What are the coldest conditions you’ve ever sailed in? What is your personal cutoff when it comes to temperature? For Maaike Huvermann (Severne / Severne Sails / Maui Ultra Fins) last week proved to be a first as she sailed in the snow for the first time… in a mind numbing -5 degrees celsius! 

Maaike Huvermann: “Last week there was a cold front hitting The Netherlands and the country went into code red. From one day to the other the country turned into a majestic winter wonderland. The cold front also came with fairly strong easterly wind.  It was the perfect opportunity to go out and try sailing in the snow.

I had prepared myself for it to be a mental game against the cold. But actually, for most of the session, it was really doable. I came in regularly to warm up, until at some point my boom froze and it became quite hard to sail. When sailing back upwind to the car the cold really hit me as you will see at the end of the video.”

You can see Maaike Huvermann sailing in below zero @ youtu.be/0SQcjN_RGnQ