Olympic Sailing- Medal Race Today
Hey Gang- The 470 Medal race is scheduled for noon today- the US women’s team (and maybe the men’s as well?) is in the hunt for a medal so tune in and cheer them on!
Check these links for info on how to follow the racing live, and there is also an app out there if you are a Smartphone person. I think MSNBC will be showing it as well- Check local listings etc….
Good luck and happy viewing! T
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2016/07/26/sailing-rio-2016-olympic-games/
http://www.nbcolympics.com/
Olympic Sailing Coverage
Hey Folks- the Olympic sailing events are coming down to the wire- The Medal Races in a few classes are coming up starting today and beyond- It ain’t hard water but still great viewing, seeing these athletes at the top of their games literally showing how it’s done!
Check these links for info on how to follow the racing live, and there is also an app out there if you are a Smartphone person-
Good luck and happy viewing! T
http://www.sailingscuttlebutt.com/2016/07/26/sailing-rio-2016-olympic-games/
Funny Sailing Vid
Dave Ross sends this from Canada- It’s been making the rounds for a few years but is funny enough to warrant a second look and besides, it’s the Olympics!
Speaking of Olympic sailing the medal races for a few classes are coming up- search the interweb or your favorite soft water sites for links etc- Saw the Finn and Nacra races today, was pretty darn cool….
I’d say this gets a PG-13 rating so send the kids out of the room…. Whoever put this together did a great job!
Runner Tracks Update
Hello All- Runner Tracks is back on the IDNIYRA homepage- Take a look at: http://na.idniyra.org
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Runner Tracks Newsletter Update
WordPress.com
Maine Day From Last Winter On Film!
Anyone remember when the Voice Of America crew showed up in Maine last winter to do a piece on iceboating?
They filmed all day- here is the result! Click and enjoy….
Frozen Ponds? No Problem! Let’s Go Ice Boating!
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NEIYA YouTube Channel!
And of course if you want to see all the cool stuff that goes on around here be sure to check out the NEIYA YouTube channel- all kinds of good stuff on there from last winter and beyond….
Click and enjoy!
DN YouTube Channel
Scott Valentine checks in from LI to remind us that there is a DN North America YouTube channel- Has a ton of great vids and will help chase away them ol’ summer blues!
Click and enjoy:
https://m.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLaPTQC3y5appE1WTAr7rH5o27R5PvOf3B
KEELS AND ICEBOATS
KEELS AND ICEBOATS
Saw these keel bulbs and fins at the big boatyard in Portsmouth, RI the other day…. The one with the shark’s teeth was on AMERICA3 (“cubed”) and the black one was under the Italian challenger, Il Moro De Venezia.
There are some interesting design differences- the American bulb has a round cross-section, which raises the CG and costs a little righting moment but lowers wetted surface, reducing drag. The Italian bulb has an elliptical cross section, lowering the CG a few inches, increasing righting moment but increasing wetted surface. Trade-offs…. You know the designers at this point were trying EVERYTHING to get an advantage and no doubt put tons of effort into which option was better.
Notice also the fins on the bulbs. On the American version they are long and thin, high aspect, located aft in an effort to minimize vortices coming off the tail end of the bulb. On the Italian version they are stubby, swept back, and located toward the middle of the bulb in an attempt to increase overall span of the keel.
Which one was better? Hard to say- the hulls were also very different (the Americans went narrow and low drag, the Italians really wide and powerful) and the sail programs also varied (the Americans had sails of Cuben Fiber, really strong and light and the hottest new stuff available at the time).
But for all of this design effort and hair pulling the real difference might have been the little blade visible in the last photo- it is a kelp cutter. The blade was on a rod and travelled down a thin slot in the front of the keel fin, slicing away the kelp which was all over the course at the match in San Diego (you can see the tube that housed it extending out from the top of the keel fin in the third photo). While other teams were trying to poke it off their keels with sticks or just accepting it as a fact of life the American team hit on this little solution, now commonly seen on keels and rudders everywhere.
