I’m not dead yet!
We still have a shot at getting the New England’s in this weekend. There is ice out there but the recent weather instability had made it really challenging to find a safe plate. Squam lake was sailed today and could but an option but there is a good chance lake sunapee might be better. There is a scouting team headed there tomorrow. Anothr possibility is Leavitts beach on the north end of Winnipisaukee. There is also ice up on the inland sea north of Burlington but it hasn’t been sailed and they might see some snow Friday.
My best guess right now we will be sailing in central New Hampshire somewhere. If I have a definite spot tomorrow afternoon I will call the New England Champs on but if we are still in limbo we will call off the regatta attempt and switch to trying to find a place for some scratch racing.
My gut says we will have some good sailing this weekend. So keep you schedule open and stay tuned.
Oliver Moore
US 5469
NEIYA Regatta Person
Day 1 Euro Championship – Too Much of a Good Thing
Thanks to Patrik Stenberg and the DN Sweden Facebook page for publishing the video. Original post
Hello All-
Day One of DN Euro champs was scrubbed due to dogs being blown off chains and snakes being blown out of the grass. Small children and patio furniture flying down the streets…. Well that’s a stretch but you get the idea- it’s howling!
Will see what the next few days have in store- Hopefully the weather will settle and we can sail tomorrow onward but who knows…. Stay tuned to this site and DN Europe sites for news.
Good time being had by all here; Hope weather is cooperating back home!
Think Ice! T
Final Report From 2016 DN Gold Cup
Hello All-
The 2016 DN Gold Cup is in the books-
AWESOME day of sailing here- big breeze and fast ice saw wild sailing and several masts bite the dust-
I broke my CSI all-carbon prototype and while this was a bummer it left me on the starboard layline as the fleet did two more laps- Best seat in the house as forty-plus boats roared by. Silver linings….
Ron Sherry was top US finisher in 5th (with one bullet to his credit). In fourth was Lukasz Zakrzewski, third went to Vaiko Vooremaa. Michal Burczynski was an early leader but in the end a consistent performance by Karol Jablonski saw him take his tenth GC. Not bad!
Check DN Europe site for more info and results–
Great dinner, European Champs begin tomorrow. Should be interesting!
The above picture is the starting area- one fleet on the line, one in the pit, and one on the course out of the photo. Not bad!
Think Ice, T
James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Moosehead in Pictures
Pre-race Kineo
From the great State of Maine on Moosehead with mirror smooth black ice. Thanks to the Maine guys for doing all the pre-planning and on-site logistics and putting out the welcome mat. The published conditions were as or better than reported.
Special thanks to the good Samaritan just outside the Birches turn off who pulled my car out of a snow bank while I went to get help from Lloyd. We drove back and there it was out of the snow and just sitting on the side of the road ready to drive off. Got to love the Maine helpful spirit!
As previously reported by our self described Regatta Guy Oliver it was “…awesome… with primo conditions”. When Chad had to sit out a couple races due to equipment failure, it was up to Oliver to fend off the carpetbaggers from the north, AKA our Canadian friends, from taking top honors. Kidding aside, thanks for making the trip South and helping to raise the competitive bar.
Keep Thinking Ice, it’s working,
John
john@neiya.org
P.S. Next up a report from Europe and the DN Gold Cup.
Extended Weekend Pictures From Quabaug
Pictures from Quabaug Pond in East Brookfield MA. Thanks to Jeff Soderholm for taking precious time away from sailing to take them. If anyone has a sailing report for the Q please comment below. Go ahead and share your day with those who couldn’t sail or any interested parties.
I drove past the area but it was very much dark so hard to tell how much snow had fallen. Local knowledge would be helpful. Through the NEIYA Ice Reporting email would be best.
Thanks again Jeff and we can’t wait to hear if Long Pond is getting close.
Winter is finally here – All our Thinking Ice has finely paid off.
