CANADIAN CHAMPS ARE ON FOR SATURDAY
This Saturday, March 7th we intend on hosting the 2020 Canadian Championships on the Bay of Quinte.
Photo taken this afternoon at proposed launch site, Belleville Ontario.
We are also looking for volunteers in helping with this regatta. I will make sure you have front row sight of the mark roundings and starts. 😀 If you are interested in helping out, it would be very much appreciated. Please send me an email if you can help petervanrossemsr or call my number below.
Please make sure your insurance is up to date and you are covered for ice boat racing. Sending a copy of your proof of insurance to my email address is helpful if you intend on racing.
If the ice holds out for Sunday, we will do another unsanctioned regatta where we record our own finishes…I will hold the score sheet in case one would like up grade your score for a better finish.😀 Bribes accepted. (Not applicable for the Canadian Champs)
Stay tuned to the NEIYA site https://theneiya.org/ and IDNIYRA bulletin board http://www.dnamerica.org/forum/ for further details and updates.
Regards Peter Van Rossem
DN Europe Trip- The Thrilling Conclusion Part 5
The car all loaded up for the trip to Frankfurt…
Can just see some DN gear on the baggage truck….
All in one piece in Boston!
Stacked for the last 100 yards to the van… one more round of funny looks at the airport!
Back to the office…. ugh….
That is the whole batch! For sailing shots and good photos see Sean Heavey’s site at http://www.seanrheavey.com. That’s where you’ll find the good stuff!
DN Europe Trip- The Thrilling Conclusion Part 4
So we started the trip by eating eel at Der Spieker…. and now we wrap it up by eating seafood pizza at Torsten’s place. This particular pie had clams, mussels, and either the biggest crawdad I’ve ever seen or a lobster that was way too small to call a keeper…. in any case it was killed and grilled so I ate it. Delicious…
Down the hatch!
Delicious…
The claw….
Still more to come…
DN Europe Trip- The Thrilling Conclusion Part 3
This is a cool old church in Oldenburg… the story behind the big tree goes something like this:
A prince was madly in love with a woman who was a commoner. The king was less than thrilled and ordered his son to steer clear. He was so upset that he became very sick and passed away. The king decided that the reason his boy became ill was that the woman had put a spell on him. This being the case the king ordered her to get the axe in front of the church. She claimed to be innocent and on her way to the chopping block picked up a stick from the ground, dropped it next to the chopping block and said “My blood will touch this stick and it will grow into a tree- but only if I’m innocent”. So down came the axe, blood got on the stick, and now there is a big tree in the courtyard. Huh. Guess she was innocent after all… A typically upbeat story from that era! Fact check it if you dare…
This yard is so out of place and atypical I think it has to be an art project or something…
My rental car for the trip down to Frankfurt. Only had 8km on the odometer- makes me feel important! Nice ride….
Don’t believe me about the 8k? Take a look…
We all have seen JFK saying “Ich bin ein Berliner!” Some of us have heard that it translates literally to “I am a jelly donut!” Here is your proof…
Torsten Siems, home from a meeting and looking sharp as ever. Hard to believe that a guy this suave and classy is also a DNer! (DN G 666!)
Torsten is amazingly generous- let’s us stay at his house, eat his food, use his giant warehouse to set up boats, and laughs at our jokes. Thanks Torsten! We really do appreciate it!
More to come…
DN Europe Trip- The Thrilling Conclusion Part 2
Still more….
While driving in a MAJOR crosswind we had a roof rack malfunction. This masthead took the brunt of it and was dragged down the autobahn for a minute or so… have you drag it along on the other side and even it up!
One of our hosts, Torsten, has inspiring posters all over his office. Just like in the States only in the local slang….
This is on the wall at the Bad Zwischenahn Yacht Club. Basically says “The best captains are always sitting on land!” A nod to the Monday morning quarterbacks that seem to inhabit some clubs… love it!
One night we found out that the German basketball league final was starting in an hour. Oldenburg (our adopted hometown!) vs Berlin! Even though I know nothing about basketball and Sean the photographer knows even less we decided we’d better support the local squad. So we did what anyone would do in Oldenburg, Germany and trotted off to a Cuban-themed sports bar, drank Che Guevara Beer and Coca Cola, and watched the game on the big TV. I think Berlin won but it was close. No riots in the street- I think that is more of a Boston / Philly / LA thing…
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More to come….
