Does a forecast of 40 degrees and 10-12 knot winds cause you to put more logs on the fire, or do you check out the tide tables? If the latter, you may be the perfect candidate for off-season (or “frostbite”) racing offered by many clubs on the Potomac River and Chesapeake Bay.
Pentagon Sailing Club’s Rich Alt at the helm as the main is being raised during a Daingerfield Island Sailing Club frostbite race.
Frostbite racing yields a different kind of adrenaline rush; it’s an exciting experience with unique challenges. Racing skills are testing in new ways with weather variables added in. The scenery can be beautiful in a way that regular season racing can’t match. Through the years, many have tried to describe the why and how of off season racing’s appeal.
The New York YC’s first New Year’s Day Frostbite Regatta was sailed in 1932 in rain, hail, and snow. A correspondent for the New York Herald covered the event and reported the following: “The idea of (a) Frostbite Regatta is to prove that some people are crazier than others, and those who are craziest sail races in 11-foot boats in the middle of snowstorms—and enjoy it.” But Tim Zimmerman of the Potomac River Sailing Association says it best: “I always have more fun when I’m doing something that most of the rest of the world thinks I shouldn’t be doing. And winter sailing has its own feel; the trees are bare, and wildlife is different, and there’s no traffic on the water. It’s stark, yet beautiful in its own way. And somehow the world closes in on you a bit, creating a special sphere of isolation in the wider winter world. Everything—the cold, hard gusts, the chilled spray, the diffused light of winter-yellow sun—feels unique. You’re sharing a unique world with people who are also happy to be out there. In a word, it’s amazing.”
PSC’s Rich Alt shovels snow out of Nova’s cockpit as preparation for a frostbite regatta.
Races featuring a combination of rain, hail, and snow are not unheard of when frostbiting on the Potomac and Chesapeake, and weather is a closely watched factor as it dictates all. Racers check their latest apps and favorite weather websites to predict the likelihood of a “Go” or “No Go” on race day.
The term frostbiting is no joke, and recreation in a ‘Titanic Series race” can become a matter of survival in a matter of seconds if a boat capsizes or a sailor falls overboard. Safety is of foremost concern, as an air temperature of 40 degrees means water temperatures may be in the 30s. Life jackets are recommended and are often mandatory in some sailing clubs.
Some clubs have specific weather parameters, such as the Pentagon Sailing Club’s “20/20 Rule” – if the wind is blowing 20 knots or more or the air temperature is 20 degrees or lower, race participation is cancelled. If you feel the call to participate in a sport that challenges you both mentally and physically and tests your endurance of the elements, get out the thermals and foul-weather gear, and bundle up for some winter sailing fun.
Four Important Frostbiting Rules Rule #1: Cotton Kills Cotton fibers absorb water, are slow to dry, and quickly drain your body of heat when wet. Read labels and stay away from cotton blended fabrics unless they contain less than 15 percent cotton fibers.
Rule #2: Stay Dry Staying dry means more than just "Don't Fall In." Remember, in some racing boats your feet, lower legs, and hands get wet quickly from water entering the cockpit. Your body also gets wet from perspiration during strenuous activity, which can be just as dangerous if you fail to follow Rule #1.
Rule 3: Fashion Does Not Equal Function Your new jacket may be the latest in trend wear, have a designer label, show your sail number, and match your crew’s outfits, but is it made for the sport? Be careful when shopping, as many brand names carry several lines of clothing which might look similar, but cater to different sports or extremes of environments.
For example, some kayaking dry tops, while similar to sailing dry tops, only stay dry when attached to a kayak spray skirt as opposed to being layered over pants. Ask your salesperson the difference between items. Remember: when you wipe out skiing, you don't (usually) go for a swim.
Rule #4: Wear a PFD (aka Lifejacket) If you do fall in while frostbiting, or if your boat capsizes, a lifejacket is critical to buoy you in icy, cold water. If you end up in the water and you have followed Rules #1, #2, and #3 but get knocked unconscious, you had better have followed Rule #4.
PSC’s Bill Hallam and Rich Alt hitch up a dry-sailed boat to launch it for a winter race.
Clothing as a System Proper frostbite attire works as a system composed of three layers.
Layer 1: Wicking (Long Underwear) Your body sweats to cool down via evaporation of moisture from your skin. The function of the wicking layer is to remove sweat from your skin and transfer it to your other clothing layers before it evaporates. This layer should be made of synthetic fibers, which do not absorb water, wick moisture away from your skin, and dry quickly.
Layer 2: Insulation (Fleece) This layer is your main defense against the cold. Remember, it is not the material itself that keeps you warm, but the layer of air trapped beneath it. Since bulky clothing generally interferes with sailing a small boat (and with swimming), it is better to rely on several thinner layers that you can add or remove as needed, rather than on a single thick layer. Wool fabrics are warm and stay warm when wet; however, keep in mind they are slower to dry and can get heavy when soaked. Synthetic fleece or poly pile fabrics are best; they stay warm when soaked and are quick to dry.
Layer 3: Shell (Spray Top/Bottom) The shell layer repels water and keeps the wind from depleting the warm air trapped in your insulation. The shell layer should be loose enough to allow adding additional layers of insulation and should allow for freedom of movement. Look at outerwear with watertight or water proof gussets or seals at the neck, wrists, waist, and ankles. Ideally this layer should be a waterproof/breathable material such as Gore-Tex.
Remember that the older foul weather gear gets, the less waterproof it stays, and the more likely water will seep through zippers, gussets, seams and fabric. If the gussets and zippers are still good on an older shell, it may be worth re-treating the fabric and seams with Nikwax- or Seamseal-type products.
| Body Temperature | Condition |
| 98.6 - 96F | Shivering, Reduced Blood Flow, Need To Urinate |
| 97 F | Loss of Judgment |
| 95 F | Loss of Coordination |
| 96.0 –90 F | Noticeable Shivering, Harder as Temperature Drops, Slurred or Difficult Speech, Memory Loss |
| 94 F | Loss of Emotions |
| 92 F | Major Loss of Coordination |
| 90 F | Unconscious |
| 90.0-88 F | Ashen Gray Complexion May Appear Without Pulse or Breath. Shivering Stops |
| < 88.0 F | Severe Hypothermia, Death |
Want more? Click here!
