50th Celebration of Snipe Don Q Rum Keg Regatta

Thirty-seven teams from Italy, Peru, the Bahamas, Finland, and USA competed in the 50th Snipe Don Q Rum Keg Regatta on March 18-20. A fifth place finish in the regatta’s final race was enough for Ernesto Rodriguez and Claudia Loiacono of Miami to hold off the challenge of Jensen McTighe and Andre Guanragna of Ft. Lauderdale for the win.

Winning the final race, Augie Diaz and Jessica Chafin of Miami enabled them to move up one place to finish third just ahead of San Diego’s Randy Lake and Maddy McGrath. Peter and Connie Commette of Ft. Lauderdale were fifth.

Snipe Sailors and CGSC Race Committee on he CGSC lawn at the 50th Annual Don Q Snipe regatta. © Blake Middleton

Sailed on Biscayne Bay for 50 years, now out of the Coconut Grove Sailing Club, the Don Q Rum Keg Regatta features, in addition to South Florida weather, the traditional Don Q Rum Daiquiri Party after Saturday’s racing followed by a Cuban dinner.

The Don Q regatta is part of the Snipe Southern Circuit which starts in Clearwater, FL for the Midwinter Championship and continues on to Nassau, Bahamas for the Bacardi Cup and the Gamblin Cup regattas.