Western Regional DN Champs Finished So Long Spicer
The Western Regional DN Champs are done and dusted – what an event!
Great ice, good breeze, and plenty of competition made the drive well worth it!
Matt Struble took all seven races (one by at least 32 seconds) in a style that was, shall we say, convincing. John Dennis took second with a string of comebacks in the final races, I was top New Englander in third. Full results attached here
Hate to leave Spicer, MN. It’s an IceBoating-friendly town; there is even a painting of an iceboat up on the big town water tank! My kind of town.
For pics (including a great one of my worst start of the year) go to
http://iceboat.weebly.com
![387_orig[1]](https://neiya.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/01/387_orig1.jpg?w=590&h=332)
Ok, have to drag myself back into the van and head on home. Worth the trip, once again….
T
Western Regional Championship – From Spincer MN
With no ice in the east and a sweet new CSI mast prototype to try out I just couldn’t resist the temptation to do something totally sensible like driving non-stop to Minnesota for this regatta.
Atkins was going to go as well but he has some bizarre throat infection that has him down for the count.
So I figured the heck with it- What could possibly go wrong?
Not much as it turns out, made it out here in about 24hrs without incident. Rang in the new year at a truck stop with a Subway- talk about livin’ large!
In spite of feeling and acting like a grumpy zombie yesterday and most of today I was able to get on the ice for some AWESOME racing.
Ice is about a 8-9, big breeze this AM gradually fading out as day went on, tons of boats in two fleets-
Matt Struble had been living in California for a few years and his DN skills have deteriorated to the point where he is winning races by a third or a quarter of a leg rather than the entire legs of yesteryear…. This guy is impressive! He is winning w four bullets. Local favorite John Dennis in second followed by yours truly. Full day one results link below.
The new all-carbon CSI rig feels good and seems quick- More on that later….
Anyway dinner tonight was next door at the Legion Hall, it was KILLAHHHH….
All in all not a bad day…. Looking forward to more races Sunday Stay tuned!!
James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
Meanwhile, a little to the east….
If heading to the Western Regional Champs this weekend doesn’t appeal to you then a good alternate plan might be to head east and join this crowd in the Italian Alps….
Not bad!!
WESTERN REGIONAL DN CHAMPS ARE ON!!
Anyone interested in a bit of a road trip should read on- There may be one or two NE sailors headed that way…..
The 2016 Western Region Championship DN Regatta is called on for Green Lake at Spicer, MN. This is a preliminary call!
2 ranked DN sailors will be scouting the lake Wednesday morning, Dec 30, 2015. The final call and hotel information will be posted by 8PM December 30, 2015. The conditions reported by 3 separate scouts show 3.5″ of optically clear new ice as far as you can see from the shore in Spicer. Cold temps over the next 3 days promises more ice making. I have tried to attach two photos. If they do not show up, Geoff Sobering, Secretary of IDNIYRA will try to get them attached. If not, a similar posting with photos will be made to the Facebook Group IDNIYRA, Minnesota iceboaters and 4 lakes group. An alternate site is also available in Garrison, MN on Lake Mille Lacs.
Sharpen your runners!
Remember to bring a copy of your current proof of insurance. Registering online and payment on the IDNIYRA website saves time. You must be a current(2016) member of IDNIYRA(dues paid since May 1, 2015) You can also renew and pay on line prior to event.
NOR and more here:
http://dnamerica.org/forum/index.php?PHPSESSID=828fcfb6827ed6f1dfa673bd8c3ab9fd&topic=1886.0
DOC FELLOWS REGATTA / SAFETY REMINDER
Hey Folks- Temps are finally dropping and there was even some snow on the ground in RI this morning- So things are looking up for sailing in general but only slightly….
The Doc Fellows regatta is scheduled for this weekend but the likelihood that we will have sailable ice is slim say the least… So stand by, you never know! Watch this site for details…. Will make a formal announcement ASAP-
In the meantime I’d like to remind everyone to be VERY wary of early and late season ice…. Temptation is always there but use your head and your gut- If it looks marginal, stay on terra firma, work on your boat, have a good meal or something….
