IceBoats On Display!
Hey Folks- The East End Maritime Festival is on the way in Greenport, NY, Sept. 23-25.
Mike Acebo and Ralph Hilbert have checked in and tell us that there will be several ice boats set up for display.
According to Ralph they usually have a few DN’s, J14’s, Skimmers plus some old antique stern steerers. Hopefully this year a bubble boat will make an appearance as well as the famous stern steerer Cold Wave.
Also on display are lots of wooden boats built by local Long Island craftsman.
Entire down town Greenport is loaded with arts and craft vendors as well as local beers. This festival attracts 7,000 to 10,000 visitors every year!
Great time is always a guarantee. Head on out and take a look!
Mike Acebo is the ice boat coordinator for the event. If someone from NEIYA would like to display something unique or volunteer a bubble boat, he’s the contact guy. Give him a shout-
All the info you need here-
http://www.eastendmaritimefestival.org/
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James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
INSERT RUNNERS WANTED!!
Eastern Rear Commodore Chad Atkins is on a mission to find homes for any under-used runners that may be lurking around NE and beyond…..
He writes:
I hope some of these cool mornings are starting to get people fired up for some good hardwater sailing this year and into their garages, basements and shops to start getting ready.
I’ve had a lot of interest in finding insert runners to help people get their programs moving forward for this season. If anyone out there has T’s, 1/4″ X 36″, 3/16″ X 36″ or 3/16″ X 30″ insert runners I am looking to get these into the right hands and get them on the ice if you’re not using them anymore.
Any other questions on getting into racing DN’s this year send me a note and we’ll get you set up and on the ice.
Best, Chad
Chad Atkins- Eastern Rear Commodore
Catkins4487@gmail.com
MORE INVADERS…. IN CATAMARANS THIS TIME!
No sooner did we send Derusha and Co. back to Wisconsin than we fine folks in NE were subjected to another onslaught of iceboaters from out west (and down south).
The A-Class catamaran North American Champs were held in Newport and drew a few DN sailors from around the country.
NJ DN stalwart Dave Clapp got tired of looking for crew to sail doublehanded cats with him so he picked up an A-Class at the last minute and made it to Race 1 just in time. See first photo….
John Harper is another veteran DN campaigner who does the A-Cat thing in the summer. He was in from Detroit and was all smiles as usual- Second photo, hull #24, big grin….
Matt Struble was in from California, sailing a slick looking silver boat. Matt has sailed DNs for years and has had a bit of success on the DN regatta circuit…. by which I mean a pair of World Champs, a few NA champs, and at least one European Championship to his credit. Knows how to sail an A-Cat too it seems, he took this regatta as well. See photos 3,4, 5, sail # 183.
Bora Gulari just did the Olympics in the multihull class and (I think) has a bunch of Moth titles (including a Worlds or two?) to his credit. He hails from the Detroit area as well and sails a DN every now and then so we will claim him too! Hope to see him delve deeper into the DN world… Come on dude! Soft water is over-rated! See photo four, sail # 83, black hulls.
Great to see all of these guys buzzing around the course in one of the few soft-water craft that can deliver DN-type thrills…. Looking forward to seeing all of them at the Western Challenge in (Holy Smokes!!) about two months or so….
To see results click here http://www.acatnorthamericans.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/09/Race1-9overallfinal.pdf
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MIDWEST INVADERS
We had a little visit from notable Wisconsin iceboater (and smoked fish and pickled egg purveyor) Mike Derusha and crew a few weeks ago.
They were in Mattapoisett MA for the Ensign NA champs and took a little side trip down to Newport to check out the big boat scene and say hello. As you can see in the photo, we certainly found some big boats to gawk at!
Great to see those guys and hang out somewhere besides a frozen parking lot.
Mike is no doubt back in WI getting to work on a DN…. Or a Skeeter…. Or a stern-steerer…. Seriously. This guy has the bug bad…..
Looking forward to seeing them and everyone else when the lakes lock up……
Think Ice!
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MAINE TRAINING
Former NEIYA Commodore and hard-water stalwart Eben Whitcomb has been up north galavanting around and seeing what the MAINE crowd is up to.
He ended up at the helm of Doug Raymond’s Drascombe skiff, terrifying the innocent people on the various schooners and lobster boats in the area. The TIMBERWND is in the photo, having miraculously avoided this madman.
When I asked Doug if it had been a good idea to let Eben steer he replied that one can only listen to “Can I drive? Can I drive? Can I drive?….” for so long….
Little nip in the air this morning…. Won’t be long now- think ice!
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
SEPTEMBER RUNNER TRACKS ONLINE!
