ICE SAILING AND THE OLYMPICS
Ever wondered or been asked why iceboating isn’t in the Olympics? Find some answers here….
Why Ice Sailing is not an Olympic Sport >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News
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James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Meade Gougeon, Fair Winds….
Hello All-
Sad time in the world of hard water, soft water, and all around. Meade Gougeon passed away recently at the age of 78.
What he crammed into those years staggers the imagination- Off the top of my head I can say he was a DN World and NA champ, built and sailed a multitude of softwater craft that included cats, tris, proas, motorboats, keelboats and God knows what else. A 40 foot trimaran called ADRENALIN which had pivoting amas comes to mind.
In addition to being a major player in the DN world he also sailed the Everglades Challenge several times, a crazy event in the southern boondocks of Florida. Not for the faint of heart!
And he helped bring epoxy to the masses. Let’s not forget that.
His exploits and adventures are well documented elsewhere but I’d like to share my own story about the man.
When I first started sailing DNs twenty years ago I was in awe of the way he and his brother Jan (Hard to talk about one without mentioning the other) got around the course- two decades later I still can’t get over it! I remember thinking “Who is this guy with the skinny legs and the red helmet and how the hell does he do it??”
I got to chat with him a bit a various regattas and he always made time to answer my many questions- Which as a budding DN-er I appreciated very much!
That was cool but a few years ago Meade and a friend of his were travelling the east coast promoting the new G-Flex epoxy they’d developed. They were hitting all the wooden boat shops along the east coast, doing demos and doling out samples. His friend had a vision disorder and dealt with it by video taping the whole trip and watching it later on a special viewer that put the images right onto his retinas or some such thing.
I bumped into this pair purely by chance on the dock at the International Yacht Restoration School in Newport, RI one afternoon. They were checking out the legendary DORADE, the Olin Stephens design that is winning races to this very day. I was captain of DORADE’s less pretty cousin, a boat called SONNY that was across the dock.
The owner had called and asked me to round up a few people to go for a little afternoon sail. I’d found one or two people to go along and wanted at least one more but had resigned myself to sailing short-handed. Walking down the dock to the boat I saw a familiar figure…. Tall, slim dude…. Skinny legs…. Tan cap with a short brim? Had to be Meade!! Sure enough it was him, and sure enough when I introduced myself he didn’t really react until I said my sail number was DN 5224. At that he lit up! DN-ers are great that way. We shot the breeze for a few minutes and I convinced him and his buddy to come along for a quick sail.
His friend had his big video camera going the whole time and Meade tended the mainsheet perfectly without even thinking about it. All the while chatting away with the owner of the boat (a trustee and board member of the Yacht Restoration School) about the virtues and values of teaching and preserving the woodworking skills and classic boats the school focuses on. Traditional plank-and-frame stuff.
It was one of the most pleasant afternoons of sailing you could ask for, and I was thrilled to be on a boat with a legend like Meade. But the story doesn’t end there-
A few weeks later his friend with the video camera sent me a DVD of their trip, a well put-together travelogue (complete with bluegrass music and his own narration) that started in Michigan and followed them to Maine and down the coast to Newport and beyond. I was excited to see what the Newport segment had in store and it began with Meade eating ice cream across the street from the Restoration School. So far so good, harmless enough. Then across the street they went to look at the derelict boats awaiting restoration by the students at the school.
Next thing you see on the screen is Meade inside one of the boats, ripping rotting timbers off with his bare hands, and literally yelling about how these boats didn’t last long, required too many rebuilds, too much time, too much effort…. He was really on a tear! He sounded like a preacher thumping the Bible in front of the flock, punctuating every sentence by ripping off another hunk of rotten timber and throwing it in the bilge. I remember the last sentence of his tirade was “…and to glorify this method of construction IS WRONG!!!!” It was amazing!
And to think that thirty minutes after this was filmed he was out having a blast on the old plank and frame boat I was running and having a great time, chatting away with all on board. When I saw the video all I could think was that it was a good thing he got all that out of his system before he met one of the main guys that ran the place!
The lessons I took away from that were:
1- Know your audience. He sure did.
2- Don’t skip a chance to go sailing!
3- Know your history and how things were done before you came along.
4- Don’t stop looking forward!
And he always did look forward, always thinking of the next cool boat or the next neat modification or the next crazy event.
That said, my folks bumped into Meade at the Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum in St. Micheal’s, MD. Checking out all the old boats, taking in the history and no doubt pondering some better ways to make the things…. Somehow my father recognized him and started talking boats and DNs. Of course Meade lit up when he mentioned DNs! My dad was thrilled to meet him and still loves to brag about meeting a big player like Meade.
