Miami skipper Ernesto Rodriguez defends Colonial Cup title out of Annapolis
The Colonial Cup is one of the oldest, most respected and best-attended events on the Snipe class circuit.
Every year, the top competitors in the class travel to Annapolis to compete in the popular regatta organized by the Severn Sailing Association.
That was the case again this spring as Ernesto Rodriguez and Augie Diaz, two of the most legendary Snipe sailors of all time, highlighted a typically talented field at the 2024 Colonial Cup, held June 1-2 on the Chesapeake Bay.
Rodriguez, sailing with Marina Cano as crew, captured his second consecutive Colonial Cup crown with a low score of 10 points. The six-time Snipe national champion won three of six races and finished eight points clear of runner-up Arthur Blodgett.
“Ernesto is a fantastic sailor and you have to put together a near-perfect regatta to beat him,” said Blodgett, an Annapolis resident. “Ernesto and Marina had good starts and great upwind boat speed. They sailed a great regatta.”
Racing was held on a course set off Greenbury Point, and organizers with Severn Sailing Association were able to complete six races — three each on June 1 and June 2.
There was a two-hour postponement on June 1 to allow a 7- to 10-knot easterly to fill in. Competitors dealt with significant powerboat chop and adjusted as the wind gradually shifted to the southeast. The second day delivered ideal Snipe conditions with winds blowing steady at 14 knots from the south-southeast.
Rodriguez and Blodgett were among several skippers who got caught on the wrong side of a persistent right-hand shift with the latter finishing 36th out of 40 boats. “I was so far behind they had to send in a Coast Guard rescue,” said Blodgett, grateful the Colonial Cup sailing instructions allowed for one throwout.
Rodriguez and Cano took control of the regatta by winning the third race on June 1 and the first race on June 2. They clinched the victory by posting another bullet to close out the series.
Blodgett, who had Gracie Howe aboard as crew, felt fortunate to place second behind Rodriguez and ahead of Diaz — the two most prominent members of what is affectionately known as the “Miami mafia” among Snipe sailors.
“It’s amazing to be able to compete against the current top-ranked Snipe sailor in the world [Rodriguez] and a two-time world champ [Diaz] and I love the challenge,” Blodgett said. “I’ve learned a lot from Ernesto and Augie by competing against them over the years.”
Blodgett, a former Eckerd College All-American, first started sailing the Snipe while coaching at Lauderdale Yacht Club. He borrowed a boat and captured the Florida State Championship out of St. Petersburg Yacht Club in September 2009.
“I liked everything about the class so I borrowed boats for the next four years until I could afford my own Snipe,” said Blodgett, who has been the Optimist program director at Annapolis Yacht Club for the past two years.
Blodgett is steadily climbing the class ranks and cites a second-place finish behind Diaz at the 2021 Western Hemisphere Championships as his most notable result. The 36-year-old Maine native, who has competed in the last two world championships, outlined some of the reasons he likes sailing the Snipe.
“I think the boat has a great feel due to the hull shape and it’s comfortable to hike in because you have adjustable straps,” said Blodgett, mentioning the hard chine, heavy rocker and thick rudder as notable Snipe characteristics. “I would say the Snipe teaches me more than any other boat in terms of concepts and techniques I can apply to other classes. It’s not a high-performance boat, but it rewards high-performance steering.”
The Snipe class motto is “Serious Sailing, Serious Fun” and Blodgett cited the caliber of people as the biggest positive. He pointed to the open sharing of information with Rodriguez providing tips to fellow competitors and Diaz tuning boats for anyone that asks.
Blodgett teamed up with Howe about four years ago and they have steadily developed into one of the top teams on the circuit. Howe was a women’s skipper at Fordham and has been competing in the Snipe class for a while.
“Gracie and I have worked our way into the top tier and now is when we should be hitting the start of our extended peak. We have gotten really fast downwind and hopefully we can continue to make incremental improvements,” Blodgett said. “Gracie is just an awesome all-around sailor and exactly the type of crew you want. In the Snipe, the crew is crucial to success because they have half the controls.”
SSA first held the Colonial Cup in 1966 and the regatta quickly developed a reputation for attracting high-caliber competition and providing top-flight race management. This year’s fleet of 40 boats marked the largest attendance since 1992 when there were 48 entries.
That does not include the 2016 Colonial Cup, which doubled as the Snipe class North American Championship and drew 69 boats. Annapolis residents and longtime SSA members Alex and Lisa Pline have been instrumental in growing Fleet 532, which now numbers 30 boats — 19 of which competed in the 2024 Colonial Cup.
Results
1. Ernesto Rodriguez and Marina Cano, Miami Snipe Fleet, (14)-3-1-1-4-1=10
2. Arthur Blodgett and Gracie Howe, Severn Sailing Association, (36)-6-3-4-1-4=18
3. Augie Diaz and Christina De Silva, Coconut Grove Sailing Club, 4-1-6-8-6-(13)=25