The NA Option
Hey Folks-
Bummer about the NE champs…. But if you have a DN and some free time this week it isn’t too late to hit the road and make it to the DN North American champs!
Site is Madison, WI, about 15-19 hrs from New England, depending on where you are….
Racing to start Monday, can register by phone or online until Sunday evening (I think- check IDNIYRA bulletin board for details on that, lodging, etc)
New England will be well represented- At least seven NEIYA sailors on the way or already there- ice looks pretty good…. The planets may just line up for this one.
Stay tuned! T
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
New England’s called off
I’m really sorry to report that there is a ton of water on the ice making the prospect of getting the New England’s in tomorrow unlikely. So we are not going to try to get them in.
Team Vermont is still going to try the ice and if possible they will try to race for the Vermont state champs. It doesn’t look good right now but who knows. I clearly don’t.
Sorry for the head fake. This yeas weather has been really challenging.
Oliver Moore
US 5469
NEIYA regatta chair
New England’s launch site update
The Mallets Bay boat club is private property and we have been granted access to launch out of there for the Sunday event.
No one else has been granted access. If you are launching there you need to move to the public access down the street.
We are not allowed to use public access launches for regattas because of permitting issues. Our use of the boat club is critical to being able to run events on Lake Champlain and if we cause any damage to the lawn or property we will not be allowed back. So please do not use the boat club until Sunday for the event.
Individuals are perfectly welcome at the public launching ramp.
The ice still looks good but we won’t be able to check it today given the excessive breeze. But we are still planning on getting an event in.
If there are any questions please call me at 508-728-8095.
Oliver Moore
US 5469
NEIYA Regatta Chair
New England Champs are ON!
We are calling the 2016 New England championships on for Sunday February 21 on Mallets Bay. Both inner and outer Mallets Bay have great race courses. We sailed both today. Tomorrow the dogs are getting blown off the chains but Sunday looks absolutely gorgeous. Temps in the low 30s with 5 to 10 knots of breeze and epic ice. Does it get any better?
Launching will be out of Mallets Bay boat club.
https://goo.gl/maps/JBNDVrNQW192
Skippers meeting will be 10 am in the pits at the boat club.
If driving to Madison for the North Americans isn’t in your deck of cards make your way up to Burlington. See you here.
Oliver Moore
US5469
NEIYA regatta chair
And They’re Off…
About 10% of our membership is on the road to the DN North Americans. The call was made last night and the destination is Madison Wisconsin. Good luck guys! Drive safely and bring home some silver. More on this from our man on the scene Commodore “T” who will check in from the road, hotel shoreline and on the ice or where ever he has cell service. As we all know, especially this season, it’s hard to find decent conditions to sail and an even greater task when a major regatta is involved.
Eric Anderson outlined and previously published what was involved with pulling off the 2014 DN North American’s. Here is a link to the archived article “Many Miles to the 2014 DN North Americans“. Some time after the dust from the trophies changing hands settled we will publish a piece on the planning/scouting phase of the 2016 NA’s from the Eastern perspective. Stay tuned.
Closer to home let’s not forget that we are not done yet. Bill Buchholz and the CIBC crowd have been sailing this week. Reports are in from Sunapee in NH as well as Mallet’s Bay in VT. Waiting on some VT details but all reports are of a spectacular plate. Sunapee locals Ron and Kate have put out the welcome mat, conditions are looking a little challenging but we are used to that. I don’t have to say it but our season is short and little wet sailing is better than none at all.
If your thinking of sailing, on the fence, looking at the weather reports or already packed let’s hear from you. Either comment hear or reply to the Ice Reports email. Yes all you have to do is hit reply.
John Stanton
john@neiya.org
Smoke On The Water
I’m feeling a bit like a Goldilocks.
"This day has too much wind."
"This day is too cold."
"This day doesn’t have enough wind."
Well at least the ice was really cool to look at. We tried to get the Beanpot in but the breeze used it self up over the weekend and took Monday off. So no real racing to be had.
The plate inside of Rattlesnake island was about as perfect as it gets with no ridges from shore to shore and some really cool marbling to boot. The marbling was interspersed with patches of perfectly clear black ice which looked terrifyingly like open water by comparison. Fully disconcerting.
There was a good solid 5 to 6 inches of ice so hopefully it will survive this latest pounding from the rain gods. Lets see what happens on the other side.
