Hard Way Update

The usual halfway point at Center Harbor with the MV Mount Washington in the background.

Here is a little update on the, “Hard Way” to wet your appetite. For a more detailed history, please look under the, “Regattas and Events” link and read the article by Bob Kilpatrik on the Hard Way. There are also more detailed reports of the current fleets on the site.

The Hardway , as it is called, is a roundtrip from one end of Lake Winnipesaukee to the other. It can start at either the north end, Usually Center Harbor, or the south end at Wolfeboro, NH. The trip must contain a fleet of 5 boats minimum and one person must have completed the trip prior. The round trip must be completed within a 24 hour period. Only the pilot of the craft receives credit although passengers and crew often will get mentioned. skippers who have competed the trip 3 times get their names engraved on a trophy.

I’m not sure why Fleet 15 in 2004 seemed to be the last attempt for a while but it might have been due to the loss of several veterans of the Winni Frolic. Jon Hix, Leigh Turner, and Allen Stevens are all sailing that plate of perfect black ice. They tended to be the main scouters of the lake. With the transition into retirement, I now found the time and the companionship to do some scouting. I also rely on others to help especially from the north end of the lake. This led to renewed interest locally of attempting the “Run” again. Although I tried to post conditions as I scouted, many times they occurred midweek and May not have lasted thru the Weekend. More detailed write-ups are on the NEIYA site but here’s a recap.

Fleet 16 1/28/2016 10 boats

Fleet 17 3/26/2019 11 boats

Fleet 18 3/1/2020 6 boats

Fleet 19 3/16/2021 8 boats

Four new names have been added to the trophy with several in need of just one more trip. Perhaps this will be their year. I hope many more of you can enjoy this wonderful experience soon.