Canadian Champs
Four races yesterday on some soft ice that had, shall we say, a bit of texture to it…. Enough breeze to keep speeds high and power through it! Some sore but happy people walking around this morning….
Yours truly and Oliver Moore are having a real battle for first with me currently leading by a nose. Local favorite John Curtis has a good grip on third. We have sailed a few races within a few boat lengths of each other the entire way around the track. Very cool!
More racing today, will see how things go-
Breeze, sun, ice, and great Canadian hosts- Can’t ask for more than that!
Put this one on your list for next year folks, it’s a good one!
Stay tuned, T
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
We’re Heeeeere…..
Arrived at Kingston Yacht club around 4AM…. Snapped this photo of the inventory in the back of the van- Runner boxes, sail bags, unconscious human being, gear bags….
Looks like we have breeze and ice! Stay tuned….
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
CANADIAN DN CHAMPS ARE “ON”!!!
Hello Everyone,
Looks like there is ice up yonder!
Kingston, Ontario is prepared to host the Canadian Championships this weekend. If you haven’t sailed out of this club before now is your chance! Great clubhouse, tons of cool photos and a fun town to boot- A few of us made it up that way last year and we had a great time- Dig out the passport and gas up the car and get a move on!!
Kingston Yacht Club will be the launch site – 1 Maitland Street, Kingston, Ontario.
Current ice conditions:
There are scattered puddles from Wednesday night rain that have iced over but there is still about 1 cm of water below. We are breaking through but believe they will freeze up tonight (low of -4).
Forecast:
The snow in the forecast looks minimal and given the wind should not accumulate above insert runner depth.
Saturday is still looking “iffy” due to temperature but Sunday through Wednesday will be superb. My instinct is that we will be able to sail on Saturday but its hard to be sure.
You can’t play if you don’t show up! See y’all up there- stay tuned to this site for updates-
James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Home….
One last post to close out the story here….
We managed to find the airport despite having no map, no digital assistance and not much sleep- Luckily we, as good sailors should be, are dialed directly into the forces of nature and we homed right in on it….
A little careful stacking of gear on SmartCarts (see photos) and a little smiling and polite talk with the folks in charge of oversize baggage and all of our stuff was carted off to the plane. We are often asked how much it costs to drag all that stuff over The Pond and it’s a very reasonable $300 for the whole kit and caboodle. Just insist that irbid a windsurfer and don’t use the word “boat.”
The flight was smooth, and the view of a frozen ocean down below was a treat…. Miles of sea ice, what a sight.
So home again and back to the grind- we had a great trip, great times, great racing- Nothing like it on the planet!
We also had great hosts- Thanks so much to Jorg, Torsten and Stefan for looking after us!
Stay tuned, maybe sail this weekend somewhere….
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Where The Boats Are
Hello All- Last night here for Team USA…. Pizza dinner at Torsten Seims’ house, early to bed, then an early drive to Frankfurt and hope to hell that al the gear gets on the plane and home in one piece!
People often ask where we keep boats over here- The photo provides the answer- It is a barn in Bad Zwischenhahn that belongs to Joerg Bohn’s father- Several people have boats and gear on the racks there, just waiting for action….. As an added bonus his mother serves us homemade pea soup (made with homegrown ingredients from her garden) when you drop boats off! The generosity of this family goes across a few generations!
Looking forward to getting home and sailing in New England again!
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Packin’ Up….
Hello All- We “rolled right through the night” to paraphrase the Little Feat song…. Estonia, Latvia (cool stop for lunch in Riga), Lithuania, Poland, and Germany in only 24 hrs on the road.
Now cleaning up cars, trailers and boats back at Torsten Siems’ place in Bad Zwischenhahn….
Photo is Oliver’s runner box- As you can see by the rags he is into maintinance- As you can see by the fact that there is more than one you can see that he has yet to learn the virtue of using one rag over and over.
Some people…..
Hope all well back home- Bummed we are missing races there but psyched y’all are still sailing!
T
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Moving Out!
World and European Champs in the books! Three fleets, seven races in each fleet, Not bad!!
Great day yesterday- Sunny, warm, fast ice, big breeze, freaking perfect sailing day!
Karol Jablonski took this one too, Ron Sherry was top US finisher in third, and the rest of the results are online somewhere-
The Polish race committee did a great job, we will do our best to meet their standard down the road- Haapsalu was a great venue, hope to get back here sometime-
Now begins the journey home- driving to Joerg Boehn’s house in Bad Zwischenhahn, Germany via half a dozen countries….
Stay tuned! T
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
European Champs, day 1
Hello from Estonia- Another good day of sailing here in Haapsalu- Light to medium breeze, clean ice, sort of warm out, and a beam reach back to the pits at the end of the day- Can’t ask for more than that!
