTorre (ESP)
2003
Moscow, Russia
M. Anderson-Mitterling & Graham Biehl (USA)
2005
Rio de Janiero, Brazil
Victor Demaison & Mario Tinocco (BRA)
2007
San Remo, Italy
Mario Tinocco & Matheus Goncalves (BRA)
2009
San Diego, USA
Mario Tinocco & Matheus Goncalves (BRA)
2011
Rungsted, Denmark
Alvaro Martinez & G. Mauricio Utrera (ESP)
2013
Rio de Janeiro, Brazil
Lucas Mesquita & Douglas Gomm (BRA)
2015
Talamone, Italy
Antonio Lopez & Gregoria Belmonte (ESP)
2017
A Coruña, Spain
Tiago Brito & Antonio Rosa (BRA)
2019
Ilhabela, Brazil
Gustavo Abdulklech & Leonardo Motta (BRA)
2022
Oporto, Portugal
Samuel Beneyto & Rafael del Castillo (ESP)
2024
Miami, USA
Justin & Mitchell Callahan (USA)