DN Europe Trip- The Thrilling Conclusion Part 1
As we wait for weekend plans to finalize (very optimistic that lots of sailing will be going on) I thought I’d finish up my little travelogue… I think we left off on a ferry from Sweden to Germany. Here are some miscellaneous photos from the rest of the trip- The reflect the miscellaneous way my brain is “organized”….
Love coffee. These little cans of fun are fantastic
A nice house on a nice street in the nice town of Oldenburg, Germany
Jorg took us for a late breakfast. One menu (made of paper) caught on fire due to careless handling and real candles on the table. Long story. Won’t name the guilty party. It wasn’t me for once. Happy to report the place wasn’t burned down. That said, the server was less than impressed…
I can’t believe I took photos of food. It was that good.
Coffee with a little something extra…
More to come…
CANADIAN DN CHAMPS ON FOR SATURDAY!
This Saturday, March 7th we intend on hosting the 2020 Canadian Championships on the Bay of Quinte.
Photo taken this afternoon at proposed launch site, Belleville Ontario.
We are also looking for volunteers in helping with this regatta. I will make sure you have front row sight of the mark roundings and starts. 😀 If you are interested in helping out, it would be very much appreciated. Please send me an email if you can help petervanrossemsr or call my number below.
Please make sure your insurance is up to date and you are covered for ice boat racing. Sending a copy of your proof of insurance to my email address is helpful if you intend on racing.
If the ice holds out for Sunday, we will do another unsanctioned regatta where we record our own finishes…I will hold the score sheet in case one would like up grade your score for a better finish.😀 Bribes accepted. (Not applicable for the Canadian Champs)
Stay tuned to the NEIYA site https://theneiya.org/ and IDNIYRA bulletin board http://www.dnamerica.org/forum/ for further details and updates.
Regards Peter Van Rossem
Iceboat Ride Along Video
Check this one out folks- Edited together by Sean Heavey out in Montana, filmed at the DN Gold Cup in Sweden…. Nice mix of onboard, drone, and stationary camera footage.
Click and enjoy!
Doc Fellows Regatta In The Books!
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The Doc Fellows Regatta is in the books- Thanks to Bill Bucholz for scouting Damariscotta Lake and pronouncing it sail-able!
Saturday was the day- almost 20 boats showed up in spite of the relatively short notice including people from Kingston, Montreal, RI, CT, and elsewhere-
Wind? Shifty and a little gusty. Ice? Rough with some shell in places. Courses? A little crooked at times. Conditions overall? Not perfect by any stretch.
Did we have a good regatta? HELL YES!
Seven races completed, lots of close racing, plenty of lead changes, some crowded mark roundings, and a few moments in each race that were sure to get the adrenaline going. For start positions we drew numbers out of a hat for every race rather than the usual method of having your finish position determine your next starting position. It’s easier than trying to make sense of the score sheet in the cold and wind and I like that it introduces some randomness into the mix. Lots of grins and laughs in the launch area at the end of the day! And as if this wasn’t enough we saw a bald eagle during the day and there was a live mink running around the launch area. Gotta love the little things…
Scoring and RC duties were handled by whoever won the previous race and/or whoever needed a break. Thanks to all who picked up the pencil and waved the flags! Thanks to Karen Binder for tabulating the results- any and all complaints and/or future bribes can be directed to her.
In the unpredictable conditions consistency was key- that and setting the boat up to sail well in the different wind speeds encountered during a race. Steering aggressively for the smooth areas was important also as the rough ice patches really took a bite out of the boat speed…. Also it seemed that sharp 90 degree runners seemed to dig into the rough ice while 95 or 100 degree runners were able to stay on top of it and let the boat maintain speed. Of course, you have to be wary of spinning out if the breeze comes up and you are using the flatter runners! All part of the decision making process…. Full sails were the order of the day as they provide more grunt out of maneuvers and keep the flow attached in the rough ice. They also allow the flow to stay attached more easily in the abrupt changes in wind direction and velocity.
Jay Whitehair took tenth, Jack Goritski took ninth (in his first day in a DN all winter!), Neal Fowler got more dialed in as the day went on to take 8th, Peter Van Rossem had some good races to take 7th, Nick Mabboux was able to keep his boat in one piece long enough to take 6th, Robin Lagravier (5th) and Karen Binder (4th) are two relative newcomers who have done a good job getting on the pace and well done to both of them, Oliver Moore came out of a starting-a-business and becoming-a-father induced hiatus to take third, T Thieler was able to stop talking long enough to take second and Chad Atkins was the big winner of the day with ten points in seven races. Not bad at all! Full results will be posted soon.
Thanks to all who participated and helped run the event. Great to see the whole group pitching in to make it happen!