Hey Gang- The September issue of the DN Class newsletter “RUNNER TRACKS” is online and ready to view- This issue features an article by the NEIYA’s own Chad Atkins and the latest ranking list as well-
Click the link and check it out! T
Runner Tracks – DN North America
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James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
DANCING SKATES
Great video here of how the iceboating game was played back in the day in Germany- Features everything from building, measuring, runner selection, and of course racing and wipeouts! Enjoy-
Stairs 1, Vice Commodore Stanton O
Vice Commodore John Stanton is pumped up for the upcoming hard water season. I mean really, really pumped up. In fact he just couldn’t resist the chance to slip and break his wrist now rather than wait for, say, an icy parking lot or something sensible like that. So instead he tripped and took a header down some stairs.
Amazingly, alcohol was not a factor in the tumble.
He did not hit his head on the concrete steps, which fortunately means the steps weren’t damaged.
Good news is he will be out of the cast and back in action by the time it gets cold out.
Feel free to contact him and offer him a lesson on how to negotiate tricky obstacles like stairs,sidewalks, and hallways….
Get well soon John!
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Iceboats On Display- East End Maritime Festival Coming Up
Hey Folks- The East End Maritime Festival is on the way in Greenport, NY, Sept. 23-25.
Mike Acebo and Ralph Hilbert have checked in and tell us that there will be several ice boats set up for display.
According to Ralph they usually have a few DN’s, J14’s, Skimmers plus some old antique stern steerers. Hopefully this year a bubble boat will make an appearance as well as the famous stern steerer Cold Wave.
Also on display are lots of wooden boats built by local Long Island craftsman.
Entire down town Greenport is loaded with arts and craft vendors as well as local beers. This festival attracts 7,000 to 10,000 visitors every year!
Great time is always a guarantee. Head on out and take a look!
Mike Acebo is the ice boat coordinator for the event. If someone from NEIYA would like to display something unique or volunteer a bubble boat, he’s the contact guy. Give him a shout-
All the info you need here-
http://www.eastendmaritimefestival.org/
Think ICE! T
James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Anyone Want To Go To Siberia???
It may be more possible than you think! The Baikal Sailing Week is coming up fast and is surely one of the more unique DN regattas anywhere in the world. It will be held this spring following the European Champs.
I’ve heard amazing tales from this one, stories from both on the ice and off. The photos and videos look amazing. Lake Baikal is a fascinating body of water, even more so when you put a bunch of iceboats on it!
There has been a some interest from some New Englanders in going this year, and whether you are a seriously competitive sailor or not this event has a high adventure-factor!
Getting there is half the fun- We have to let the organizers know how many souls we may be bringing along so if you are interested give me a shout at t_thieler@yahoo.com or 401 258 6230 and I can give the organizers an idea. More information on this on the website: www.baikaliceyachtracing.eu
We have been looking into shipping boats directly from the east coast but it looks like it may make the most sense to go with the European group. They have a routine established at this point. The shipping container leaves from Germany and gets packed up following the European Champs. My own plan is to fly over with all gear, do European Champs, ship it all to Baikal with the container, somehow get to the regatta (either stay over or fly home for awhile), do the regatta, and get my gear back over the summer. Maybe sort of complicated but hey, I’ve always wanted to see Siberia.
The guys that spearhead this thing every year want to see more Americans over there and extend a big invite- the more the merrier! So take a look at the website and let me know if you’re up for it- Clock is ticking so get after it!
Think Ice! T
James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Time To Get Crackin’….
“Good time now to be working on those nicks and scratches from last winter…”
Sage and timely advice from Lee Spiller- thanks for the photo and words of wisdom! Time to start racking up the garage and shop time folks….
Think Ice!
Olympic Medal Races
Hey Folks- If you missed today’s medal races in Rio you missed some good ones- there was breeze and I don’t want to give anything away but “I laughed! I cried! I cheered out loud!!!” as the movie reviewers say-
There were four races in all, Women’s and Men’s 470 followed by 49er (men) and 49erFX (women) skiffs.
Maybe you can catch the replays- Check the links below. There is also an NBC Sports app (I had the best luck with this) out there if you are a Smartphone person. I think MSNBC or SMNBC or some combination of those letters may be showing it as well- Check local listings etc….
Good luck and happy viewing! T
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2016/07/26/sailing-rio-2016-olympic-games/
http://www.nbcolympics.com/
Olympic Sailing- Medal Race Today
Hey Gang- The 470 Medal race is scheduled for noon today- the US women’s team (and maybe the men’s as well?) is in the hunt for a medal so tune in and cheer them on!
Check these links for info on how to follow the racing live, and there is also an app out there if you are a Smartphone person. I think MSNBC will be showing it as well- Check local listings etc….
Good luck and happy viewing! T
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2016/07/26/sailing-rio-2016-olympic-games/
http://www.nbcolympics.com/
Olympic Sailing Coverage
Hey Folks- the Olympic sailing events are coming down to the wire- The Medal Races in a few classes are coming up starting today and beyond- It ain’t hard water but still great viewing, seeing these athletes at the top of their games literally showing how it’s done!
