IN TODAY'S SNAKE BYTES:top
 
42 Vipers Ready to Vie For Viper 640 International Championship
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The logistics of bringing boats from across North America and around the world were a bit challenging...traveling a great distance to race is not always fun...but...boy, once you're here in Bermuda you find how wonderful sailing in November can be.  What a spectacular welcome we Viper sailors have received from the Royal Bermuda Yacht Club and the Royal Hamilton Amateur Dinghy Club! (note, I rarely use exclamation points!!!)

I just asked RBYC Event  Chair Somers Kempe what he believes are the two key thoughts for him regarding the combined North Americans and the International Championship. Simply, Somers noted, "First, I'm really glad to see so many Vipers in Bermuda. With 42 boats on the line, it will be the biggest one-design keelboat regatta ever in Bermuda...and that record is likely to stand for a while. Second," he continued, "is I'll be glad when it's all over!" Now, nobody should take that later comment with anything but admiration for Somers who has had to mother, father, shephard, cajole all the logistics that got us here and will take us home. 

The week of racing started Sunday and Monday with the Warm-up Regatta sponsored by EFG. As reported on the Viper website, Cardwell and Jennifer Potts, Ted Ferrarone, and Kendra Emhiser ran away with the five-race event.  See the full write-up and results HERE
 
See photos below from the Warm-up Regatta.
FAcebook
FOLLOW THE INTERNATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP REALTIME ON FACEBOOK
 
Thanks to Lara Dallman Weiss, those of you who couldn't make it to Bermuda can follow the racing on the Great Sound in realtime via the event Facebook page HERE. Lara will be on the water posting throughout the day and will be helping with nightly press releases. In addition to Lara's updates, Beau Outteridge will be posting photos and a daily video recap will also be posted on both the event and class Facebook pages and the Class website. Big thanks to Lara and Beau.

Enjoy these pix from Tom Cooke:

Marblehead's Cole Constantineau and crew sailing 4-up as always
The Power Team doing a windward drop: Treasurer Tony Chapman_ Tech Committee member Nigel Brownett, and Governor Timbo Carter.
Martin Casey calling _no overlap_ as Artemis foils by to leeward. Yes_ Bob and crew are still with us...

WorldSailing
World Sailing Membership

As you are probably aware by now, World Sailing has approved the Viper 640 Class's application to become a World Sailing class. This is a HUGE threshold the Class is taking as it becomes an international class! (ther e's another exclamation point.)

Owner members (boat owners who have paid their 2016 dues) have been notified to vote and ratify this decision which will ratify the Class's becoming a World Sailing Class once all the I's are dotted and the T's are crossed.  The final member owner vote count will be part of Thursday Night's Annual General Meeting.

Thanks to all those on the Executive and Technical Committees who drove this process and congratulations to the Class for achieving this major accomplishment.
next_steps
NEXT STEPS

Stay tuned to Facebook and, if you're not one of the lucky ones her on Bermuda, you can enjoy the Championship virtually via social media.

Sail fast, 

Ed "Buttons" Padin
Viper 640 Class Administrator
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