Three races for the Gold Fleet, Karol Jablonski still going fast and the rest of the top ten a mixed bag of nationalities…. Results on line somewhere…. Team USA hanging tough! Look no further Euros Day One results Your editor.
Race committee hoping to finish this off tomorrow- Big breeze in forecast, big courses (2km legs) are being discussed- Which is why I’m logging off and going to bed!
Stay tuned…. T
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
World Champs Done!
Just wrapped up the awards banquet that capped off seven good races-
All in all a good regatta- The Europeans put on quite a show, on and off the ice- Especially the Poles- Karol Janlonski led a strong team to take first- Well done- he was able to skip the final race.
Full results are online somewhere, try google or bing- I’m too tired to look them up! Our gritty little US contingent fought hard all day and showed improvement- Racing with a fleet this big and deep is a whole different ball game! Seems like we all found a gear during the final few races- All psyched for European champs which start tomorrow! Editor’s note: provisional results HERE
Enjoy the pics from the banquet- One is our host Joerg and the mayor of Haapsalu, next is a bunch of award winners, and the last is our tired but psyched bunch of Yanks- Except for Hal and Mercedes, that is- They live in NC!
Stay tuned….
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James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Tough day for USA
Day one, three races, not a good day for Team USA…. What can we say, these folks are good!
All double digit finished except for one good one from Ron Sherry…. But a bad day iceboatig is better than a good day at work!
Picked a few brains, made a few adjustments, did a little recon and tried a few things after racing was done for the day- Will be trying a different set-up tomorrow- Stay tuned!
T
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Estonian Fog
Racing called off today due to continued fog-
We made the best of it and took a walk downtown- Quiet and clean, has a real old-town feel. And it should, there’s been a town here since the 1200’s at least….
Snapped a few photos- First is the boats ready for action, next is Eben and Oliver next to the trailer- Note decaying, burned out buildings in background- Way out of character compared to the rest of town! Then another shot of derelict buildings with high tide debris in foreground- note abandoned watchtower in background…..
One nor the sights here is the remains of an old castle in the middle of town- Also from the 1200’s, with a looooong history…. The moat is now empty and has a playground set up for kids so of course Oliver had to take a spin on the little carousel! Eben and I are too mature and grown up for that sort of silliness so we played on the fake Viking ship.
Last photo is partner the castle. Pretty cool! Rounded out the tour w a little coffee and then dinner.
Better forecast for tomorrow- Fingers crossed!
Stay tuned…. T
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- Giddy up!
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Latest From Estonia
No racing today- Serious fog issues- The meteorological kind, not the kind a sailor can experience after a big night out- although some may have been dealing with that as well-
How foggy? Lots of head-scratching on the way in- At least one boat parked on a random beach in front of some guy’s house- No injuries or mishaps but enough waiting to make us nervous.
Last night was the opening ceremony- All good, did I right at the hotel- Flags projected on the walls. Very cool! Oliver was out flag bearer- You can see in the photos that he remembered to remove his hat but of course forgot to se t the beer down.
Estonia is awesome! Nice hotel, nice people, nice town (goes back to 1200’s) and food and rooms are cheap!
That it for now- Your authors eyes are not staying open….
Stay tuned ! T
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James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Estonia or bust!
Hello All- It’s been a blur….. All gear arrived in Frankfurt, drive to Joerg Bohn’s house in Bad Zwischenahn was trouble free, and then we had two delightful days messing with boats in Torsten Siems’ shop nearby-
This shop is a converted warehouse and it is SWEET. Flat floor, warm, high ceiling so you can step the mast on your DN w room to spare, every tool and workbench you can ever need, and of course it’s neat and clean and organized- Joerg and Torsten are amazing hosts- I can’t express how well they’ve taken care of us here-
Anyway the last few days have been a rush- The race was moved to Estonia so the travel plans were modified- Drive north, ferry to Denmark, cross Denmark, ferry to Sweden, north (rapidly!) to Stockholm, overnight ferry to Tallinn (where I’m sitting now) and then about two hrs on the road to Haapsalu and race site. Cool!!
Check the pics- First is Eben modifying his chocks at the shop, second is lunch- better than Mcdonalds! Hal Bowman in foreground, European commodore and host extraordinaire Joerg Bohn in the back- Third is Joerg and Torsten standing in front- Not forklift-operated plank bender in background- Now THAT is the way to align runners! I told you this shop has everything…
Fourth pic is two homeless waifs we picked up in Bad Zwischenahn. The girl seems nice but the guy is a bit sketchy….