Oliver Moore
Lining Up To Windward — The NEIYA Circles the Globe
Hey Folks-
A quick glance at the NEIYA home page reveals that we have 900 people following the site online — Kind of a cool milestone for a sleepy little club in New England…
Welcome from near to far. We have followers from every non-temperate State and many that only see ice in their rocks glasses as well as most Canadian Provinces. Across the pond Europe is well represented. Believe it or not we have a few followers from various African nations and warmer parts of Asia. On the Pacific side we have Kiwis and Aussie. No surprise being two nations chock full of “Sailing Fools”.
Not bad! Good to know that we have so many interested souls out there — Well done gang!
Notably absent from the honorable 900 — Greenland and Alberta Canada. Can we get a few followers from there and anywhere?
Looking forward to hitting the 1000 mark- encourage your friends to sign up — it’s really easy and only takes a second. The more the merrier! Just enter your email address in the right column.
And of course signing up to be a full member is quick and easy too — not to mention cheaper than dirt. So hit the site and click the buttons and join the gang —
And as always, THINK ICE!
T
P.S. The season is not done yet. See you on the ice…
Beanpot Update: New Launch site
So sounds like the wind has been doing some work on the ice off of Ellacoya State park. Word is the plate inside of Rattlesnake island has fared better so we are going to launch out of Ames Farm instead:
Given the fairly radical temperatures we are seeing and the instability of the ice we are going to be very cautious. We are going to try to do some racing if possible but not after doing a good amount of scouting. If racing isn’t in the cards we will do what we can. Should be a nice day on the ice regardless.
See you there.
Oliver Moore
NEIYA Regatta Guy
508-728-8095
Beanpot it is
We are going to celebrate Washington’s birthday by sailing the Beanpot Classic on Winnipesaukee tomorrow. We will launch out of Ellacoya state park. We are going to have to wait for temperature to warm up a bit but will try to get the first race off by 11. There is potential for snow in the afternoon so again our window is small.
Here we go!
Oliver Moore
President’s Day Special
No Eastern champs this weekend. There’s ice in Mallet’s bay but the forecast is for a high of 4 degrees Fahrenheit. Not Celsius. And blowing all holy hell. Sounds like a perfectly miserable time. So Saturday and Sunday are off the table for racing.
But Monday looks pretty nice. I know not everyone gets President’s Day off but try to keep it open if you can. We are going to try to get the fabled Beanpot ramped up on Monday. We are all itching to get some good practice in before the big dance of the North American Champs so stay ready and keep an eye on you local spots. If there’s ice we want to know about it.
Stay tuned here for updates and keep your fingers crossed.
Oliver Moore
UPDATE: 2016 DN Eastern Region Championship Postponed
The 2016 DN Eastern Region Championship will once again be postponed due to the extreme forecast for this weekend in Colchester, VT on Inner Mallets Bay.
Next up for the IDNIYRA is the North Americans starting next week February 22nd with registration the night before. Information: NOR full registration info at IDNIYRA.org
See you there,
Chad Atkins – ERC
catkins4487@gmail.com
Mushamush Tales
Not sure if it’s from reading Jack London or Robert Service but the name Mushamush conjures up something distinctly Canadian. In this case it’s not the Yukon but The Maritimes and specifically Nova Scotia.
Below is Warren Nethercote’s chronicles from this past Sunday on Mushamush.
Things are firming up all over the place so stay tuned for some action.
Nine DNs turned out on Mushamush today – or really 8 1/2, since I didn’t arrive until late because of an airport run. Howard, Tyler, Derek, Clyde, Bob, Dave, Mike, Art and I had a good time.
The ice was hard in the morning but the surface softened as noon approached. When I arrived around noon the boys were coming in to enjoy Claudette’s excellent chowder as I rigged and sailed with 1/4 inch 100 degree inserts and an FO1. I was good! The foundation ice was still black, but with patches of white ice here and there and a uniform quarter inch slush topcoat. I didn’t think my hundred degree inserts were necessary, but Art reported that his 3/16 inserts were digging deep.
After lunch the sun came out in force with reinforced wind and we all had fast, exciting rides until it was time to head home. The rides were a bit wet too, from slushy spray from bow runners.
On the wistful side, the ice on Mushamush is getting thinner, and without a good cold spell is not long for this world. We need to be thankful that Sherbrooke has thicker ice. The right conditions should see us there before season’s end. It was my tenth day sailing this season – not great compared to the previous two years, but not bad, considering El Nino.
Not all of the photos are of my boat: at one point Dave Collins got his camera out and rumor has it that there are some good action shots of boats loaded up and goin’ fast!
Warren
DN KC3786
Kingston Intergalactic Invitational DN Champs – February 6-7- How It Was Won!
