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Jan 15, 2008 6:44 pm US/Central
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Sailing Still Popular, Even During Winter Months
(WCCO)
The weather might be cold
and windy, but it was the perfect day for some sailing.
The 2008 North America
Championship Regatta set sail out on Lake Pepin Tuesday.
Sailors said there's
nothing like racing against the wind.
"Its fun to go several
times the speed of the wind," said sailor Mark Upham.
Upham is one of 100
sailors from around the world who are taking part in the Regatta.
"This is a blast, you
don't get to do it very often," said Upham.
In the Regatta, 25 boats
line up on one side and 25 on the other side -- they start off going in opposite
directions.
The sailors give the boats
a running push and then they jump quickly into the boat.
"It's a little like
flying when you're taking off down the runway, you just get the acceleration
-- you're just starting to get down the runway and get going -- no engines, just wind,"
said sailor Markham Chatterton.
This thrill sport, that
started in the Netherlands, also comes with some danger.
You've got a 150 pound
boat going 60 miles per hour on thin ice.
"A crack in the ice
can stop a boat instantly" said sailor, Mark Kiefer.
Sailors say it's the
thrill that puts the wind in their sail.
"I do it because when
you're going full blast on the ice -- on the smooth ice -- there isn't any better
sensation at all," said Upham.
Lake
Pepin was the second choice for the competition. The races were supposed to be
held in Oshkosh, Wis., but organizers changed the location at the last minute
because the ice in Oshkosh wasn't safe.
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