Boston was one of the first Americans to compete in a world championship behind the Iron Curtain, in 1974. A successful racer has to have a keen understanding of ice conditions and sailing skills, plus good judgment. Iceboaters are a hardy breed. Sherry tells the story of an iceboater who got stuck in broken ice at sunset. He climbed up his mast, wrapped himself in the sail and slept all night, then sailed home in the morning.
Iceboats use the 'apparent' wind to multiply their speed.
Sailboats rarely go faster than the wind because of friction in the water. The combination of side wind and front wind gives you the ability to travel two to three times faster than the actual wind. But racing the wind is not merely a guy thing. Rosemary Hamill has been competing since the mid-'80s. Both she and her husband, Tom, who live in Davisburg, belong to the Detroit club.