Stay tuned, there is talk of the Canadian Champs or possibly Eastern Champs this weekend….
T Thieler
Commodore Emeritus, Regatta Chair, Doctor of Movie Quotations
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Where It All Began: Part 2 – The Boats – iceboat.org
It was a big weekend on Damariscotta Lake- the Doc Fellows regatta was held on the north end and the CIBC orienteering event took place at the south end. Both events went very well but more about them later-
Right now take a look back at where all this all began with Part 2 of Deb Whitehorse’s report on the classic iceboating going on in Sweden. These boats are just so cool…. Great stuff!
Article and photos here:
https://www.iceboat.org/2020/02/27/where-it-all-began-part-2-the-boats/
And if you want a little music to set the mood while you read, this may be appropriate- The first verse in particular struck me as being relevant to an iceboater’s frame of mind….
“Say you want to be a rollin’ stone
And get your sail out in the wind
Get out on the highway
And just let it roll on
Roll on back to someplace you ain’t never been”
Click to hear the song….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4UFm_xhXwg
Think ICE!!
Two Events On Damariscotta Lake Today
The first is an orienteering event on Damariscotta- guaranteed to be interesting! Details here:
https://iceboat.me/2020/02/29/orienteering/
And at the other end of the lake there will be racing- not sure what the title is but let’s say Maine state champs- skippers meeting at the Lake Farm Inn launch site- see yesterday’s NEIYA posts for details
https://theneiya.org/2020/02/28/doc-fellows-regatta-saturday/
Looking forward to the reports! Think ICE
DOC FELLOWS REGATTA SATURDAY
OK Gang, it’s on….
The Doc Fellows Regatta is ON for Saturday, Feb 29 2020, maybe another regatta (Maine States?) Sunday. Sounds like Damariscotta Lake in Jefferson, ME is in decent shape.
Wind forecast is good for Saturday and a little more promising for Sunday. The ice looks decent, reports from the site give it a 6.5 out of ten. Not exactly miles of perfect black ice but let’s not let perfect be the enemy of good!
Temps will be in low 30’s during the day, with clouds on Saturday we should be able to sail pretty well. Sunday will bring sun so slush runners might be handy- Will be interesting to see what we can get away with!
Launch will be out of
Damariscotta Lake Farm
15 Bunker Hill Rd, Jefferson, ME 04348
Take Lake Farm Circle down to the beach to rig and launch, DO NOT drive on the grass! The folks at The Farm have been very iceboater-friendly and we don’t want to do anything to sour that relationship.
We can’t stay at The Farm but lodging available at the Senator Inn And Spa in Augusta about 30 minutes from the launch. Web site is here: https://www.senatorinn.com
Skippers Meeting Saturday AM at launch, 9:30 AM
First Race at 10:30 AM
Be sure to have your insurance with you!!! NO EXCEPTIONS
Regular iceboating rules apply- familiarize yourselves with them at
https://www.idniyra.org/racing/rules-safety/
NOTE- some iceboating Right Of Way rules differ from soft-water rules so read them closely-
IF three of any class show up and want to race they will get a start and races of their own- all welcome!
In the DN Class a Vintage / Classic trophy will be awarded to the boat and skipper that has a certain combo of age / wear and tear / battle scars / character / and results!
We are looking for volunteers to run and score races- earn some karma and volunteer!
If not no big deal, we can use the Maine system (Regatta Chair runs first race, from there on whoever wins a race gets to run and score the next one. Average points awarded for the races missed. I think. Will figure it out when the smart people get there)
Feel free to contact me with any questions or to let me know what I’ve forgotten- t_thieler
Stay tuned to NEIYA site for details and updates!
Think ICE and LINE ‘EM UP!!
CIBC Iceboat Orienteering Event Tomorrow
At the southern end of Damariscotta Lake there will be an Iceboat Orienteering Event, organized by the CIBC- Sounds like an interesting idea and is open to all manner of craft- Skeeters, Whizzes, Skimmers, what have you!
Launch and skippers meeting will be at Vannah Rd, at 0930. Keep an eye on https://iceboat.me/
For details.
Sounds like a fun event and will look forward to hearing about it. Sounds like there will be something for everyone on Dammy this weekend!
DOC FELLOWS REGATTA ON FOR SATURDAY
OK Gang, it’s on….
The Doc Fellows Regatta is ON for Saturday, Feb 29 2020, maybe another regatta (Maine States?) Sunday. Sounds like Damariscotta Lake in Jefferson, ME is in decent shape.
