Ten Questions With Chris Snow

That there are plenty of good sailors around this sport is obvious. That there are plenty of good sailors who are also genuine good guys is less so. Chris Snow happens to be both. A very accomplished One Design sailor, with a particularly superb record sailing J 24's, Chris is just one of those guys who is simply hard not to like. A well-established sailmaker at North One Design San Diego, Chris very recently skippered the San Diego Yacht Club entry to a win in this year's Lipton Cup. We caught up with Chris on this and more.

You've been selected to represent SDYC in the Lipton Cup, run for the first time in J-105's. (Obviously, we asked this before his win. -Ed) We understand there might be twenty something 105's in this regatta. Tell us how you came to be "the guy", what have you done in terms of sail development and speed testing, and assess your competition and your chances for winning for "god and country club"!

CS:
They basically asked me back in January if I would be interested in trying out for it and I thought it would be a fun thing to do. I haven't sailed "big boats" that much so I have really tried to look at it as a learning opportunity. The boats are quite heavy and underpowered in San Diego conditions so it takes some getting used to.

In terms of sails we are using the 2002 upwind sails from the North CDP (class development) program. The main is made out of the latest "Sharkskin" fabric and we have a great 3DL Pentex jib. We are trying some new stuff with the spinnakers to try and develop more of a runner type shape. I've been lucky enough to have two of North's best designers helping us, Ched Proctor and Dave Hirsch. Dave has tons of experience designing asymmetricals for the AC boats and Ched has designed most of the one design sails we make for the last ten years. Since the regatta is going to be in South San Diego Bay (flat water) we expect if there is any breeze we will be able to sail pretty deep.

I think regatta may be pretty different than at least the last few where the turnout was lower. 20 boats in a really confined area will make it interesting to say the least. We think it is going to be a lot like sailing Snipes in Mission Bay! There is going to be a great premium on getting a good start, these boats really make a lot of bad air so once you get behind it will be hard to grind through the fleets. With no throw outs and seven races the trick will be to avoid having a "bad" race. I suspect that the winner will have a pretty high average finish. I actually haven't seen the final entry list but of the guys who I know will be sailing I would suspect, Balboa with Jack Franco and Dave Ullman to be in there as well as well as Mike Pinckney from Newport, Bob Little from Cal and of course Willem Van Waay and the guys from Coronado Y.C.. A bunch these guys are amateurs according to the rules and have been able to sail in some of the 105 high point events around here. We have done a lot of practicing but there is no substitute for racing time. We have done a bunch of two boat testing and so far I am pleased with the results. We've done a lot of work to our older boat so I think we're ready!

Now that you've won the Lipton Cup, tell us how you did it.

CS:
I think we really just covered all our bases really well. Going into Sunday we were 10 points out of first and I think that actually took a bunch of the pressure off us. We had a little meeting on out boat to try and figure out what we could do better on the second day. We all said what we could each do better and I felt that I could trust in our tactician Craig Leweck more. Craig is a great sailor and I think on Saturday I was kind of second guessing him. South San Diego Bay is really tricky and it is super easy to screw up. He was really patient on Sunday and we just tried to wait for the shifts to go our way and it worked out!

We also practiced more for this regatta than I've probably ever practiced before. In the end that just gives you confidence in what you can and can't do with the boat. We also had a ton of great people help us out along the way. We had a great crew with Craig and Chuck Sinks, Chris Doolittle, Bill Campbell and Kyle Clark.

How is your J-24 program going?

CS:
Thanks for asking, my own personal program has been going pretty well. We managed to win the U.S. Nationals in 2000 and 2001, which was nice for us. I basically have been sailing with the same guys for about five years so to win some big events was nice. We have the Worlds coming up this summer in Kingston, Ontario, which is a great place to sail so we are looking forward to that. We are hoping for 70 plus boats at that.

What are the latest North sail developments in the J-24 Class? With 20 plus years of sail development, have you guys done about all you can with these sails?

CS:
Actually there is always stuff to learn and to try. The J/24 is a challenge because you have to have 4 sails go from lightest drifter to 25 knots plus. You can actually race a J/24 in as much as 27 knots of wind!!

Lately we have focused our efforts on trying to make our sails easier to trim and the rig simpler to set up. In years past everyone was totally into adjusting the rig and getting the rig set just right for every single condition. Unfortunately, it is just about impossible to get it right every time. So we have recently made changes to our sails that allow more latitude in rig tune and make the sail trim more forgiving for the sailors. Things like controlling the headstay sag more with mainsheet tension than upper shroud tension.

What is your interpretation of the health of that class as a One Design?

CS:
While it is true that the J/24 class numbers are down a bit, the class is really quite strong around the country and the world. There are over 5300 boats built so that makes a huge amount of used boats available at reasonable prices. The boats are built solid so it is completely possible to buy a 20 year old boat, upgrade it a bit and be as competitive as someone with a newer boat.

