Sailboats Hoopla, left, and Dolce head towards Escanaba's Municipal Dock during the second leg of the Frostbite Race on Saturday. (Photo by R. R. Branstrom)

ESCANABA — While it was bittersweet to close the chapter on another year of racing, crews from the Escanaba Yacht Club as well as visiting sailors from Marquette and Gladstone enjoyed some spirited sailing this past Saturday. In the face of a fresh breeze out of the northwest, five boats plied the bay to compete in the annual Frostbite Race.

Only Manitu turned out for the cruising class, so they chose to sail in the spinnaker class instead. But given the rather strong conditions, not all the boats flew their chutes. Gusty winds made it a real challenge for skippers who did set out their spinnakers! But alas, the conditions were perfect for the multihulls to carry the day; Lickety Split (a triple-hulled Corsair 27) and Cathexis (a catamaran scratchbuilt by Gladstone’s Irving DeRoeck) blew the three monohulls out of the water.

The course was longer than the season’s Wednesday series races, taking the five sailboats up the bay and around a series of marks before heading back to the start-and-finish line off Sand Point, outside the mouth of the harbor.

From the Sand Point start, boats headed first to Little Bay de Noc Shoal Buoy 10, then to Escanaba Buoy 1 (marking the wreck of the Nahant near the Municipal Dock), back to Buoy 10, then out to Little Bay de Noc Buoy 11 (off the Terrace Bay Hotel), back down to Buoy 1 for another loop around the Municipal Dock buoy, and back to Buoy 10 again before finishing at Sand Point.

Securing first place was Lickety Split, skippered by Jim Knapp. The trimaran reportedly hit a top speed of 18 knots, said Vice Commodore of Sail John Anthony.

John Lindberg’s Cathexis finished second, and third place went to Hoopla, skippered by Mark Meyer.

Manitu and Dolce — skippered by Dave Anthony and Bob Yin, respectively — also completed the race.

Regardless of the outcome, sailors were glad to take part in yet another fine Frostbite, and many are already dreaming of next year’s racing. The 2026 season will kick off with Wednesday night racing in June.