Racers warm to Frostbite

THE best antidote to blow the holiday cobwebs away is to get on a yacht in winter conditions and go out racing.

Twenty-four skippers and their boats agreed with this on Saturday for the first race in the Heritage Frostbite Series, hosted by the Royal Channel Islands Yacht Club (Guernsey).

This is now the most popular yacht racing series in the Bailiwick and consistently draws nearly 30 boats out onto the water in the freezing conditions.

Due to its popularity and demand, the series has been extended to seven races and will keep the crews busy up to Easter.

Very light conditions met the crews for race one, but with enough access time and faith that the wind would fill in, a course was set to send the racing class south against the tide and wind to Anfre, before turning north for a long downwind leg to Vivian Mark, before returning to Anfre to do the same again.