I’ve met a lot of fantastic characters through sailing and the the DN gang is another breed altogether- but getting to know Meade and Jan has been one of the greatest parts of my whole hard-water career. I always admired the way they sailed but more importantly how they were always friendly and made time to answer every question a wide-eyed rookie like me could pester them with. I’ve tried to do the same over the years and I thank Meade and Jan both for setting a great example!
Fair winds and perfect ice, Meade. Know that I am far from the only person you’ve made a mark on.
DN US 5224
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MEADE GOUGEON
Hey Folks- Meade Gougeon is fighting a major battle these days- prognosis isn’t great but he sounds like he is facing it all with his chin up and a great attitude. And rightly so, his life has been incredible.
Ron Sherry sends this update:
“Meade Gougeon is about to sail his longest race, where he will join his brother and other great friends in paradise on miles and miles of black ice. Unfortunately melanoma has returned to Meade’s body with a vengeance. Time is short and Meade would like to give everyone the opportunity to send him a note. Meade knows exactly what is going on and is very happy with the life he has led and all the friends he has made. However, the oxygen he is on makes it hard for him to talk, so he would appreciate an E-mail or letter with good wishes and stories of all the good times we have had together.”
He would love to hear from all of his friends in the hard-water world, so send him an email at mag@gougeon.com
Send your wishes and wish him luck. Hang in there Meade!
James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
MAINE BOATS AND HARBORS SHOW
Interesting post from Bill Bucholz- “The CIBC has been invited to display at the Maine Boats and Harbors Show in Rockland this weekend. Anyone interested in helping to man the booth and set up a few iceboats, please call me 207-975-6980.” Give him a shout or at least go check it out!
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NEIYA IN ITALY
Hey Folks- While we are all slumming it here in NE the Moth Dinghy class is holding it’s World Champs in the rather picturesque venue of Lake Garda in Italy.
NEIYA DN-er Matt Knowles is there, toughing it out in the silver fleet but surely having a blast racing in these light, fast, foiling craft.
Also competing is German DN-er Thomas Huber and probably several others. All of whom no doubt are wishing it was February!
Click here for info, results, vids and photos:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2017/07/28/finals-begin-moth-worlds/
Good luck Matt- can’t wait to hear about this one over the winter- Think Ice!
Masters Age Groups
We will be implementing new subdivisions in the masters groups at our regattas this winter. Please review and specify a group when signing up for the next event.
Thanks to Eben for sending this in!
Ready For Anything
This was Chad Atkins van loaded up for July 4th weekend…. Note the combination of paddle boards and a DN on the roof.
Maybe he heard about some vestige of ice somewhere and was hedging his bets?
Either way it’s time to start thinking about the coming season…..
Think ICE!
BAIKAL Video!
Nicklas Muller-Hartburg put this video up of his trip to Lake Baikal last spring- If you are looking for something to take your mind of the summer heat and get you thinking about the upcoming winter sailing season take a look!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zdl5s0sXQDc&feature=youtu.be&ab_channel=NiklasM%C3%BCller-Hartburg
J-Class Yachts Racing
Hey Folks- Couldn’t resist sharing this vid of the big J-Class yachts racing in Bermuda. Pretty impressive! Big, heavy, expensive and of course still not as quick as a rusty old Lockley Skimmer but hey, who are we to judge? https://player.vimeo.com/video/224434991
Anyway it’s worth a look- and make a note that these boats will be in Newport RI in August 21-26 for their World Championships. Worth a visit and a walk down the dock if you are in the neighborhood! http://www.jclassyachts.com/events/j-class-world-championship-1
Think ICE!!!
July 4th in January
From Scott Valentine- An iceboat Fourth Of July!
HAPPY JULY FOURTH
As ever, take a moment from BBQ, friends, fireworks, traffic, family, and a weekday off and take a moment to reflect on what it took to get this country where it is and how we can make it even better.
Almost as importantly, first ice is about five months away. Get cracking gang!
WOODEN BOAT SHOW AT MYSTIC SEAPORT
Hey Gang- don’t know if any ice-related stuff will be there but the Wooden Boat Show at Mystic Seaport is going on- Some nice stuff to see and a good way to kill some time until it starts getting cold again-
Worth checking out if you are in the area!
More info here:
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2017/06/30/woodenboat-show-mystic-seaport/
JOE MEADE ICEBOAT PRESENTATION
Joe Meade did a talk about our favorite topic up at the Keuka YC in upstate NY a week or so ago.