Hello All- Last weekend the Canadian gang somehow managed to get a regatta in the books on Lake Col By (did I spell that right?). Sounds like they had a good turnout and some good racing which saw Peter Van Rossem crowned Intergalactic DN Champion- Nice job Peter! Here he tells us about the regatta and how he took the top spot:
“Saturday ice conditions were fast even though we had about an inch of snow on deck. It was warm which didn’t allow for the snow to get hard and crusty. Wind started out to be about 10 plus kts and steadily increased over the afternoon to major puffs of 15-20. At the end of the day snow crystals were flowing across the deck, blasting the top surface of the ice to a point that we started seeing the actual ice at the end of the day. This set us up great for Sunday BTW, where the temps rose above freezing making the ice slippery …good cause the wind was light.
Saturday I think we had 14 boats out where 12 were actually racing.
I used my 1D Speed sail the whole day and for skates, 3/16 90 degree Inserts with 15” of flat. My mast is a CSI/Kent 4.1 built in 2013 or 2014, can’t recall exactly. My sail was low on the mast , almost two blocked at the forward blocks and main sheet was on hard the whole time…except for in the extreme puffs later in the day where I has do let off for a split second and then bring right back in again to keep the boat flat.The lake is a small lake and there were big shifts to be gained or lost. I seemed to have been able to capitalize on the winds that I had as John Curtis was equally as fast as I on and off the wind. Interesting taking into account that I have a few pounds on him!
Sunday was light. Started out with some nice breeze which I missed sailing in as I was on shore, rigging my boat. (You Snooze you Loose I guess.) Thanks guys for holding out for me before starting the Race BTW!
Sunday Ice was smooth slippery, as I mentioned because of the mild day.
Winds were the best when we started… at 5-8kts. And gradually fading out to pushing my boat once at the top mark and then several times on the last downwind to cross the line.I used a used (2000 yr)1D Full Power Sail that I just acquired from Claude Morin in Montreal. Incidentally, John and I both had the same sail and rig and boom (for comparison) Not sure about their blades but I used a pair of Duhamel 100’s Inserts. 20 in of flat.
The starts were in light air so what I did was head down to almost 90 Degrees to the true wind and got my speed up asap. Heading up slowly to find the true groove of the wind and boat speed combination. . This was key to getting off the line with speed…all the while looking at my telltales to see if I was too high or too low. I found this sailing to be a tough groove after looking at John sailing way higher, but with less speed.
Downwind you had to sail deep, past the lay lines in order to keep the power in the boat. Shifts and pressure played a big part in keeping your boat moving. Sail trim was full on up wind while easing off in the lulls to try to keep the air flowing over the sail. This was extremely important on the downwind legs where, pulling in too tight flattened the sail too much leaving no power to keep you moving . I always made sure that if I could, I had max speed at the top of the windward mark. This allowed me max speed (Apparent wind) on the downwind for as long as it lasted.
It was really good to see some of our local boats definitely speeding up this year over last. Sunday could have easily been a pushing race, and was for some but others have got a better grasp at getting their boats moving for sure. Good to see!”
Peter Van Rossem
KC 2766
Update: 2016 DN Eastern Region Championships
The 2016 Eastern Region Championships could very well be held this weekend Feb. 13-14. This is a preliminary heads up to be ready to roll, With a final call to be made by Thursday Feb. 11 at 5pm, Most likely venue will be Inner Mallets Bay, Colchester, VT where the plate has been sailed by ranked sailors and reported to have about a 3/4 Mile course size available.
There was 1/2″ of light snow dropped last night and could see some more tonight and into tomorrow- The real issue we face at this point is going to be temperature. Please take this time to be very well prepared for arctic, single digit temps if you plan on attending (No skin showing!) I am also seeking a few hearty souls to help with scoring and RC for this event, Please email me if you can help or are interested in helping or have any questions regarding this event. There is also the possibility of some scratch racing on Friday depending on a launch site and weather.
**Here are two Amendments to the original NOR posted below**
A1- Sail # does not need to match fuselage # or skippers registered IDNIYRA # but does need to be unique to each skippers sail (no duplicates on course)
-Skipper still needs to be a current member of IDNIYRA in good standing
A2- Only this forum and theneiya.org website will be used for notice and updates of this event
Best,
Chad Atkins – ERC
catkins4487@gmail.com
401 787 4567
P.S. Editors note, RC and scorers get the best seat in the house as well as being on hand to rec sail what looks to be a great plate of ice.
CIBC PENNANT
Hey Folks- if you are a Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club member you have probably received this sweet little sticker in the mail along with the latest CIBC newsletter.
This is a great club with a lot of interesting stuff going on- great variety of boats and people and THE COOLEST newsletter ever.