Last photo is Joerg’s decade-old cell phone. This is a rare view of it as it is NOT in use- You can’t imagine the hours he spends on this phone organizing this regatta- Sites, accommodations, weather, national holidays is several different countries , ferry schedules, different languages, american guests, It all has to be taken into account. I don’t know how the hell he does it ! Many thanks Joerg!
That’s it for now- Stay tuned!
T
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James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
The Pile….
In “Think Ice!” Lloyd Roberts and Warner St. Clair spoke of “the yeast effect.” This refers to the tendency of the pile if neatly packed gear in a van or a trailer to rise and grow as a trip goes on and chaos takes over…. Judging by the photo we may just have that going on already! That’s Eastern Region commodore Eben Whitcomb barely visible behind the pile….
Speaking of “Think Ice” rumor has it that the book is back in print- See the CIBC site for details- If you don’t own this book, GET IT. If you already have a copy, GET ANOTHER.
Back to the trip- Flight was smooth as butter and no gear lost or damaged in transit- Thank you Lufthansa baggage technicians! Meeting with our German hosts tonight and the fun begins….
Stay tuned- T. DN US 5224
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
DN gear at Logan….
….this can only mean that some NEIYA folks are heading across the ocean for the Gold Cup and European champs-
Eben Whitcomb and T. Thieler will be meeting Oliver Moore over there to travel and race….
Will be interesting for sure!
What a feeling to watch all of your precious DN gear disappear down the luggage belt….
Stay tuned!
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Eastern DN Champs Underway!
The DN EASTERNS got started yesterday back at Monty bay in Plattsburgh, NY. This plate of ice was rejected for the NA’s but has smoothed out and de-drifted over the last week and it ain’t bad!
We have about 25 boats, not bad! A few new faces (all smiling at dinner) and sailors from South Carolina, Nova Scotia and everywhere in between!
Racing was interesting- Race one the left side was a superhighway while the right was a parking lot. Next race just the opposite. By the third I can’t tell you- My poor brain had turned to oatmeal. The key seemed to be to stay in the breeze- Watch the boats around the course and try to have a picture of where the wind was that minute- Harder than it sounds!
After a day of connect the dots on the course we headed to the pits- Oliver and I decided to stay out for a bit and try some tuning adjustments- The breeze came up and the snow started and we sailed in in a howling white-out. Cool!!!
Don’t quote me on this but I think Bob Schumacher is in third, Eric Anderson is in second, an yours truly just barely in front if him thanks to a lucky puff or two-
Then it was off to The Butcher Block for a big dinner with everyone- as always it was a good time- Jokes and stories and laughs all around-
And the food was phenomenal. I had the prime rib. If you look at the photo you’ll see my entree- Note the detail and subtlety of the plating and garnishing, the elegant interplay of food and fine china making the meal a feast not only for palate but for all the senses.
Ok, so there was no parsley (anyone know the famous parsley joke?) but that beef was delicious and the veggies were on another plate. Just the meal to have after a big day on the ice!
We may sail today, depends on how much snow fell last night-
Stay tuned…..
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Sail and Tune Seminar!
Hey Folks- Sources have informed me that Skeeter guru Dan Clapp (and maybe a DN sailor or two) will be giving a sail and tuning seminar this Saturday at EASTERNS regatta HQ. Last time heard him talk Skeeters it was really entertaining and informative- should be good this time!
I’m pretty sure this will be at the Holiday Inn Express in Plattsburgh- Anyway it starts at about 5:30 and will run for an hour or so- Be there or be square-
Afterward we have a bunch of seats reserved at the Butcher Block, a steak joint in town-
Looking fwd to seeing everyone at one or both!
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
DN NA Photos
Hey Folks- A photographer was on hand to catch the action last week at the NA’s- Click the link to see her work and for evidence that the regatta actually happened!!
James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
DN NA’s DONE!
Well, some of these regattas go down without a fight and others can be stubborn…. This one is squarely in the latter category!
After the four races I wrote about earlier the fleet sailed in to see what the following day would bring (I’ve completely lost track of what day was what. I’m fairly sure today is Monday….) Although the conditions looked OK out of the hotel window the reports said the breeze was way up there and a team of scouts went to the lake to see how it was on the ice.
The report was short and sweet when they got back: “30 KNOTS and gusting higher- awards here in thirty minutes!!” And there you have it folks- the 60th DN NA’s are in the books.
Results here: https://ice.idniyra.org/Yearbook/History/North_American/2014
Thanks so much to everyone who made this one happen- and this time the list is much longer than usual- y’all know who you are!
Back to the pile of mail and bills on my desk…. Stay tuned, we are hoping to get more racing in locally as soon as possible!
Think Ice!! T
James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Big Day….
Miracles do happen- And the weatherman ain’t always right!