I’ve heard a few rumors of some of swimming going on out west- all ok and all self-rescued but not great PR and avoidable to begin with…. Don’t forget that a trip through the ice can be an interesting event to be laughed off. Or you can lose a boat. Or break bones. Or LOSE a LIFE. And put any potential rescuers in danger.
So keep all of that in mind as we suffer through this mild winter!
Cheers! T
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Eastern Sailing!
The crazy Maine-iacs have done it- the East-Of-The-Great-Lakes sailing season has started-
They were up in Canada at Lac Joli, and it looks like it wasn’t a day for the faint of heart! Well done gang….
Watch for yourself:
Video courtesy of Denis Guertin and the CIBC
Some credit may be in order for the Long Island gang- they send video of their attempt to awaken the Ice Gods with this small but loud little cannon….
Well done everyone! Hopefully more sailing soon- The whole story is on the CIBC page- see it at http://iceboat.me/2015/12/20/lac-joli-12-19/
THINK ICE!! T
THINK ICE! The Book….
Hey Folks-
With all the new interest lately I thought it would be a good time to remind everyone that “THINK ICE!” by Warner St. Clair and Lloyd Roberts is required reading for any iceboater- Rookie or veteran, no matter what kind of boat, this book is a must-have. Makes a great Christmas gift as well-
“THINK ICE!” is hands down THE definitive book on DN tuning, racing and sailing. But anyone contemplating getting into the sport with any kind of iceboat, or even better, having already bought or built a boat and now needs to know how to sail it, will find all they need to know in this one slim volume. Safety, clothing, how to load the car, you name it, it’s covered!
Updated with instructive commentary by many top-flight iceboat sailors.
A wealth of information for less than twenty bucks! If you are lucky you may even get it signed by the author….
Price seventeen dollars, free shipping. Contact
Jim Gagnon,Treasurer, PO Box 463, W. Boothbay, ME 04575
jiminsouthport@gmail.com
NA Champs Registration OPEN!
Interested in doing the North American DN Champs? Registration is now open- sign up on line, nothing to it-
Normally this is a three-fleet regatta, so whatever your skill level or tech-level of your boat sign up and come join the fun! There is a fleet for you- Attending an event like this is a great way to check out the scene, meet some people, scope out and/or get cool gear, learn a ton, and check out the accents that the folks west of here have….
Info and registration here:
https://ice.idniyra.org/
Think ICE!!
James “T” Thieler
SAFETY AND RIGHT OF WAY REVIEW!!!
Hey Folks- If you didn’t see this on the CIBC site check it out here- A good read and full of good info for novice and expert alike!
http://iceboat.me/2015/12/09/think-ice-safely-and-rules-of-the-road/
Think ICE!!!
James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
ARE YOU INSURED??
Hello All- Sounds like a lot of people are psyched to go racing this year and that is great news!
Whether or not you plan on racing this year you will want to have your insurance in place (it’s mandatory for racing).
All participants shall provide proof of $300,000 personal liability at time of Registration.
Here are some tips:
1.)Make a copy of your homeowners or renters insurance policy to carry with you.
2.)Take a picture of it or scan it and keep it in your smart phone.
3.)For IDNIYRA events go to https://ice.idniyra.org/ and once you log in you will see your information in a square near the upper left of the “home” screen. There you will see a link that says “Update your Insurance Documents”. There you can send your insurance directly and confidentially to the IDNIYRA officials to expedite your registration process.
Here you have 3 ways to make sure you arent caught without your insurance!
More info here:
http://dnamerica.org/forum/index.php?topic=1428.0
Good to be protected- you never know what can happen out on the ice- see attached photo….
Think Ice! T
Yet Another Western Challenge Video….
Not bad! Thanks Dave! T
Western Challenge Pics And Video
Hello All- As part of our continuing coverage of the Western Challenge we bring you this batch of photos- not sure who took them but well done and thanks!
Pictures or copy and paste the link below.
