By Molly Winans

“What Do Cool People Do!

Why Frostbite Racing Is Cool.

It’s 34 degrees outside. The water temperature measures in the upper 30s. It might get gusty out. It might snow. What would you rather do: lounge on the couch or go sailing? Hundreds of sailors on the Chesapeake Bay choose the latter. Every winter, we like to reach out to a few of them to learn their reasoning, their expert winter gear tips, and suggestions for curious would-be winter sailors.

What’s the appeal?

Warren Richter races his J/22 Committed with his partner in racing and wife, Tracey. Richter says, “I enjoy frostbite to keep our skills sharp during the so called ‘off-season.’ It’s great to get out, get some sunshine, and have fun racing. Makes dusting off the rust in the springtime much easier and also allows for racing that is less boat-handling-intensive. It is a great time to train new crew and practice.”

Tracy adds, “We’re not sure what we’d do with our time if we didn’t have a reason to be on the water. Also racing with just a main and jib as required by frostbites gives us an opportunity to work on our fleet management without having to worry so much about boat handling. Also, there is usually significantly more wind than during the rest of the year, so we get to practice in different conditions.’

The Committed frostbite team includes Mary Howser, Koralina and James McKenna, Amanda Gates, and Bryan Stout.

Richter notes, “They are all fantastic sailors. We appreciate everything they do to come racing with us.”

Gavin O’Hare, who races ILCA class dinghies (formerly Laser) out of Severn Sailing Association on Sundays, says, “Because the winter is cold, it puts a damper on doing most things outside. Dinghy frostbiting is different. What better way to break up the week of cold with two hours of bliss (challenging yourself with cold and conditions, alone on your boat—no crew to rally or lunch to be made for), plus the opportunity to reward yourself with a cold beverage around an open fire immediately afterward!”

Go-to winter gear.

What to wear while winter sailing? These racing sailors are experts.

Richter wears, “Carhartt wool socks for warmth, Rocky GoreTex socks to keep the feet dry, Musto gloves to keep hands dry, Patagonia and Gill fleece thermal and mid layers, and Under Armour base layers. Our rechargeable waterproof handwarmers make a great present and are much more eco-friendly than the disposable ones.” (Tracy calls these handwarmers a “game changer on the super cold days.”)

As a single-hander on a dinghy, wearing a dry suit and a lifejacket, O’Hare notes how crucial it is to keep the hands and feet dry and warm.

“I find wool or wetsuit socks inside dinghy boots help a lot. I have yet to find a winter glove that stays dry and warm. I tried surfing wetsuit gloves one year and found that it took too much energy to close my fingers on tiller or mainsheet. I have concluded that the cold weather-winter gardening gloves sold at your local hardware store are pretty good and certainly cost effective.  When it is really cold and the wind chill is severe, I use my gardening gloves during racing and change to dry mittens or lobster gloves in between races!”

One cold day…

When asked to recite a cold-day memory, most frostbiters note that they ski outside in snow, so why not sail? Or they tell you about the warmer days that don’t feel like frostbite racing at all, yet if you prod them to admit that sometimes it gets uncomfortable out there, they will tell you about the really cold days.

Richter notes that there were “too many to count—plenty of time spent sweeping and shoveling snow off the decks to go sailing!”

O’Hare says, “When the wind is blowing and the chill is severe, you need to use more vang to keep the boat flat. The problem is the boat likes to stay head-to-wind in these conditions if you don’t tack properly or know how to handle on the starting line. And of course, when ice forms on your control lines, they don’t control or worse cannot be adjusted. Add to this that your hands are on the fringe of frozen and you are tired… but it is only two hours!”

Amazing sailing and cool on-water vibe.

“The amazing winter sailing day is when the wind is not to light and not too windy, and we get lucky with an unusually warm day,” says O’Hare.

Richter adds, “Several weeks ago (November 13) was one of the windiest frostbite races we have sailed in a long time. Great conditions and racing!”

When asked if he thinks the on-water vibe in winter is any different than in summer, he says, “I think it’s a bit cooler vibe! (Ha) But seriously, it is a bit more relaxed than summer racing.”

The Mrs. says, “Warren is always in race mode starting first thing in the morning on a race day.  The vibe is the same whether it’s summer, winter, or just going out for a ‘cruise.’ If we are on a sailboat, the expectation is we are 100-percent focused on making the boat go fast.”

“Many with day jobs who cannot make the summer evening short-course racing do come out for frostbite Sundays,” says O’Hare. “So, the competition is strong, yet there is also a camaraderie among us all because we respect each other more for coming out when it can be extreme. We do offer three-minute justice protest resolution should grievances not be worked out on the water.”

Advice for would-be frostbite racers.

“Just get out there, even if the weather is tough,” says Richter. “It will make you better. Be sure to be prepared for the conditions both clothing- and boat-wise.’

Tracy says, “Just show up. Even if the weather is awful.”

Why not give it a try? O’Hare says, “My advice to a would-be-frostbite racer is to come down one Sunday afternoon and check it out from the seawall or on a safety boat (wearing cold weather gear). Also know your abilities—going out in bigger breeze is only more challenging in the winter. Safety comes first!”

About the author: Molly Winans is the managing editor of SpinSheet, the Chesapeake Bay’s only sailing magazine, as well as PropTalk and FishTalk in Annapolis. Find her at editor@spinsheet.com. This first appeared in the January 2023 issue of SpinSheet. Photo also courtesy of SpinSheet.