Wind forecast is good for Saturday and a little more promising for Sunday. The ice looks decent, reports from the site give it a 6.5 out of ten. Not exactly miles of perfect black ice but let’s not let perfect be the enemy of good!
Temps will be in low 30’s during the day, with clouds on Saturday we should be able to sail pretty well. Sunday will bring sun so slush runners might be handy- Will be interesting to see what we can get away with!
Launch will be out of
Damariscotta Lake Farm
15 Bunker Hill Rd, Jefferson, ME 04348
Take Lake Farm Circle down to the beach to rig and launch, DO NOT drive on the grass! The folks at The Farm have been very iceboater-friendly and we don’t want to do anything to sour that relationship.
We can’t stay at The Farm but lodging available at the Senator Inn And Spa in Augusta about 30 minutes from the launch. Web site is here: https://www.senatorinn.com
Skippers Meeting Saturday AM at launch, 9:30 AM
First Race at 10:30 AM
Be sure to have your insurance with you!!! NO EXCEPTIONS
Regular iceboating rules apply- familiarize yourselves with them at
https://www.idniyra.org/racing/rules-safety/
NOTE- some iceboating Right Of Way rules differ from soft-water rules so read them closely-
IF three of any class show up and want to race they will get a start and races of their own- all welcome!
In the DN Class a Vintage / Classic trophy will be awarded to the boat and skipper that has a certain combo of age / wear and tear / battle scars / character / and results!
We are looking for volunteers to run and score races- earn some karma and volunteer!
If not no big deal, we can use the Maine system (Regatta Chair runs first race, from there on whoever wins a race gets to run and score the next one. Average points awarded for the races missed. I think. Will figure it out when the smart people get there)
Feel free to contact me with any questions or to let me know what I’ve forgotten- t_thieler
Stay tuned to NEIYA site for details and updates!
Think ICE and LINE ‘EM UP!!
Doc Fellows Roll Call…
Sounds like momentum is building for the Doc Fellows Regatta tomorrow- so far we know of four sailors on the way from Montreal, at least two from Kingston, four from RI, and who knows how many from everywhere else- looking forward to a good event(s)! See everyone tomorrow- the more the merrier-
Would love to have some help with RC and scoring duties- if you or someone you know wants to help out contact me at t_thieler@yahoo.com
Think ICE! See y’all tomorrow in Maine…
DOC FELLOWS REGATTA IS ON FOR SATURDAY!!
OK Gang, it’s on….
The Doc Fellows Regatta is ON for Saturday, maybe another regatta (Maine States?) Sunday. Sounds like Damariscotta Lake in Jefferson, ME is in decent shape.
Wind forecast is good for Saturday and a little more promising for Sunday. The ice looks decent, reports from the site give it a 6.5 out of ten. Not exactly miles of perfect black ice but let’s not let perfect be the enemy of good!
Temps will be in low 30’s during the day, with clouds on Saturday we should be able to sail pretty well. Sunday will bring sun so slush runners might be handy- Will be interesting to see what we can get away with!
Launch will be out of
Damariscotta Lake Farm
15 Bunker Hill Rd, Jefferson, ME 04348
Take Lake Farm Circle down to the beach to rig and launch, DO NOT drive on the grass! The folks at The Farm have been very iceboater-friendly and we don’t want to do anything to sour that relationship.
We can’t stay at The Farm but lodging available at the Senator Inn And Spa in Augusta about 30 minutes from the launch. Web site is here: https://www.senatorinn.com
Skippers Meeting Saturday AM at launch, 9:30 AM
First Race at 10:30 AM
Be sure to have your insurance with you!!! NO EXCEPTIONS
Regular iceboating rules apply- familiarize yourselves with them at
https://www.idniyra.org/racing/rules-safety/
NOTE- some iceboating Right Of Way rules differ from soft-water rules so read them closely-
IF three of any class show up and want to race they will get a start and races of their own- all welcome!
In the DN Class a Vintage / Classic trophy will be awarded to the boat and skipper that has a certain combo of age / wear and tear / battle scars / character / and results!
We are looking for volunteers to run and score races- earn some karma and volunteer!
If not no big deal, we can use the Maine system (Regatta Chair runs first race, from there on whoever wins a race gets to run and score the next one. Average points awarded for the races missed. I think. Will figure it out when the smart people get there)
Feel free to contact me with any questions or to let me know what I’ve forgotten- t_thieler@yahoo.com
Stay tuned to NEIYA site for details and updates!
Think ICE and LINE ‘EM UP!!