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/e1eqre4tc5mnnl8/AABvVAVz4MrLAy8IPuFXM7vOa?dl=0
And here is an on-board video from Jim McDonough, turn it up and listen to his commentary!
Think Ice…. T
Western Challenge Wrap Up
Hey Folks- Good times and great sailing at the Western Challenge!
The event was held on Lake Christina near Fergus Falls, MN. Fifty miles from the mythical Fargo, ND in a region occasionally called “East Dakota”…..
63 boats from at least five countries and who knows how many states showed up and got a head start on the season-
The Eastern contingent included skippers from RI, CT, NS, ON, NY, NJ, MD, NC and probably at least one more I can’t think of right now. Lots of new faces, always a good thing!
Friday featured good breeze and light snow cover and the eastern sailors doing pretty well- was worth the drive for this day alone! Saturday (when we started keeping score) was a little lighter and sticky-er and the Western guys put on a clinic led by John Dennis who took three bullets in a row. I’d like to say he did well as he is light weight but the bottom line is the guy is an excellent sailor. Maybe there was some good karma payback coming his way as he found the ice and organized the event- Thanks John and well done.
Sunday dawned with surreal fog and frost on everything but no breeze…. So we all packed up and headed east in a bizarre display of group common sense. A mere 24 hours later and we were home.
We used the new Darling Mark In-Line course (see descriptions, animations and explanations in earlier posts) to great success- The Darling marks really clean up traffic patterns and the in-line finish was a hit with our scorer. Make sure to check these out as we will be using them this season!
Speaking of scorers, big thanks go out to Deb Whitehorse (on-ice) and Loretta Rehe (secret bunker off-site) for making sense of all the numbers- We all owe ya!
So how did we do? After a good day Friday Chad and I had to eat a little humble pie as we were schooled by the western gang- Eben took a good second in the Silver Fleet and for further results check http://iceboating.net/
I can say we all pegged the fun-meter. Great to see the gang and get out sailing, plain and simple. the rookies all had a ball and there were some good battles in both fleets. The MD guys in particular were psyched to have made the trip- put this one on your calendar for next year- veteran or rookie, fancy boat or old clunker, you will have a blast!
We did our best to get the sailors from outside NE interested in attending our Eastern Champs this season- will see if any of them take the bait! We certainly hope so-
Think Ice! Cold weather is on the way…. T
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- fog
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- frost on the grass
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- half of the fleet
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- the kingston trailer
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Lake Christina
So here we are…. A lot of MN looks like this- God’s Country, no doubt about it.
Will see what the day brings! T
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Heading West….
….so here we are…. Wisconsin…. Somewhere between Madison and Eau Claire. Scenic as can be and the driving is good.
Heading for the Western Challenge on Lake Christina near Alexandria, MN.
Sounds like there is a bit of snow on the lake but hey, you have to start the season somewhere! Can’t all be black ice and steady breeze.
Eben Whitcomb and Chad Atkins are in the van with T Thieler and there are at at least two NJ guys and two NY guys headed out- Word has it a few MD sailors were making the trip too-
More details as we get them- about to cross into the far off land of Minnesota!
Cheers from the proud highway…. T
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
NORTHWIND ICEBOATS
….So I stopped in to see Steve Duhamel at Northwind Iceboats the other day. I left with a new sidestay, custom bow tang (fabricated out of stainless on the spot while I waited), seven carbon battens, a bag full of insert bushings, a steering rod, and some cotter pins. If I’d stayed another hour I think he would have done the brakes on my van. Just amazing.
Thanks Steve! You are The Man.
If you haven’t ever been to Northwind Iceboats world headquarters the secret basement laboratory is in the pics below. Not only does Steve have every iceboat related part and gizmo ever made he is also a font of knowledge when it comes to iceboats, cars (esp VW’s), and life in general.
Check his website at http://www.northwindiceboats.com/
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
2015 LRIBYC Swap Meet
22 DAYS TO GO!
It’s getting closer by the day….. DUH No kidding… I can’t wait ….
