Manhatten Yacht Club Frostbite Racing now underway on Saturdays
by Manhattan Yacht Club 23 Nov 2018 06:36 PST
Frostbite Racing at Manhattan Yacht Club © Manhattan Yacht Club
What are you doing on Saturday mornings this winter? Why sit at home when you could come down to the Club and hang out with the Frostbite sailors. Race Committee volunteers are always needed (no experience needed, just a base layer of clothing!) or you can begin racing your own dinghy.
This is the third year of Frostbite sailing at the Club. The two purpose-built dinghy docks have been moved into position. Sailors and volunteers gather at 9:30 am every Saturday morning. They rig boats and head out for a few races.
Therapy is serving as the RC boat this winter. The Club has been storing and maintaining her for the Stevens Institute of Technology collegiate sailing team. Some of the college sailors are also participating on the Race Committee and racing when spaces are available (we hear these hot-shot sailors have even been winning a few!).
How can you not smile on the Race Committee boat. This sure beats staying at home. With some warm clothes and a wind block, it is a super enjoyable morning that will get your weekend off to a marvelous and active start.
The racers are an intrepid bunch. These are some of the best sailors in our Club, not to mention the most limber as they duck under the boom each tack and jibe.
The first two weeks of the program this winter saw some high winds. When the winds increased to 30 knots in the gusts, some of the boats opted for safety and dropped their sail to hang out with the race committee. Those who kept sailing (like Matthew Winalski pictured above) learned a great deal including that Sunfish leap out of the water at a certain wind speed! Thanks to Sonya Mesommonta for capturing a lot of gravity-defying pictures like this one. More are posted on the Club Facebook.
The competition is getting better and better every year. No doubt about it, frostbiting really increases your sailing skills. You should get involved. You can volunteer on Race Committee anytime. And if you want to start racing, just buy a used Sunfish on Craig's List and call Mindy in the Club office to rent a slip. A good way to start is by coming down on a Saturday and chatting with some of the existing sailors. We hope to see you on the water soon.