Check these links for info on how to follow the racing live, and there is also an app out there if you are a Smartphone person-
Good luck and happy viewing! T
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2016/07/26/sailing-rio-2016-olympic-games/
Funny Sailing Vid
Dave Ross sends this from Canada- It’s been making the rounds for a few years but is funny enough to warrant a second look and besides, it’s the Olympics!
Speaking of Olympic sailing the medal races for a few classes are coming up- search the interweb or your favorite soft water sites for links etc- Saw the Finn and Nacra races today, was pretty darn cool….
I’d say this gets a PG-13 rating so send the kids out of the room…. Whoever put this together did a great job!
Runner Tracks Update
Hello All- Runner Tracks is back on the IDNIYRA homepage- Take a look at: http://na.idniyra.org
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Runner Tracks Newsletter Update
WordPress.com
Maine Day From Last Winter On Film!
Anyone remember when the Voice Of America crew showed up in Maine last winter to do a piece on iceboating?
They filmed all day- here is the result! Click and enjoy….
Frozen Ponds? No Problem! Let’s Go Ice Boating!
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NEIYA YouTube Channel!
And of course if you want to see all the cool stuff that goes on around here be sure to check out the NEIYA YouTube channel- all kinds of good stuff on there from last winter and beyond….
Click and enjoy!
DN YouTube Channel
Scott Valentine checks in from LI to remind us that there is a DN North America YouTube channel- Has a ton of great vids and will help chase away them ol’ summer blues!
Click and enjoy:
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaPTQC3y5appE1WTAr7rH5o27R5PvOf3B
KEELS AND ICEBOATS
KEELS AND ICEBOATS
Saw these keel bulbs and fins at the big boatyard in Portsmouth, RI the other day…. The one with the shark’s teeth was on AMERICA3 (“cubed”) and the black one was under the Italian challenger, Il Moro De Venezia.
There are some interesting design differences- the American bulb has a round cross-section, which raises the CG and costs a little righting moment but lowers wetted surface, reducing drag. The Italian bulb has an elliptical cross section, lowering the CG a few inches, increasing righting moment but increasing wetted surface. Trade-offs…. You know the designers at this point were trying EVERYTHING to get an advantage and no doubt put tons of effort into which option was better.
Notice also the fins on the bulbs. On the American version they are long and thin, high aspect, located aft in an effort to minimize vortices coming off the tail end of the bulb. On the Italian version they are stubby, swept back, and located toward the middle of the bulb in an attempt to increase overall span of the keel.
Which one was better? Hard to say- the hulls were also very different (the Americans went narrow and low drag, the Italians really wide and powerful) and the sail programs also varied (the Americans had sails of Cuben Fiber, really strong and light and the hottest new stuff available at the time).
But for all of this design effort and hair pulling the real difference might have been the little blade visible in the last photo- it is a kelp cutter. The blade was on a rod and travelled down a thin slot in the front of the keel fin, slicing away the kelp which was all over the course at the match in San Diego (you can see the tube that housed it extending out from the top of the keel fin in the third photo). While other teams were trying to poke it off their keels with sticks or just accepting it as a fact of life the American team hit on this little solution, now commonly seen on keels and rudders everywhere.
AMERICA3 won that match, taking four out of five races (losing one by only three seconds) over Il Moro. Gives one pause to think that after the millions of dollars and hours spent on boats (I think the US team built three, the Italians five) and gear the difference may have been a simple razor blade on a stick.
Just goes to show that sometimes you need to quit obsessing on the minutia and attack the big issues- applies to iceboating too!
And of course the American boat did have the advantage of an iceboater at the helm, a Skeeter sailor by the name of Buddy Melges.
Seeing these discarded keels is also a good reminder that if you have old gear you aren’t using clean it up and bring it to the swap meet before it ends up forgotten in the weeds out in the yard- there is a subtle nip in the air, the swap meet will be coming soon. OR put it in the classified section of the NEIYA site right now and avoid the rush!
Think ICE! T
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The Story Of Harken
If you were at the DN NA’s last winter you may have had the chance to see the Harken factory- A very impressive facility with an interesting history, some of which is covered in the following article- click the link and enjoy the read!
Summer Michigan Action
Here we see Madison WI DN Sailor (and current NA Silver Fleet champ!) Dave Elsmo doing a little soft-water racing aboard DENALI, a cool N/M 68 based on the Great Lakes.
Nice job putting the video together and if you are a Bruce Springsteen fan you’ll love the soundtrack!
Think Ice!!
Great Skeeter Photo
Hello All- Hope everyone is staying cool during this heinous heat spell….
Fall will be here soon- to help tide you over take a look a this great photo of a rumble-seat Skeeter BLAZING around a weather mark…
For the full story and photo go to the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club web site at http://www.iceboat.org/ which is where I stole it from. Shamelessly, as usual.
New England Ice Yacht Association 