The great bargains … the cool stuff … get cash for some of that stuff
lying around … eat and drink ……meet new friends…pay your membership fee … WOW lots going on all in one day.
FREE FOOD AND DRINK FOR ALL!
(BTW, we only do this free stuff once a year)
Winter is around the corner, LET’S GET READY TO SWAP!
Bring your stuff…
Bring your cash…
Bring your best swap lingo…
SELL…SELL…SELL… BUY…BUY…BUY…LAKE RONKONKOMA ICE BOAT YACHT CLUB SWAP MEET
Fremantle, Australia, 1987….
…..the America’s Cup challenger series was being dominated by the New Zealand team on KZ-7. They were undefeated except for one loss to Dennis Conner on Stars & Stripes.
The Kiwi boats had been built from fiberglass (and maybe Kevlar?), the only 12 Meters ever built from composites rather than wood or aluminum.
The Kiwis were tight-lipped about why they went composite; aluminum is strong and light as needed, or so everyone thought….
“Glass-gate” raged, competitors accused the Kiwis of cheating. Dennis Conner said it out loud at a press conference while seated next to the very outspoken Tom Blackaller, who for once in his life said “I don’t think you should have said that!”
Of course the Kiwis were livid. The challengers demanded core samples of the hull. The kiwis said no way and the controversy dragged on. Eventually core samples were taken and the boat declared legal.
But a lot of time, energy and thought had gone into the glass vs aluminum issue (who was psyching out whom?) and the kiwi team rolled on-
It’s been said since that possible advantages of the glass hull were increased stiffness and it didn’t “oil-can” the way aluminum hulls did in the big conditions of Fremantle. Others have said that the controversy over the material distracted everyone from looking closely at the hull form (she carried her max beam further aft than other twelves).
Whatever the case she went up against Stars & Stripes in the challenger final and Conner and the boys handed them their only losses of the series- in big breeze and waves, it was awesome. Crazy roundings, blown sails, close finishes, great stuff.
S&S of course went on and beat the Aussie defender KOOKABURRA by 4-0.
Fast forward to 2015 and KZ-7 is based out of the Hinckley yard in RI. Looks like she was trying out a new bow and the old one was left in the parking lot. Much more than a core sample available here!
Any composites experts (Jeff Kent, Oliver Moore, Chad Atkins, anyone else….) care to weigh in? Why is there no core along the centerline? What is the laminate material? What is the core material?
The regatta may be over but I’m still looking for answers!
Seriously, email me.
What’s this have to do with IceBoating? Not much but when I saw this bow at the yard I couldn’t resist.
This rambling essay brought to you by a big cup of Mystic Market dark roast.
Think Ice! T
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James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
WESTERN CHALLENGE- SEASON KICK-OFF!
Each year a great regatta happens out in the wilds of Minnesota (which of course describes most of Minnesota). Loosely organized by a mysterious and shadowy group…. First weekend of December, best ice in the state, always a great way to kick off the season with some great sailing and a hell of a road trip!
Dates this year are December 4-6 (Friday-Sunday). Coming up fast….
Mainly a DN event but there have been other classes on occasion.
There are quite a few Eastern sailors gearing up to go and if you are interested and in need of a copilot or two call or email me and we will try to get you hooked up-
As Mike Kiefer always says about the Challenge: “IT’S GONNA BE EPIC!”
Think ICE!!
James “T” Thieler
401-258-6230
t_thieler
NEW RACE COURSES- Big News From NIA
Hey Folks- If you are planning on racing this winter be sure to read the following- Looks like we have some changes to the standard iceboat race course to get used to-
On a personal note I’m in favor- these changes will allow safer racing and also allow more races to be run in a given time period. READ ON!
National Iceboat Authority: Important Announcement
The National Iceboat Authority is happy to announce the release of a new version of the NIA Constitution & Racing Rules. (Click here to see new version.) This new version includes two new race course configurations called DARLING COURSE and INLINE COURSE which may be used as alternatives to the STANDARD COURSE we’ve been using for many years. This allows race committees to select a course which is most appropriate for their ice sailing event. The new racing rules also contain:
- Updated definitions and clauses to support the use of the DARLING COURSE or INLINE COURSE.