John
john@neiya.org
Don “Doc” Fellows Wrap up
A big thank you to everyone who made the trek up to Moosehead Lake, that was a really fun weekend. If ever you have the chance to sail out of the Birches Resort you should jump at it. Really cool cabins with restaurant and bar right on the race course. I was trying to put a list of people to thank for helping make the weekend happen but it would have included everyone there, because it really was a great group effort making it truly special. The one person who I need to mention was Loretta Rehe. Truly making things happen behind the scene she did all the scoring from her home in Detroit. I sent her photos of all the handwritten scores and she emailed back compiled results while I sat in the hot tub. Pretty freakin awesome. But the weekend wouldn’t have happened with out the scouts, Lee and Roger. The whole CIBC crowd was hugely supportive. It was really special to see so many new faces and old friends getting into the racing scene.
Hopefully we can keep the momentum going. There isn’t much snow in the forecast and it looks like Winni is on the verge. Next weekend is looking promising. We will try to host the New England Champs if we have the ice.
Keep those runners sharp and keep the reports coming.
Yahoo!
Oliver Moore
US 5469
NEIYA Regatta Guy
Doc fellows results
Doc fellows regatta results. Thanks to all who took their turn scoring and Brianna for scoring the last 4 races. Huge appreciation.
Awesome day with primo conditions. Lots of great enthusiasm from some new faces.
Awesome stuff.
Oliver
Maine state champs tomorrow.
The 14 boats on moosehead lake enjoyed absolutely primo conditions today. We got seven races in to get the doc fellows in the books.
Tomorrow we will race the Maine state championships at the same location. Get here if you can.
Report and results to follow as soon as possible.
DN Worlds Update
Hello from Sweden!
The US group is here in Sweden in a town that I can’t name but sounds like “no shopping”…. Too tired to look it up right now-
The drive up from Germany was uneventful except for one incident at a gas station. One van may or may not have been fueled up with regular gas when it needed diesel. There may have been some serious siphoning going on to fix the problem. There may be a few buckets of diesel/gas mix available cheap at the launch site. The guy who pumped the gas into the diesel tank may or may not be from Plymouth, MA….
Anyway the issue was fixed and they only lost about three hours and a ton of respect. No worries- The van is nine the worse for wear-
Opening ceremonies tonight, racing starts tomorrow-
Excited to know the Doc Fellows is happening right now on sweet ice at Moosehead- Have a blast gang! Psyched to hear how it goes!
Think Ice, T
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Updated launch site
Chad and I are on the scene and it doesn’t get much better than this. We are going to change the primary launch site to the marina at the Birches Resort. The following link should get you there on Google maps.
Dropped Pin
https://goo.gl/maps/CtB7dVmqCD62
Follow rt 6 through rockwood and then follow the signs to the Birches Resort. Then bear left at the office and you will see the marina.
Do what you gotta do to get here because this is going to be epic. Book a cabin or a roon at the Birches Resort. There is a bar, resurant and a hot tub with a view of the race course from the room.
Oliver Moore
US 5469
NEIYA regatta dude.
Weather or Whether Not…
As you have already seen from all the chatter both on site and on the Ice Reports emails. There are a couple choices that have been sailed over the past few days. Quabaug Pond in East Brookfield, MA and the big prize with big ice Moosehead Lake as previously reported and the site of the Doc Fellows Regatta and possibly the New Englands on Sunday.
With the approaching snow there may only be a day (Saturday) on Quabaug. All reports have the storm missing Moosehead and the region.
It’s been a tough time getting this season started. Don’t pass up an opportunity to sail.
Sail Fast, Heads-up and Safe,
John Stanton
john@neiya.org
Yup. That will work.
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It doesn’t get much better than this. Moosehead for the weekend. Not going to need more than a couple knots of breeze
An absolute blast.
Get here.
Doc Fellows is ON!
Get on your horse.
It is time to ride.
I just got off the phone with an ecstatic Bill Bucholtz. And I quote:
"If you don’t make it up here for this one, you might as well move to Florida."
So I am calling the Don "Doc" Fellows on for Saturday January 23, 2016. Skippers Meeting in the pits at 10 and first race to follow shortly there after.
The primary launching site will be the public boat ramp in Rockwood, ME. There will be a sign on your right as you enter Rockwood.
If we are able to get the Doc Fellows in on Saturday we will attempt to get the New England Champs in on Sunday.
If you plan on racing please bring proof of $300,000 of personal liability insurance. It can be a copy, scan or photo of the policy. I just need to see your name on a current policy with the right coverage. Please don’t forget.