If you aren’t a member you should be! Send cash or check for only twenty bucks to:
CIBC TREASURER;
Jim Gagnon
PO Box 463
W. Boothbay, ME
04575
Think Ice! T
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
All Kidding Aside – You are Responsible for Yourself
![onion_logo[1]](https://neiya.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/onion_logo1-e1454863706943.png?w=590){kind=logo}
Thanks to the Onion for its timely satirical viewpoint
![1200[1]](https://neiya.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/12001.jpg?w=590)
January 20, 2014
Report: Lake Ice Grows Safer To Venture Out On With Each Beer Consumed
MINNEAPOLIS—According to a report released Monday by researchers at the University of Minnesota, the layer of ice atop frozen lakes grows incrementally thicker and safer to venture out onto with each beer that an individual consumes. “While the surface ice covering a lake may pose a very real hazard of collapsing under the weight of a sober subject, we discovered that this same ice becomes progressively more sturdy with each 12-ounce can of beer that a subject puts back,” said lead researcher Robert Piper, noting that the ice sheets atop lakes, as well as large ponds and certain rivers, could be rendered virtually impervious to cracking beneath a fully grown man provided he has consumed four or more tallboys, regardless of temperature or weather conditions. “Our data clearly show that by collectively finishing a 24-pack of Keystone, Budweiser, or similar American-style lager, ice becomes so safe and stable that a whole group of buddies can walk out onto the lake as far as they want. In fact, you can go ahead and drive a fully loaded truck right on out there, no problem, as long as you and the boys drain a pony keg and the last of the Jack.” Piper went on to confirm that, even in the highly improbable event that someone who has drunk a sufficient number of beers does happen to fall through the ice, the consumption of such beverages simultaneously heats the frigid subsurface lake water to a temperature at which one can be fully immersed for minutes at a time without any risk of hypothermia.
All kidding aside, we are constantly reminded that the “firm” surface we stand on, walk, skate, bike, sail and sometimes park on is never completely safe. We all know this, enough said but do remember safety in numbers can be a myth as seen on Lake Geneva this weekend.
Cold is returning this week let’s hope that white stuff holds to a minimum. We are coming into the last of February don’t give up hope there is still plenty of Rec and Racing R&R to left in the 2016 Season.
See you on the ice,
John
DN5023
john@neiya.org
P.S. Keep reading and reporting on the Ice Report emails. There are people looking to sail not just on the weekends. If your going out let the group know and bring more sailors out.
All Roads Lead to Moosehead
Ladies and gents:
What can I say but it is looking like the only know sailable ice is on Moosehead, Rockwood Maine launching from the Birches.
As you have read before its a great venue that is very ice boat friendly.
for further information check our our friends at the Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club http://iceboat.me. They have the latest info on this gem.
Who would have thought, Moosehead with nearly any snow?
Warren Nethercote reported on some Canadian prospects Lake Colonel By in Kingston Ontario Contact is John Curtis, available in IDNIYA yearbook. We are hoping to sail Mushamush again tomorrow in Nova Scotia. With a name like Mushamush I it needs to be on everyone’s must sail ice list.
Sorry there isn’t anything more central but it has been a challenge for sure.
Keep Thinking Ice we will get out again soon.
John
P.S. If I missed something please jump in on here.
P.P.S. Next week has got to be the week for us. I have been actively petitioning to move Valentines Day to October along side Halloween. Not sure its law yet.
A video reminder why patience is so important
It’s all about the rewards. While we wait to see what this warm and wet spell leaves us, Scott Valentine sent over a video to share with everyone.
Lay back on the couch with your chin to your chest, cast the video to your TV and turn up the sound. Sorry the best you can do for the moment.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-ADLBLUirU
Melvin Bay, Lake Winnipesaukee
Watch the Ice Reports and contribute if you find anything. There is bound to be some good news and be careful if your checking or sailing. Conditions could be tricky.
Think Ice,
John
Really? Really??? REALLY?!?!?!!?!??!?
Who knows what will be left after this mess clears itself out. Not looking good for any regattas this weekend but we would still like to get in a round of scratch racing and practice if possible. So if anyone sails or scouts anything Thursday or Friday please let us know.
In the mean time:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UjDQCqAcDE?rel=0em&cc_load_policy=1
Make sure to turn on the subtitles.
Oliver Moore
NEIYA’s “I wish we could hold a regatta” Chair
New Hampshire the Place to be this Past Weekend
De-rigging under last light over Mt Sunapee.
Thanks to the devoted ice checkers who drilled and poked to confirm conditions. They walked, skated and sailed. Confirming sailability and sharing what they found so that others could come out and play.
