Fukuoka, Japan (August 27, 2014) – Hakata Bay presented her very best for the first two races of the 2014 Snipe World Championship of Masters as low clouds held their rain and the fleet was presented with steady 15 knot conditions with sustained gusts up to 22. A tight-knit fleet at all times was notable with busy mark roundings, dozens of crossing situations and boats finishing within seconds of each other. Several local guns excelled in the knife fight with Shiro Uemura and Jun Shiraishi taking both wins and Takeyasu Sugiyama and Hirotaka Kaneda notching two seconds. Americans Augie Diaz/Kate Sheahan are in 11th and Joel Zackin/Celeste Suggs sit in 17th. Racing continues through Sunday with a layday scheduled tomorrow.Behind the scene: Be ready to barter for local knowledge. Current, or as Augie calls it, “the silent killer,” was the key to success on the course. Trading Narragansett Bay knowledge for the upcoming J24 Worlds earned a tide translation (pictured) to save alot of heartache. From a crewing perspective, when conditions feel crazy just focus on your footwork and it will set the rest straight.Results, photos and more will be posted throughout the week at the event site: http://www.fsaf.net/snipe/