- Clarification on yachts which must keep clear while approaching the windward MARK on opposite TACKS.
- Updated restrictions on propulsion.
- A new rule which prohibits sailing between the LEEWARD MARK and the starting line immediately after the start.
Please feel free to contact any of the NIA Directors with questions or comments.
STANDARD COURSE
DARLING COURSE
INLINE COURSE
James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
FROM THE MARYLAND FLEET…
…That’s right, I said the Maryland fleet! There is DN activity down south in Deep Creek, MD. Where the heck is this? About due west of Baltimore and south-southeast of Pittsburgh, that’s where. In other words high in the hills and far enough from the Chesapeake Bay to be safe from marauding sea nettles and man-eating blue crabs.
These folks have been steadily building their fleet from zero (or close to it) just a few years ago to seventeen DN’s and counting! VERY impressive and we are pestering Ray Gauthier to tell us all how they did it. We may see a few of these guys at the meeting and a few are setting their sights on the Western Challenge in Minnesota in about a month. Keep an eye out for them! Check out the photos of this crew below-
We also have a report from Maryland’s Eastern Shore (Gawd’s Country- no shortage of nettles and blue crabs there) that one Ramblin’ Roger may be headed this way for the meeting this Sunday- Watch out for him too!
On the subject of the meeting we should have a good crowd; at least one van-load of sailors will be heading in from LI, who knows how many Maine-iacs will be there, and a good bet some PA and NY sailors will be in so we will have all points of the compass covered. Be there or be square….
Not too late to sign up and pay online here:
| Description | Price | |
| 2016 Membership |
$30 |  |
| 2016 Membership and Lunch |
$40 | |
| 2016 Membership for one & Lunch x2 |
$50 | |
| Lunch Only |
$10 | |
See y’all in a few days!
THINK ICE!
James “T” Thieler
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FALL TRAINING, CT STYLE
Here we see CT DN sailor Eben Whitcomb doing a little research on his new CSI rig- comparing and contrasting with his trusty (and well tanned) older one.
What did he find out? One very interesting thing was that the new rig is slight-CLASSIFIED! TOP SECRET INFORMATION DELETED!
Looks like I’ve already revealed too much. Suffice it to say that Eben should be going well this season- If you want to know more you might be able to get some details out of him at the NEIYA swap meet, coming up soon on November 7! Be there or be square- details below-
Think Ice!!
COOL NJ ICEBOAT
This just in from small craft and DN enthusiast Ed Thieler down in MD- He found this little DN-like beauty down in NJ recently. His report here:
“As you know NJ has a long and proud ice yachting heritage. I found this one on display at the tuckerton baymen’s museum.
Note the cockpit cover – those Jersey guys put covers on many of their small boats, especially sneakboxes and melon seeds, primarily to keep out snow, leaves, and varmints when the boats are not in use.
Note the hinge – you can sit in the cockpit with feet covered and just your head and shoulders out – this is exactly how they hunt from a sneakbox – set out your decoys, pull it up on the marsh shore, sit in it, shotgun in hand, and call in the ducks. the earliest sneakboxes even had the daggerboard trunk off center, on the cockpit side, for more room to sit.
Except for the garish patriotic paint job – no ‘camo’ here – i wonder if an iceboat was ever used that way?”
Think Ice! From MD
Ed Thieler
Easton, MD
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FALL TRAINING, LONG ISLAND STYLE, PART II
Scott Valentine checks in with the second phase of the LI training regimen…. Sounds like he has been wearing his new spikes indoors and out and has them fully broken in-
“After spending summer months of training inside the house (wife still doesn’t forgive me for all those dimples in the floor) and at the same time, training outside (the lawn looks great from aerating it), it is time to move outside.
The training now moves to a very large concrete parking lot at a secret training location with ocean views.”Scott Valentine
DN 4925
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New England Ice Yacht Association 