Snow Trophy Presentation 10/13/22

In one of the sailing capitals of the world along Marblehead’s West Shore Drive a couple small classic lapstreak Town Class sailboats can regularly be found in a side yard.  To the dedicated sailor these colorful boats are yard art but for Bart and Tula Snow they are inventory for future new owners to come join in the largest fifty boat fleet in Marblehead Harbor.  Some hulls appear sad and in need restoration while others are practically new and ready to go sailing in. 

During the past three decades the Snow family has quietly searched for Townies throughout New England and as far away as Tennessee and Ohio. Yes, there has been last minute calls to elicit help on a wild ‘Road Trip’ to save one from a pending bonfire. The good news is Bart will tell you how the wood boats can be rebuilt and the fiberglass ones even though they are fifty years old, can be refurbished by a competent boat owner in their backyard.

The Townie is typically raced as a two person boat and is known as an “Easy boat to sail, but a hard one to sail right.” There are all-women teams, parents and children boats, couples together and sailors with all levels of skills from the well-seasoned to newbie sailor in the Marblehead fleet. The Snows have had many boats refurbished to assure an inventory for future owners to join in the fleet.

This story can go on about Tula sitting at her kitchen table with a mainsail spread out in front of her pealing numbers off usable sails to make them available for the next boat.  And then there is Race Committee duty which she staffs at Corinthian Yacht Club on every Tuesday and Thursday for the Twilight race series during the forty race season. Of course there is an assorted treasure chest of Townie hardware stored at their home ‘parts department’. And least forget the annual lamination of the race circular and sailing instructions she provides for all racers. The couple makes sure each race score is done and at the end of the sailing season trophies are engraved recognizing the fleet sailors.

Class President Chris Howes, introduced the perpetual trophy to memorialize Bart and Tula Snow life-long commitment to the Marblehead Town Class sailing.  Fleet members Larry Brown created an abstract brass sailboat topper and Brendon O’Grady made the mahogany wood base. The 18“ tall award sculpture depicts a unique forward mast rake of the Townie along with the smaller jib showing its venturi effect plus an aft quarter wave passing by the boat. The ‘Townie Betterment Award’ as it is known has ten brass name plates ready for the next decade of sailors of all skill levels interested in building the fleet in a harbor of competitive yet very friendly sailors.