Father-Son Duo On Pace For Winter Series Glory

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By Amy Russell
Lee Bollhorst and his son Kyle are after one thing this season: a first place finish in the Annapolis Sailing Frostbite Series. And if history suggests anything, a win is within their grasp.
The Sailing Frostbite series, held in Annapolis, is made up of two parts: the fall series, which runs from late October to December, and the spring series, which picks up the first week in February and continues through mid-march. Awards are given out per series, and overall.


Last year, One Eyed Jack, a Cal-25 piloted by the Bollhortsts took first place in the fall series and third place in the spring series: the exact opposite of the overall winner, who took third and first, and then beat the Bollhorsts by a slim margin to take the title.
But this year, One Eyed Jack is on an even better track. Lee, Kyle and their crew, Andy Elder and Colin Cameron, have already nailed the first series and are well on their way to getting an overall ranking in the bag, having just finished the first race of the spring season well ahead of the competition.
“I love Frostbite racing,” said driver Kyle Bollhorst. “We see the best competition during Frostbites for sure. Of the 150 boats that sign up, the Cal-25s get the biggest fleet… we consistently get 15-20 boats out each week. It’s the biggest turnout, and by far my favorite racing,” he added.
Annapolis is the acclaimed sailing capital of the world, but it takes a special group to brave the freezing temperatures, rain, sleet and snow to take part in the competition.
“We race no matter what,” says Kyle. “Unless Spa Creek actually freezes over, we go out. Snow, rain, freezing cold, anything… adrenaline takes over and you don’t even notice the temperature.”
So far, the group is starting strong. “Last year we lost the overall award by a couple of points, so this time, we really want to win it all,” said Kyle.
As for their vessel, One Eyed Jack is no stranger to the sailing scene. In fact, Lee Bollhorst first met the “divine beauty” in 1984, when his stepfather and his business partner bought the boat. Immediately, though, Lee got involved and One Eyed Jack has been in the family ever since.
“I’ve been a part of it ever since,” said Lee. “The first year I started sailing was the first year I started racing. Now, almost 30 years later, the owners are me and my son.”
And the younger Bollhorst has been enjoying it ever since. “My dad got me into it when I was young,” said Kyle. “I’ve been sailing since I was a baby and got into racing when I was about 17. That’s when we fixed it up to get it race ready. The first year I raced we did the Frostbite Series. Back then it was me, Colin and my dad, and we had 20-year old sails.”
One Eyed Jack features a red stripe across the bow, and an identifiable porthole in the starboard side of the bow. “You know it’s One Eyed Jack when you see that porthole,” said fellow racer Aaron Moeller. “That’s the identifying mark of that racer.”
Kyle says that though there is a wide range of racers, the experience is what presents the challenge. “There are really good racers out there, and a lot of them are older guys but you don’t have to be young to be a good racer,” said 24-year-old Kyle. “Racing comes with wisdom and experience so the competition is really good. Ours is one of the toughest fleets to race against.”
For Lee, giving up the reigns has been a recent, but long-time-coming event. “A few years ago I started giving the driving of the boat to Kyle,” said Lee. “Now, he’s more than capable. He’s every bit as good as I was, if not better.”
Teaching Kyle, Lee says, started when he was young. “I started taking him racing on other peoples’ boats when he was a baby,” said Lee. “And Andy, [our crew], raced with his father in Round Bay when he was young.”
Nowadays, the foursome works hard each week to get the job done, and win the race, a goal they refer to as “sending it.”
“Let’s get it sent,” Kyle says, “That’s what we say. Each morning we say “let’s send it.” And when we get it done, we say, “consider it sent.” It’s kind of something we joke about on the boat.” Joke or no joke, the Bollhorsts are in fact, ‘sending it.’
Though the Bollhorts started racing almost seven years ago, they’ve won one or another part of the series a handful of times. The last three years, the group has placed in the top three boats, but this year they hope to take it all.
“It’s a good time, with a good breeze and good people,” said crew member Andy Elder. “If nothing else, it’s something to break up the monotony of winter.”
The Bollhorts, their crew, and the rest of the Frostbite sailors will continue to compete every Sunday at 1:15pm in Annapolis. Final series winners will be announced some time in March.

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