Bill says there is miles of perfect super hard black ice. So get those runners super sharp and lets do some boating.
See you there.
Oliver Moore
US 5469
NEIYA Regatta Hombre
Moosehead Update
Team Chickawaukie is on the scene making things happen. They have arranged to have the public boat launch plowed, have staked out a lake front cabin that serves 3 hot meals a day and should be rigging up right now. We will make the final official call on regattas this weekend pending a positive report from them.
If you want to get in on the action Chad reports that these are the housing options:
Rockwood Birches- Right near launch 207 534 7305
– $128.99 double bed (3 left I think) $325 4 bedroom cabin (8 beds)
Moose Mountain Inn (Greenville)
$99 Night double- 3-4 left I think
207 695 3321
The Chickawaukie guys have a cabin at the Birches and it sounds delightful.
As this is our first time of the season and there are a bunch of new people in the wings let me explain a couple of things about how this process works. When I call a regatta on I am making my best attempt to pick a time and place to give us our best chances of having a good, safe and fun event given the information I have. It is the responsibility of each sailor to do their own assessment of the situation. Each sailor needs to decide if they are comfortable with the safety, ice reports and the forecast.
For example, the forecast for the weekend is calling for light and variable breeze. Given that we are desperate to get a regatta in and this is the only ice available it is my belief that we should show up and take our chances with the wind. There is a chance we might spend the weekend standing on the ice in a dead calm but you can’t race if you aren’t there. You as a sailor might feel that isn’t a chance warranting the long drive and commitment. I can understand but that is your decision to make.
Most importantly this applies to safety. Every time you step on the ice you need to educate yourself as to the hazards and safety of the situation. This is by its very nature a dangerous sport and each sailor is responsible for his or her own safety. So be careful and double check everything.
Enough of the downer talk. I for one am really excited about the weekend. I am really pumped to get back on the ice
Get those bags packed.
Oliver Moore
US 5469
NEIYA Regatta Dude
Game On Moosehead
The dynamic duo of Lee Spiller and Ramblin Roger send in this update from Moosehead. Looks pretty freaking awesome. Six inches of the good stuff.
Problem is its too windy to skate upwind so the plate wont get fully checked until tomorrow. But it’s looking really good for a regatta this weekend.
I won’t make the final official call till we get someone sailing it tomorrow but its looking very likely we will be game on.
We will post launching and housing details when we make the official go call tomorrow.
So get your gear together and get your butt to Moosehead Lake.
Oh baby.
Oliver Moore
US 5469
NEIYA Regatta Dude
Caution Moosehead Crossing
It is looking like Vacationland might be hiding some primo ice way up north. Webcams and flyby reports of Moosehead Lake have the Chickawaukie gang as giddy as school girls. Check out the picture below from yeaterday. They are planning on making the trek up there Thursday to check it out. As this is the only game in town this is probably our best chance of getting a regatta in this weekend.
If we get a good report on Thursday we will call the Doc Fellows on for Moosehead lake on Saturday. Chad and I will most likely head up Thursday night to try to get some sailing in Friday.
If we get the Doc Fellows in the books Saturday we will try to get the New Englands in on Sunday.
No definite calls yet but consider yourselves warned. Get those runners tuned up. Tell the wife and kids you aren’t available next weekend. Get ready because it could happen and if it does you don’t want to miss it.
Hang on boys, its coming.
Oliver Moore
US 5469
NEIYA Regatta Dude
From Europe Crew
Hello All- Looks like the New England contingent has made it to Germany- all the gear seems to have arrived in good shape as well-
See the photos- The first is the giant pile of gear at Logan- this caused eye rolling and consternation among the staff (probably because Steve Madden looks pretty shady) but Eric can be incredibly diplomatic when necessary and he convinced them to load it all on the plane and even got a pretty good rate in the process! As always it was a strange feeling leaving it all on the floor to be carried off by total strangers into the behind the scenes chaos of Logan International…. Ugh.
Next photo is the 747. Which I happen to think is just an amazingly cool airplane. I also like the SR-71 Blackbird but it’s hard to get a ride in one of those….