Yesterday was supposed to be light and fickle but at about 1030 the breeze shifted south and increased…. And increased some more…. And then increased a little more just for kicks.
Full-on, heads-up sailing was the order if the day- Four races sailed, each one in a bit more breeze, hoar frost blowing around, fast and furious all day-
We had all the stuff that keeps us coming back- Insanely high speeds, neck and neck duels, bear-always at the top mark that squeeze the breath out of you, and our fascination with seeing expensive carbon and glass rigs being bent into pretzels never ceases. I went around one top mark just behind Oliver and Eric as a big gust hit and I HAVE NEVER SEEN RIGS BEND THAT FAR- Words fail me, I’m amazed that they didn’t pop- What a visual… Wow.
Anyway Oliver Moore is top New Englander at the moment in 6th, Chad Atkins a point or two behind in 7th (he was 2nd in first race- Not bad dude!). and yours truly back in 10th after a tough day- bad runner choice in first race and a few mast inversions in the big breeze cost me dearly…. Lessons learned!!!
Vice Commodore Dave Buckley made the trek to his first big event and is sitting in about 7th in the Silver Fleet- Go Dave!
Ron Sherry is doing well for a rookie and leading the Gold Fleet with a string of bullets and a 7th place finish due to an out-of-boat-experience at the bottom mark. Glad to say he is bruised but ok- Jokes aside Ron is no rookie and it shows-
Will see what today brings- Guaranteed to be interesting!
Stay tuned….
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
What A Winner Looks Like
See article below….. Way to go Steve!
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
DN NA’s Under Way
Big news in Plattsburgh NY as the first race was run yesterday afternoon…. Want to know who won? Tough, I’m not telling you until later.
The day started well before dawn with Chad, Oliver and a few other hearty souls scouting a new plate of ice a few miles from the snowy, drifted-out one we were on originally….
They came back with glowing reports and so we bugged out and headed for the new- Worth the trip, this new plate is gorgeous- Smooth with some very cool looking hoar frost on the top.
Still wondering how the first race went? Wait for it….
Prior to that at race HQ there was some red tape to be dealt with as we didn’t know if we needed insurance or permits to launch out of the public ramp- At one point Chad jokingly asked the woman who runs the restaurant at the hotel if she knew the mayor by any chance- When she responded that in fact she did he grabbed her arm and led her into the war room while stating in his best movie secret agent voice “Come with me.” Maybe you had to be there- Trust me, it was classic.
So who won that first race? Keep reading.
Turns out we were good to go anyway and once on the ice Bob Schumacher stepped up to the plate to have a safety meeting and point out a few hazards out by the starboard layline- As soon as he said the word “hazard” the ice flexed under the group and we all dropped down about three inches as we back-pedaled away from each other to spread the weight…. Can’t make this stuff up.
Bet the suspense is killing you now, dear reader.
Line set, just enough breeze to get around the course, flag dropped and off they go…. That first boat around the top mark looks like it has a white mast with lots of orange tape on it…. Good speed down wind…. A little closer…. White hull…. Red jacket…. Could it be….
Suddenly the NEIYA’s own Steve Madden goes flying around the mark in fine form- You could almost see him grinning under his helmet and face mask. After the race he was smiling so much the snot-cicles in his mustache cracked.
Now aren’t you glad you stayed with it???
Way to go Steve! With his win he qualified up into the Gold fleet and also finally got this darn regatta started. Who knows what the hell today will bring- In theory we may have some new faces as Jeff Kent and Greg Cornelius may just get out of the car shop in Manchester and Dave Buckley is purported to be on the way- Pretty sure late arrivals will be welcomed if you ask nicely… Anyone else gonna head up?
Folks, this has been an epic journey- You should hear the stories I can’t or won’t write about- Lotta laughs along the way- Wish is luck on getting this one in the books!
Stay tuned-
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Rumor Has It….
….. That there may be a fresh plate of snow-free ice just a few miles from here….. Some intrepid, cold- resistant scouts are gonna spike their coffee with glycol and check it out at first light….. This could be the carrot we’ve chasing folks….
See the IDNIYRA site for late registration info….
https://ice.idniyra.org/hotline/
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Ten Degree Rule
Ya, chilly up here…. Some discussion about the too-cold-to-sail rules…. It’s been said that anything below 10F isn’t kosher but these days that seems like more of a guideline than a rule…
Depending on conditions (wind strength, sun, humidity, time of day) it seems as though there is some wiggle room- As in wiggle your fingers, wiggle your toes….
We sailed yesterday in breeze and zero F and it was do-able!
Stay tuned- Registration tonight- Get a move on folks!
T
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
New England Ice Yacht Association 