Smooth sail for LI boat race despite weather
Sailboats in the Ideal 18 class head out on the course Saturday during the annual Frostbite sailboat races at the Manhasset Bay Yacht Club in Port Washington. Laser class, IC class and Ideal 18 class boats were competing. (Photo by John Dunn) Credit: Photo by John Dunn
The sport is called "frostbite racing." But with the temperature already hitting a relatively balmy 49 degrees when the action began at noon Saturday on Manhasset Bay, none of the participants were likely to suffer from exposure to the cold.
The concept of racing small sailboats through the cold months began on Manhasset Bay on Jan. 2, 1932, at the now-defunct Knickerbocker Yacht Club in Port Washington and has been continued every year since by the adjacent Manhasset Bay Yacht Club.
The high point of the winter series is a New Year's regatta that Saturday attracted 22 boats in three classes competing in a series of races, which concludes today. Manhasset Bay commodore Susan Miller said fewer than 10 percent of the club's members participate in frostbiting.
"It's the die-hards, the people who really want to be on the water to hone their skills and just enjoy the craziness of it," she said. "It's very social," she added, with the participants gathering afterward for hot beverages and stronger refreshments.
"The attraction is being able to sail through the winter with great conditions compared to being out here in the summer when there's no wind," said Dan Catanzaro, a microbiologist from Port Washington who began frostbiting two years ago and Saturday had to dig his Laser out of a snowbank before he could rig it.
"It's a lovely day," he added as bright sun melted the snow in the parking lot. "Last year it was howling about 20 knots and it was also below zero."
The racers all wear waterproof dry suits, but yesterday some were hatless while others donned baseball caps or knitted ski hats. "Today actually may be too hot," said Catryn Silbersack, 17, of Port Washington, who sails an InterClub dinghy with her father, John, who is the commodore of the Frostbite Yacht Club, which is based at the Manhasset Bay club and oversees the sport.
"I may have to take off some layers," said Silbersack, who had on five layers of thermal underwear under her dry suit.
While she said she's not much into winter sports, "I really like it because I get to spend time with my dad and all the regulars know each other."
And it's not every day that the winners of each race are greeted with cries of "Happy New Year!" by the members of the race committee when they cross the finish line.
