2025 FBYC Frostbite Regatta
We couldn’t have asked for a better day to wrap up the ILCA season – a beautiful fall afternoon with light, shifty winds out of the north to northeast. The race committee set a short course in Fishing Bay, close to the dock, where a few Flying Scots and Melges 15s joined the fun.
Seven ILCA sailors turned out for the Frostbite Regatta, and my day started off with a bang – literally. Just minutes before the first start, while tuning up near the line, I heard a loud pop, and suddenly the boat was rolling to weather over top of me. My top mast section had snapped clean through before I even made it to the first race. To make matters worse, it was the second mast I’d broken this year.
I got a quick tow back to shore, borrowed an upper mast, and swapped to a sail without a hole. By some miracle, I only missed the first race.
The rest of the day brought tight, tactical racing. I had a few great starts and rounded the first mark in the lead a couple of times, but Mike or Len always seemed to find another gear – especially on the second laps when the wind turned fickle near the top mark. One wrong tack could leave a boat parked while the other slipped by.
In the end, Len Guenther took the day’s honors, Mike Moore finished second (and clinched the overall ILCA Series), and I managed third overall despite missing the opener. Holly was right on our heels in fourth.
A big thanks to Gene Kendall and his crew for running great races and keeping the course fair in the shifting breeze. A perfect way to close out the season at Fishing Bay Yacht Club.
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