Quiet achiever
“I was born here in Auckland in 1954, and as you see, I haven’t moved far,” chuckled Snedden as we settled back in the lounge of his St Heliers apartment. The view is to die for, the expanse of Mission Bay with a lovely SW breeze ruffling the surface inviting an afternoon’s sail.
Snedden’s sailing started at age five when his father, the late Jim, bought a 3.3m knockabout Arrow class dinghy. Designed by the late Jack Logan in 1949, the Arrow’s major stronghold was the Glendowie Boating Club, however, nearby Saint Kentigern College also had a small fleet of them.
“The old man bought number 51 from St Kent’s.”
Snedden’s grandfather on his mother Dulcie’s side of the family was Bill Boucher, whom Harold Kidd has previously featured in his column. Boucher owned Spedding Ltd, the importer of Seagull Outboards, a bach at Pasadena Bay on Waiheke Island, and the 14.6m launch Moanalua.
Snedden’s first genuine yacht racing came about in 1964 when Jim and his neighbouring friend Stephen Cox bought Des Townson Mistrals. The pretty Mistral is one for a couple of seasons at the Tamaki Yacht Club.
