May 2016

If there’s even a hint of wind on the lake, sailboats of all makes and models on both the north and south shores head into the Pontchartrain waters. Named for the French politician in charge of the navy during the reign of Louis XIV, the lake is massive, a brackish estuary shaped like a fat, hungry grouper eyeing nearby Lake Maurepas. Traversed by the longest over-water single-span bridge in the world, Lake Pontchartrain is famously shallow, beset by wind-whipped tides, and, when the ever-changeable weather kicks in, presents sailors with an exhilarating challenge.

“It’s a fun ride out here,” said Matt Daroca, a Jefferson Parish resident who’s been sailing for more than half his twenty-six years. “We had a sailboat and a power boat growing up.” Daroca crews on Muse whenever he has the time, adding his seasoned voice to Ellie McCulloch’s sea-faring narrative. “In a race, we’re always watching for signs of wind,” he explained. “When we see boats heeled over and changes in the texture and color of the water, it means it’s blowing. There’s a lot of math and science that goes into this sport. Of course mostly it’s just fun.”

—an excerpt from Beth D'Addono's "Sailing Lake Pontchartrain" in our May 2016 issue.