Hard Way Update
The usual halfway point at Center Harbor with the MV Mount Washington in the background.
Here is a little update on the, “Hard Way” to wet your appetite. For a more detailed history, please look under the, “Regattas and Events” link and read the article by Bob Kilpatrik on the Hard Way. There are also more detailed reports of the current fleets on the site.
The Hardway , as it is called, is a roundtrip from one end of Lake Winnipesaukee to the other. It can start at either the north end, Usually Center Harbor, or the south end at Wolfeboro, NH. The trip must contain a fleet of 5 boats minimum and one person must have completed the trip prior. The round trip must be completed within a 24 hour period. Only the pilot of the craft receives credit although passengers and crew often will get mentioned. skippers who have competed the trip 3 times get their names engraved on a trophy.
I’m not sure why Fleet 15 in 2004 seemed to be the last attempt for a while but it might have been due to the loss of several veterans of the Winni Frolic. Jon Hix, Leigh Turner, and Allen Stevens are all sailing that plate of perfect black ice. They tended to be the main scouters of the lake. With the transition into retirement, I now found the time and the companionship to do some scouting. I also rely on others to help especially from the north end of the lake. This led to renewed interest locally of attempting the “Run” again. Although I tried to post conditions as I scouted, many times they occurred midweek and May not have lasted thru the Weekend. More detailed write-ups are on the NEIYA site but here’s a recap.
Fleet 16 1/28/2016 10 boats
Fleet 17 3/26/2019 11 boats
Fleet 18 3/1/2020 6 boats
Fleet 19 3/16/2021 8 boats
Four new names have been added to the trophy with several in need of just one more trip. Perhaps this will be their year. I hope many more of you can enjoy this wonderful experience soon.
Wide open spaces
There is nothing, half so much worth doing, than simply messing about in ………ICEBOATS! As the leaves fall and frost appears, each of us subconsciously casts an eye to every water body we pass by, waiting for the skim ice to appear. Finally 4 inches is measured and the hordes assemble. The smaller bodies of water are the first to freeze, so the shakedown cruises and scratch racing occur with a careful eye for traffic and pedestrians (ice skaters). Old friendships are renewed, new ones made, and maybe even a few converts are recruited. After the initial excitement of the first sail is over, many of us may get a little greedy, especially us cruisers. Those of us lucky to live near larger bodies of water, or have the luxury of midweek time off, begin to long for endless miles on long tacks, cruising.
Cruisers constitute a goodly number of non racers and racers alike. If after a few laps around the pylons are completed on hard ice with a bright sun and 8-10 knots of wind, who cannot think about putting some distance under the runners. Places like Damariscotta, Winnipesaukee, Sebago, Moosehead, and Great Sacandaga Lake beckon. The sleek speedster DNs might be exchanged for the cruisers. Gambits, Nites, Super DNs, BDXs, Whizzes and a variety of other cruising craft. Who can resist the lure of sitting upright on a comfortable seat, perhaps in an enclosed cockpit, feeling the miles go by. One eye on the ice, the other taking in the scenic wonders. Maybe even an eagle will be checking its speed against yours. A light lunch and a thermos of tea or coffee in the sunny lee of an island provides a welcome break to stretch muscles and fuel the furnace. The fleet of “Free Sailors” only concern is, “will the wind hold out?” A change of mittens and a quick check of gear and you and your wingman, (wingperson), are off again. Maybe you’ve checked your GPS and find you only need 20 more miles for a century run.
The late afternoon breeze has mellowed just enough to make you decide to head for the staging area. Perhaps it’s a weekend or you may have a few days here, and you leave the rig setup, checking tomorrow’s wind and weather. As you watch the sunset over the mountains you have a profound sense of contentment and truly feel like it was a great day in your life. You sit on the runner plank and toast the day with friends, saying, “Here’s one great day they can’t take away.”
Pleasant dreams to all as we await the freeze.
Who is the most famous or infamous person you have ever met?
Larry Pardy
New England Ice Yacht Association 