Let the Frostbite Races Begin

The first week of the annual Annapolis Yacht Club Spring Frostbite Series starts Sunday (Feb. 6). Just as bitter as it sounds, this sailing series will entice the most fervent of sailors to shake-off the snow and emerge from hibernation to race sailboats each Sunday for a regular sailboat racing series.

Sailing in February may seem like a remarkably bad idea, but cold weather sailing is a prevalent (albeit frigid) part of the pervasive local yachting culture. Frostbite sailing events are held in the off season, cold weather months, throughout the bay.

Sailing clubs on the Magothy, in Baltimore, near Centerville, and in Southern Maryland all hold events for boats of all sizes, designed to keep their members actively engaged in the sport throughout the winter months.

Frostbite sailing is not an exclusively local phenomenon with ports afar engaging in this wintry pursuit in cities such as Newport, Boston, Seattle, and Cleveland, just to name a few.

Here at home, local sailors are thrilled to get out on the water after a seemingly endless holiday break. When justifying his enthusiasm, Arnold resident and racing skipper Warren Richter explains how racing in winter will help assist sailors in staying sharp. “I enjoy keeping skills up during the (winter season). The very nature of being in the boat keeps your senses in tune and keeps you in a sailing state of mind,” he says.

So in February, while sailing, how do you maintain your toes? After all, it is called “Frostbiting.” Richter explains that you keep warm by having the right gear, hats, boots, and gloves. “I have a hard time keeping my hands warm so I own no less than five pairs of gloves…but if cold hands are the worst thing that happens, it’s a great day on the water,” he says.

Sailor and race official Lynn Bethell agrees. “You just know that the cold is part of Frostbite sailing and accept it. The cold is part of the ambiance and when you are done you go inside and drink something hot.”

The structure of the event permits a long break in between races where the majority of the fleet heads to the Annapolis Yacht Club (AYC) to socialize and thaw out. Local “frostbiter” Matt Fafoutis says, “At AYC, frostbiting is civilized, because you do a race, then you head in for chili and drinks. Then you go do another race and call it a day.”

A typical Sunday features two races, run in the mouth of the Severn River. The rules are modified to assure the safety of all participants with all crew required to stay in the cockpit of the boat and spinnakers forbidden.

Even with these additional safety guidelines in place, it is essential that all crew are properly outfitted for these cold weather sailing events. Technical fabrics, fleece, waterproof foul weather gear, and thermal base layers are all crucial.

The best selection of cold weather sailing gear is available in nearby Eastport at Annapolis Performance Sailing. Stop by to shop this weekend, while checking out the Frostbite races. They are visible from Greenbury Point, the Naval Academy seawall, and the Eastport Bridge, but bundle up…its cold on the water!