In December 2025, I flew south—way, way south—for two weeks in Chile. The first week was devoted to the Snipe World Masters Championship in Frutillar, at 41 degrees South/73 degrees West (a homey parallel to Newport’s 41 degrees North/71 degrees West). We sailed on Lago Llanquihue, the second largest lake in Chile.
After the regatta, Kim and I headed even farther south. First, to Punta Arenas (53 degrees South), to see the Magellan Strait and its penguins; then up to Torres del Paine National Park in Patagonia (51 degrees South) for some incredible hiking and scenery.
December is the beginning of summer in the southern hemisphere, and the sun didn’t set until close to 10pm. Even on rainy days, the views were spectacular in every direction, and I came home overloaded with scenic memories and photos. So today I’m going to let pictures (and captions) summarize the best international championship I’ve ever sailed. There’s even a short video of our first practice day at the end!
Snipe World Masters (Frutillar, Chile)
With one narrow ramp, launching and hauling 54 Snipes would’ve been a big challenge without an enthusiastic group of local junior sailors. They tirelessly wheeled boats into the water, and then met us after sailing with the correct dolly. @Rodazafoto
Thanks for taking the time to share the first part of my Chile adventure. Next week’s post will cover our Tourist Time (Puerto Varas, Punta Arenas, and Torres del Paine).
If you’ve been to Chile (or have questions about a future visit), I’d love to hear your thoughts in the comments below or via email. I read every single one, with gratitude. See you next Thursday!
And here’s that video, with thanks to Laura Medrano.
It was a fabulous Championship. There was a great camaraderie. Was it because we were so far away, or that it was a small town and you were never far away from other Snipe sailors? Thanks for coming Carol. Thanks to everyone who worked so hard to make this a Masters to remember.
And thanks Gweneth for suggesting we go! I think there are many reasons for the camaraderie. 1. Everyone (even the “locals”) had to travel a ways to get there. 2. Running a major championship was special for the volunteers (they were fresh). 3. Small town, like Talamone, that kind of got taken over by Snipe sailors!
What a great event in a magical place. There is so much natural beauty that is spread along a massive coast. We went there as part of an Antarctic cruise. We will be back to pick up some of the pieces we missed.
I’m looking forward to next week’s post.
Thanks Geoff!