Ice and snow sailing

There are so many offramps on the sailing superhighway. Here's one that combines speed, beauty and athleticism. Gotta give props when someone takes on the task of taking his game to the big show:

Local Newport, RI sailor William Tuthill of Jamestown is leaving Saturday, February 14th for Riga, Latvia to compete in the 2009 World Ice and Snow Sailing Association (WISSA) World Championships. The event is:

- The oldest international racing event in the history of windsurfing, – on water, ice, or land!
- The only international racing venue for wing sailors.
- The foremost racing venue for kites on ice & snow.

This year, Mr. Tuthill will be the only U.S. competitor amongst teams from a dozen countries. “I’ll do my best” said Tuthill as he carefully packed airframes, skis, and protective padding in preparation for departure. “This year is a hard ice surface and the event is in the Baltics, so the Poles, Latvians, Estonians, and Russians will be out in force. They are all really good, so I’ll be up against it,” said Tuthill.

This is the first year for the new Short Track Slalom discipline, which will be added to the regular course racing, speed and long distance races. The event features racing for 3 Classes:

- Open Class: any sled powered by a windsurfing rig where the rider is standing.
- Wing Class: all hand held sails and wings.
- Kite Class: all tethered sails.

This is the cutting edge in low friction sailing. It is a place where diverse ideas and cultures merge around a single topic- speed. To learn more view the following links:

http://www.wissa2009.org
http://www.wissa2008.ca
http://www.winterwindsurfing.co#19C13E
http:// www.wissa.org
http://www.windsports.net