With hoards of ice fisherman descending on Quabaug for a tournament, this was not an option. Can you say swiss cheese? Blades descended upon New Hampshire, splitting the fleet into three (maybe four Paul D?) pieces.
Sunapee had a good collection of recreational and racers. When I arrived about 9:30 Kate was already out blasting around and motivating us all to rig quick and join in.
Oliver “The Race Guy” called for scratch racing Saturday and so we did. Wind was a bit of a challenge early on with light to nothing and shifty but built up over the day. Seen on the line were the usual assortment of full CSI crafts along with aluminum and wood masts on plate runners and everything in between. Everyone found someone to compete against and fun was had by all. More importantly everyone on the ice Saturday had a great time!
I know people sailed Leavitts Beach Melvin Village on Winnipausaki and the rumors were they had a great time. Sorry no first hand information was communicated back for publication. Let’s hear from you. A few words and a picture or two is all you need.
Bill Buchholz (iceboat.me) is calling for sailing tomorrow, Tuesday, up on Moosehead. Let’s see were we are after the thaw and rain. There is ice and we will sail.
Think Ice!
John
DN5023
john@neiya.org
P.S. Welcome home to our NEIYA Gold Cup and European Championship competitors.
Getting on the Road for Home
Blazing Ecstasy!
Hey Folks:
The weary and soggy but upbeat American squad hoofed it back to Germany last night.
Sailing and packing the trailer in the rain means that everything we have is soaked and covered with beach sand. So today is given to hanging sails, drying clothes, washing sand off everything…. All the glamour stuff.
You can see in the photos the hanging sails, piles of gear, and various tasks being completed.
What the pics don’t convey is the stereo blasting Bruce Springsteen and the aroma of fermenting laundry and speed suits….
You probably can see that our host, Mr Torsten Siems, has a shop we can all be envious of! Many thanks to him for letting us have the run of the place.
Anyway as all ice boaters know you have to do the agony of the shop to enjoy the ecstasy of blazing across the ice…. See the photos!
Hope all well in NE and hope everyone is gearing up for the NA champs!
Think Ice…. T
2016 DN European Championships – Completed
Great day on the ice- warm, big breeze, awesome sailing….
I don’t have time to write a lengthy missive hit the new European Champion is Michigan’s own Ron Sherry! He was on fire today- well done Ron!!
Almost forget Eben finished top ten in silver – Eben accepts his trophy in a blur.
Check DN Euro site for results!
Also check out some really great Gold Cup pictures taken by Neue Galerien http://www.saralin.de/ – The site uses Flash so your phone will most likely have difficulty. Try on desk or laptop, you won’t be disappointed.
T
Not So Much
Alright.
No New England Champs this weekend.
Informal scratch racing on Lake Sunapee on Saturday and maybe Sunday.
There just isn’t anything good enough that has been checked for me to call a regatta on. Lake Sunapee has 7 inches of kind of bumpy ice. The large part of the lake was sailed today and of the options available to us I think it is the best. So what I propose is we meet on Lake Sunapee for some practice and informal scratch racing on Saturday. There is still some scouting to be done and I am not promising anything but I think we should be able to get some good sailing in.
Launching is best out of the State park. Click the map below for more details:
The forecast is for 5 knots of breeze both days but above freezing temps. Warmer on Sunday.
I don’t know anything about the launch at Melvin Bay. Leavitts was sailed today and has 3-4″ of good black ice but has significant holes. So be very careful.
Squam lake is also sailable. It was sailed yesterday and has a mix of black ice and wet snow drifts. I forget where the Squam Launch is.
There is also ice up north of Burlington but none of it has been scouted. If you find something good up there please let us know. I think the inland sea or Mallet’s bay might be in the cards next weekend.
This is some weird weather we are having. It is going to be warm this weekend so please be extremely careful if you sail this weekend. This is like spring sailing where people can get hurt because the conditions change quickly.
Be safe. Have fun and let us know how it goes.
Oliver Moore
NEIYA “Regatta” Chair
Day 2 Euro Championship – and Even More…
Hey Folks-
Yesterday I used up all of my quaint country expressions for big breeze (blowing dogs off chains etc….). So today I’ll just say it’s blowing even harder…. Gusting to almost fifty good old fashioned US miles per hour!
Obviously no racing but went down to the launch site to check boats and re-set ice screws. All well, no boats blown away or anything but if you weren’t wearing spikes or cleats you couldn’t walk upwind and would probably go faster than you wanted downwind! It was quite a site….
Off to play tourist-Hoping to race tomorrow- Stay tuned…..
T
New England Ice Yacht Association 