Getting hotter as it gets colder

Gary Jobson got off to a slow start in his local frostbite racing series, but quickly identifying and tackling his weaknesses got him up promptly to speed. Report for Sailing World:

My initial goal was simple—to charter a Sonar for the Annapolis Yacht Club’s popular winter frostbite series. Second to that was a top-fleet finish, of course, and that goal proved much more challenging than the first.

AYC’s frostbite series stretches over eight Sunday afternoons from early November to late December. The format calls for two races per day with a break between races to warm up. For the now-concluded 2025 series, a total of 118 boats entered with some classes racing in pure one-design fleets while others were lumped together.

The Sonar fleet, for example, was paired with the J/22 fleet. The starting line and racecourse are the same, but fleets are scored separately. The Sailing Instructions required every boat to race with at least three crew for safety, and no spinnakers flown. – Full report