He covered iceboating in the Finger Lakes, iceboat theory, types of iceboats, and even included a (static?) demonstration on sailing an iceboat.
Everyone had a great time, it was reasonably well attended despite a massive thunderstorm going on outside.
The photos are of the room before the gig, one is Brent P., who graciously volunteered from the audience to show everyone how to sail an iceboat (I think here he is rounding the leeward mark), and the last is Joe describing a windward mark rounding.
Sounds like it went well! In his words: “Was hoping for a bigger turnout, but we had a decent crowd. Like any good sailor, we can just tell everyone it was rockin’ and they should have been there! Everyone who came (35-40 people) I think had a good experience!”
We are sure they had a blast! Hope to see a few new faces on the ice this winter as a result. Well done Joe!
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America’s Cup Final?
It’s do-or-die for Team Oracle in Bermuda today- Tune in to NBC,NBC Sports, or the NBC Sports app (or look around the interweb) to see the action!
Will the kiwis wrap it up? Will Oracle begin the second comeback of the century? It’s the America’s Cup- anything can happen. Races start at 1PM. Happy Viewing!
America’s Cup Racing Today!
Be sure to tune into the America’s Cup races today at 1 PM. The Kiwis did very well in the early races against Oracle last weekend but after a five-day break who knows whether ORACLE have come up with some improvements or if the Kiwis can keep the momentum going.
Will be interesting in any case! It’s the AC, just about anything can happen. And the boats are pretty cool. They sail with the apparent wind forward of the beam and go faster than the true wind. Sound familiar to anyone?!?
Races will be on NBC national, The NBC Sports App and maybe also on NBC Sports. Look around the TV dial (remember those?) and the interwebs.
Speaking of remembering stuff from way back, if you are looking to kill some time before the big match check out this documentary of the 1983 Cup summer in Newport. 12 Meters, shifty breeze, wing keels, standard keels, wire sheets, not-exactly-legal goings-on courtesy of NYYC, Ray-Ban sunglasses, CB jackets, mustaches, sideburns…. A very different but very great era for sure.
Happy Viewing!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ko8QgCI59Kc
Maryland Ice Boat Fleet
Meanwhile, down in MD this boat sold at a Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum event. Not sure who bought it but at $150 they are gonna get great knots-per-dollar!
Hope to see it and the new proud owner on the ice this winter-
Thanks to our NEIYA Maryland Investigative Team Eastern Shore Division (my folks, Ed and Hel) for this bulletin!
Stay Tuned and Think Ice!
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AC Youth Sailing Schedule
Hey Gang-
While we wait for the big showdown between the “US” and New Zealand teams this weekend we can fill the void by watching the AC Youth races-
Root for the Swedes- young Swedish DNer Eddie Klemets is on the boat, that’s reason enough!
Happy viewing and Think Ice!
Link to complete AC Youth schedule:
https://americascup-images.s3.amazonaws.com/original/m4924_ac35-schedule-match-160617.jpgBermuda is one hour ahead of eastern time.
Where to watch:
AC Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/user/AmericasCupor Red Bull TV https://www.redbull.tv/live/AP-1R8Z67VKN1W11/red-bull-youth-america-s-cup
America’s Cup- Tomorrow and in 1977
Just a reminder to watch the America’s Cup Finals tomorrow and Sunday at 1 PM on NBC- Should be a good match between Team New Zealand (which actually has a few Kiwis on board) and Oracle Team USA (which may have an American on the team somewhere?)
In any case the racing should be good. The forecast is for light-ish breeze for which the Kiwis seem to have a good set up based around a long, skinny, sexy set of light air foils with special sheep oil coating and polished with the feathers of the last Moa bird.
Oracle, on the other hand, has cool Red Bull helmets, a program that has been up and running for maybe two decades, probably limitless funding, and most importantly flotation foam inside the wing machined by NEIYA regatta chairman Oliver Moore.
This will be interesting….
Following that is a documentary on Ted Turner’s quest to defend the Cup. If you know anything about “The Mouth Of The South” you’ll get a kick out of this!
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2017/06/14/ted-turner-documentary-courageous-americas-cup/
Happy Viewing and Think ICE!
RACE TO ALASKA AND THE NEIYA
Hey Folks-
Looks like NEIYA guy and Race To Alaska competitor Joachim Roesler is having some technical issues with his mast- Nothing life threatening but he may be out of the race-
We wish him all the best and whether he finishes or not he has a heck of an adventure under his belt!