I am seeing more entry level racers getting into the class, which is great! There is really no better boat for learning about all aspects of sailboat racing. Rig tune, sail trim are all-important. The boat really rewards those that apply the "team" concept to sailing. I can't tell you how many times a group of average sailors who have sailed and practiced hard have beaten the "rock stars" in the J/24. The sailing is quite equal and those that put the time in to learn and get better are rewarded!

The class has some new leadership in the U.S. who are taking steps to promote the class and get the word about the boat. The fact is you can buy a good used boat for $10-15000 and go racing in the biggest keelboat class in the world!

As a sailor and also one wearing the shirt with North Sails on it, what other classes or projects might you be getting involved with?

CS:
We make one design sails for many different small boat classes so I have my finger in or on a bunch of classes. While I don't sail all of them I try to know as much as I can about them and help the sailors using our sails. Recently my wife and I got a newer Etchells, which we have racing locally. We are looking forward to sailing it together in the NA's later this year in Long Beach. Also I am still involved with the Snipe and am heading to the Nationals in Mississippi in July, I've finished third and fourth in that before so I am keeping at that until we win one. Beyond that I am involved with making our sails better for and servicing a bunch of other classes like the Cal 20, Sabot, Capri 22, etc…

Much is being made about the latest 3DL manufacturing process for 30' and under boats. What is the latest development, when can we expect to see these on the market, and how much less expensive do you think these sails will be than "conventional" 3 DL sails?

CS:
The product you are referring to is called 3DL RM and it is designed for smaller boats that up until now have had very limited or no choices in the 3DL product range. The sails are made on a rotary mold which is incredibly ingenious (I've only seen pictures of it). The idea is to make a cost competitive 3DL sail for smaller boats of all shapes and sizes. The mold and sails have been in development for quite some time and the first sails for customers are being built right now. In terms of pricing I know there are a bunch of different options so the best thing to do is contact a North sales rep. for a quote. It is my understanding that the sails are meant to be priced very competitively. So far we have built about 100 of these sails.

You've managed, much to your credit by the way, to avoid the "big boat" game over the years. Soon, though, we've got to see you on the back of a Farr 40, correct?

CS:
I've been asked a couple of times but my first responsibility is to North One Design. We are a separate part of North Sails so I and the other guys that work here get judged by how well our part of the company does. Unfortunately the highers up at North haven't seen their way clear to giving us the Farr 40 class (just kidding). Also I know that to be competitive and do a good job on a boat like that requires practice, you can't just show up the day of the regatta and expect to be able to make the call if you're boat is crossing that boat on starboard or not. Those two things have kept me away from the bigger boat stuff. I would like to try it someday when I have the time to commit to it. I find doing tactics fascinating.

It appears to us that numbers are dwindling in many classes, (Melges 24, OD 35, Mumm 30, etc.). What do you think the causes might be, and how do those numbers get built back up?

CS:
Well one design is still extremely popular and the classes you mentioned are all far from dead. The Melges 24 Worlds this summer should have a record turnout. The reality is to keep fleets going locally take a tremendous amount of effort by local fleet leaders to rally the troops and get them out sailing. Without leadership on a local level most classes do not thrive. It is the weekend fleet racing at the local level that makes a really strong class.

The other thing that has to be addressed is that each member of the fleet must be getting something out of the experience of sailing in the fleet. If you are not meeting the needs of the guys in the back of the pack your fleet or class will soon fade away. We are putting a big emphasis on clinics and fun learning opportunities to make sure the guys in the middle and back of the fleets are having fun and learning all the time. Things like that plus a great social atmosphere is what makes a strong class.

North sails would look to all to be as, if not more dominant, than ever. Is there one sailmaker who you judge as a threat to North?

CS:
Actually in the world I work in they are all competition for us. Certainly 3DL has given North a unique product that is also very successful on the race course, In small boat One Design, Aramid sails are generally not allowed so 3DL is less of an option. This makes it even more important for us to do our homework and make sure we have the fastest possible sails. We do A LOT of sailing testing!

If you could start from scratch, what would your ideal One Design boat be like?

CS:
That's a tough one. Actually I am not sure I can answer that one. The thing I have learned over the years is that with one design sailing the game is pretty much the same whether you are sailing a Flying Scot or a Melges 24. Preparation, practice, having a good boat, experience all pay off in any one design fleet. I think what you have to ask yourself is what type of crowd do I want to hang out with and what type of sailing do I like, single-handed, 2 crew, many crew? I really don't like single-handed sailing that much, I would much rather have fun with a group of people on the boat, plus I like the teamwork aspects of boat with two or more crew.

Thanks Chris!

CS:
No problem!