Atlas Obscura Ice Boating Article
Hey Gang- Check out this well written (if slightly depressing) article in Atlas Obscura….
The Bittersweet Thrill of Iceboating in a Warming World
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Sailing / Racing This Weekend….
Hello All-
Optimism reigns in our little world- It may be on the warm side here in RI but just a few miles to the north the forecast is for some very cold nights, could have things ready to go by the weekend, especially the latter part…
Could be Winni…. Could be Dammy…. Some lake just over the border….
IF we find sailable ice we are hoping to have a regatta (Doc Fellows? Easterns? Canadian Champs?) so stay tuned to this site for details and updates. And if you have ice for the love of God let us know at ice@neiya.org
Think ICE! T
Where It All Begins
IDNIYRA Secretary Deb Whitehorse is still in Europe, now reporting on the folks who are sailing the boats that started it all-
Click the link and get an idea of how this all started, how it looked, and the people who are keeping the tradition going. Think ICE!
https://www.iceboat.org/2020/02/27/where-it-all-began-part-one-the-club/
Fast Kids….
How long until we can send some NE kids to one of these things?
IDNIYRA Secretary Deb Whitehorse stayed in Sweden to cover the European Junior champs (rough duty but someone has to do it…)
She sends these reports and photos- both very worth a look!
https://www.idniyra.org/2020/02/17/2020-junior-ice-sailing-world-championship-day-1-pm-update/
https://www.idniyra.org/2020/02/18/2020-junior-ice-sailing-world-championship-day-2-pm-update/
https://www.idniyra.org/2020/02/19/2020-junior-ice-sailing-world-championship-day-3-pm-update/
2020 IDNIYRA World Champ AMAZING Photos
Want to see what it’s like to travel from Montana to Sweden via Germany and back again?
Sean Heavey is a professional photographer, videographer, and artist who ran into the iceboat crowd when we invaded his town of Glascow, Montana for the 2020 DN NA champs. He did an amazing job out there (he is the real deal, not like the rest of us wanna-be photographers snapping away with our smartphones) and decided to follow it up by coming along with the group headed to Europe for the World Champs.
The result is an extraordinary account / travelogue of what a DN trip to Europe is like for a bunch of scruffy Americans- It also shows what an amazing two weeks you’ll have if you get kidnapped by Jorg Bohn and his unbelievably hospitable group of friends in northern Germany. Once you are in the care of Jorg, Ulrika, Torsten, Daggie, Stefan, Beatu, and the rest of the gang the fun doesn’t stop. We cannot thank all of them enough! Great food, great restaurants, great drinks, great scenery, great coffee, great stories, vans, ferries, possibly small planes, and even the occasional mishap. But hey, who said that “comedy is tragedy over time?” Mark Twain maybe? All good for a laugh a few hours or days later.
Oh yeah, there is a big regatta in there somewhere. Sean has photos of that too!
One of the great (do I need a thesaurus or what?) things about iceboating is all the characters you get to know- Sean is certainly one of them- Many thanks to him for pitching in with all the travel chores and being just as entertaining as the grizzled veterans in the group!
So with all that said check out Sean’s work here. Jorg is always reminding me to round up more Americans and bring them over for the Gold Cup and other regattas over there- Take a look at the photos here and give it some thought…. You won’t regret it!
Get a cup of coffee, a comfortable seat, a big screen, and enjoy the photos-
2020 IDNIYRA World Championship
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Racing / Sailing This Weekend?
Hello All-
We are getting some positive reports from the other side of the St Lawrence- Could be some racing up near Kingston this weekend, stay tuned! Details here as they emerge….
Seems that it has been chilly around New England, have to think that there will be some more local options as well- Again, stay tuned, more details here-
If you have an ice report or know a lake that has potential let us know! Sharing is everything….. Email ice@neiya.org if you have a report to share- Remember, playing with others is way more fun than playing with yourself!
Stay tuned and Think ICE!
Heading Home…
With the Euro Champs called off (dangerous ice, no time, no breeze…) we loaded up and hit the road south. Drove all day through Sweden, picked up a ferry in SW Sweden which will take us overnight to Germany. Saves a lot of driving.
Cool ferry- This bad boy is LARGE….
Here is nearly empty parking deck
One of the hallways
Some boat data
Cheesy decal in shop
Screen grab from my plotter app…
Half of the restauran
2020 European Championship Cancelled – DN North America
Dang…
https://www.idniyra.org/2020/02/15/2020-european-championship-cancelled/
New England Ice Yacht Association 