Frozen temperatures. Icy waters. It's a  perfect day (according to this trailer and all the folks who race sailboats in the winter) for frostbiting.

Most frostbiting takes place during the warmest hours of Sunday afternoons, November through April. A variety of boats (Lasers, Interclubs, Frostys) are kept in service during the off-season, bringing together sailors from a variety of other fleets for some racing. How serious it is varies by fleet and location, but winning may require some additional skills to what's normally involved during the regular sailing season: launching off a beach without getting your feet wet, maintaining drysuit seals, holding onto frozen lines (or dipping them in antifreeze ahead of time so they don't ever freeze).

For these sailors, a little snow, ice, and sleet can't stand in their way.

I can't wait to see the full-length documentary.

Visit the Frostbiters Facebook page for more info.

frostbiting trailer for documentary

Written by: Carol Cronin
Carol Cronin has published several novels about the Olympics, sailing, hurricanes, time travel, and old schooners. She spends as much time on the water as possible, in a variety of boats, though most have sails.