Next photo look closely at the base of the right wing (talking about the plane, not politics). Note two hulls and two bundles of masts about to be sent into the cargo hold. We saw the guys drop one hull (Steve’s!) and one bundle of masts. It was hard to watch. As far as we know nothing was damaged….
Last photo is gear and people in Frankfurt. Not much worse for wear!
Anyway enough of the gear-schlep stories. Have to go assemble boats and figure out where we will be sailing….
Our hosts Jorg and Torsten have already gone above and beyond- Thanks to them!
Hope there is sailing on the agenda back in NE- Rip it up gang!
Think Ice! T
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
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- Gear at Logan
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- Our 747
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- Loading hulls & Masts
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- Frankfurt
Whats up Doc?
We are going to try to get the Doc fellows in this weekend. Its not looking very promising but given how desperate we are becoming I am going to reserve the right for a last minute call. If someone can find us a piece of ice by Friday morning we will go for it. Our weather window looks small but lets see if we can pull something off.
Keep those reports coming.
Oliver Moore
US 5469
NEIYA Regatta Dude
TO THE DN WORLDS!
Hey Folks- the NEIYA delegation is on the way to the airport! Coach Kent is driving the van and dropping us off, then it will be Eric Anderson, Eben Whitcomb, T Thieler, and very last minute addition (drum roll please) Steve Madden!
When I say last-minute I’m not kidding- he booked his ticket yesterday at about two in the afternoon. Glad he decided to make the trip- This should be fun!
We will be traveling with German hosts (Jorg Bohn and company) plus a group of troublemakers from the Midwest-
Stay tuned to this site and the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club site for updates.
In the meantime wish us luck at the airport and have some good sailing while we are gone-
Think Ice! T
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James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Ch-ch-ch-Changes: New Englands Postponed
Turn and face the strange.
On Monday we had lofty hopes for the weekend, but that has all changed now. The weather that went through on Tuesday and Wednesday blanketed what ice there was in Maine with snow so Maine is out. The Vermont team was going to start looking for ice tomorrow but aren’t very optimistic. The only hope in New Hampshire is Lake Waukewan in Meredith, but that got 3" of snow and then a day of MEGA breeze so who knows how bad the drifts will be. Locals are going to check it out today but that leaves me in the position of not having a piece of ice to call a regatta on for.
So no racing this weekend. There may well be sailable ice somewhere but I don’t know where. If you find it please let me know.
Be safe.
Time may change ice
But I can’t trace time
Oliver Moore
USA 5469
NEIYA Regatta Dude
STRANDED….
This from the folks way up in Trenton…. Helps explain the postponement of the Canadian champs! Patience folks…..
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIPS POSTPONED / NE CHAMPS NOT DEAD YET!!
Hey Folks- Hopes were high to do either the Canadian Champs or the New England Champs this weekend- Bad news is it looks like Canada is out due to the recent big wind and snow that rolled through the region.
From Canadian head honcho Warren Nethercoate….
“Colonel By lake received 3 to 5 inches of wind-blown snow last night and there is a wet area in the centre of the plate (the racing area). Probability of successfully racing on this plate this weekend is poor, so we are postponing to a future date. There is about 5 inches of ice, so future prospects for the lake are good.
Both Trenton and Montreal lost their ice sheets over the last few days, so we need to wait for the next freeze for bigger ice.”
Sounds like most of New England was hit pretty hard too so hopes not too high for NE champs at the moment but you never know! Stay tuned to this site and the IDNIYRA bulletin board for details.
Don’t despair gang, this season may be taking awhile to get started but recall that we were still sailing in April last year….
Think Ice! T
New England Championships scheduled for this coming weekend
New England’s are on the schedule and the forecast looks promising.
Updates on Wednesday.
Get those runners tuned up.
Oliver Moore
US 5469
NEIYA Regatta chairman
Western Regional Champs Photos
Once you are done looking at the photos of the great sailing in Poland check out these shots from the Western Regional Champs a few weekends ago- Think Ice! T
https://www.dropbox.com/sh/97tzxrbn5pcdfe4/AABq_4hFrjWOZ7fLVkgpFszBa?dl=0
New England Ice Yacht Association 