See more here:
Joachim’s Facebook Page
https://www.facebook.com/KairosAdventuresR2AK/
Joachim’s race page, including Facebook, Twitter and YouTube links
https://r2ak.com/2017-teams-full-race/team-kairos/
Race Home Page
James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
JOE MEADE ICEBOAT PRESENTATION AND NEW FACEBOOK PAGE
Hey Folks- Be sure to catch Joe Meade talking iceboats this Thursday night (June 15th) at 7 PM at the Keuka Yacht Club, located at 12890 WEST LAKE ROAD, HAMMONDSPORT, NY 14840.
There will be great subject matter and the bar will be open!
Also- Joe started a Facebook group for KEWASA. Maybe we can use this for a better communications medium in the future. The name of the group is: KEWASA Ice Boat Club – Keuka, Waneta, Lamoka. Please consider joining if you are on Facebook.
Check out the site, go see Joe, and THINK ICE!
RED BULL YOUTH AMERICA’S CUP QUALIFIER ON LIVE!
Hello All- In case the America’s Cup Challenger finals haven’t satisfied your craving for fast sailing action (the summer version of that, anyway…) check out the youth series, happening live right now from Bermuda on YouTube.
There is at least one DNer out there, Eddie Klemets from Sweden. Nice kid, maybe you met him at the Gold Cup last winter.
Anyway we wish him best of luck in the series- Check it out at:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aHqd5i8DiUc&ab_channel=America%27sCup
Oliver’s Post about the pitchpole and foam…
Hey Folks- Thought you might like to see the latest from NEIYA Regatta Chair and all around composite and wing sail guy Oliver Moore-
This is the latest from his company Facebook page- interesting stuff and neat to see that he is making parts for the AC boats racing in Bermuda- For more details look up “Moore Brothers Company Warren RI”
Read on!
We never like to see wings in the water, but Team New Zealand’s pitch-pole on Monday leaves the opportunity for learning. The safety rules of this challenge call for foam flotation to fill the tip of each team’s wing, but the main purpose of the foam isn’t actually flotation; the goal is to prevent the wing filling with water. Each gallon of water that ends up in the wing becomes an eight pound hammer, dropping through all the delicate control systems as soon as the wing is righted. While we didn’t cut the foam for New Zealand, we did for both Oracle and Softbank. The foam itself is a super light EPS called geo-fill, and it was interesting to cut. Ninety-six cubic feet of foam block came through the door, and we sliced it down with a hot wire to fit the parts inside a 5 axis machine. THEN we started carving, and the fun began.
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Finger Lakes Boat Museum Lecture Series CORRECTIONS-
Hey Folks- Just a few corrections about the upcoming lecture by Joe Meade-
First, the event is at the Keuka Yacht Club at 12890 WEST LAKE ROAD, HAMMONDSPORT, NY 14840 jUNE 15TH, 7pm
Also – perhaps more importantly – the bar will be “open”, not an “open” bar. A subtle difference but an important one….
Joe will, however, be donating the coffee and says if anyone makes the trip from northeast of NY, he may just buy them one anyway!
Either way be sure to head out and enjoy the event.
Think ICE!
ICEBOATING PRESENTATION AT FINGER LAKES BOATING MUSEUM!!
Hello All- The NEIYA’s own Joe Meade will doing a presentation on iceboating at the Finger Lakes Boating Museum on June 15, 7PM. Don’t miss it! Joe is a great speaker
and no doubt will have some interesting things to say during this event. If you are a veteran or rookie or haven’t even tried sailing an iceboat yet be sure to go check it out.
Admission is free and there will be an open bar to boot! Read on for more info….
FINGER LAKES BOATING MUSEUM
JUNE LECTURE—ICEBOATING
THURSDAY JUNE 15TH—7PM
The KYC is hosting the Finger Lakes Boating Museum Monthly Lecture series on Thursday, June15th at 7pm.
Join Joe Meade for a presentation on June’s topic – Iceboating!
Joe is a member of the Keuka Yacht Club, the Finger Lakes Boating Museum (www.flbm.org), and the KEWASA Iceboat Club (‘Ke’uka – ‘Wa’neta – ‘Sa’lubria). He is active in the DN
iceboat class and sails iceboats locally as well as across the country including the Northeast, the Midwest, and Canada. Join the discussion to learn about iceboating, its history, and more.
The event is open to the public and admission is free. The bar will also be open. More info here: http://www.flbm.org/
See you there!
James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
New England Ice Yacht Association 