AMERICA3 won that match, taking four out of five races (losing one by only three seconds) over Il Moro. Gives one pause to think that after the millions of dollars and hours spent on boats (I think the US team built three, the Italians five) and gear the difference may have been a simple razor blade on a stick.
Just goes to show that sometimes you need to quit obsessing on the minutia and attack the big issues- applies to iceboating too!
And of course the American boat did have the advantage of an iceboater at the helm, a Skeeter sailor by the name of Buddy Melges.
Seeing these discarded keels is also a good reminder that if you have old gear you aren’t using clean it up and bring it to the swap meet before it ends up forgotten in the weeds out in the yard- there is a subtle nip in the air, the swap meet will be coming soon. OR put it in the classified section of the NEIYA site right now and avoid the rush!
Think ICE! T
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The Story Of Harken
If you were at the DN NA’s last winter you may have had the chance to see the Harken factory- A very impressive facility with an interesting history, some of which is covered in the following article- click the link and enjoy the read!
Summer Michigan Action
Here we see Madison WI DN Sailor (and current NA Silver Fleet champ!) Dave Elsmo doing a little soft-water racing aboard DENALI, a cool N/M 68 based on the Great Lakes.
Nice job putting the video together and if you are a Bruce Springsteen fan you’ll love the soundtrack!
Think Ice!!
Great Skeeter Photo
Hello All- Hope everyone is staying cool during this heinous heat spell….
Fall will be here soon- to help tide you over take a look a this great photo of a rumble-seat Skeeter BLAZING around a weather mark…
For the full story and photo go to the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club web site at http://www.iceboat.org/ which is where I stole it from. Shamelessly, as usual.
Black Ice Fanatic Seeking Black Top…
Hello All-
Joachim Roesler is looking for some info about local landsailing- read on, this might work out well for someone- take a look at the attached photo! If you have any info for him, give him a shout- his contact info is at the bottom- Think Ice!
He writes: I was wondering if you could put the word out for some help with a land sailing question.
Recently I have scouted and found a very nice old airfield near Boston, SouthField in Rockland, MA. The main runway would be very suitable for some land sailing (see attached pic of my hybrid ride).
However, I have not yet been able to identify who controls that old airfield, or whom I would have to ask for permission.
Do you think anyone in our ice sailing audience would know or could help with that? I’m offering free rides, if it works out.
Thanks!
JoR
Joachim P. Roesler
New Canaan, CT
JoeRoesler@gmail.com
A Walk In New Hampshire…
Dave Clapp demonstrates his “glass-half-full” attitude in this little video from last spring. It was a great day to be out on the lake, even if the ice was a bit soft and the breeze didn’t fill in…
Think Ice
James “T” Thieler
P.S. We did a good deal of boat pushing and pulling that day as well as a now infamous strip down footrace.
On the same day as Clapp’s video and as seen on IDNIYRA Runner Tracks
Sunken Iceboats, Cont’d
Read this and give the guy a shout if you can offer him any clues!
Hello All-
I am a diver, sonar operator and history buff. While I dive all over Mass, NH and the CT River, I have for some time had a keen interest in Lake Winnipesaukee.
I have found about 70 wrecks there in the last 7 years or so and have found that when I post side scan sonar images, videos and commentary on Winnipesaukee.com that people respond well. Of course I don’t post to see how they respond but out of a common love of the water, history and the Big Lake.
People ask me a lot of questions too and one was, have I ever found an ice boat. While I am somewhat familiar with them, I had to say no. The inquirer posted a picture of a very old one he said his family owned. Airplane-prop-driven, heavy timber construction-what a beast but it must have been great fun to pilot it. Picture attached.
My questions:
– Do you know of any old ones that went down in Winnipesaukee;
– How can I learn more about the old ones, such as the one in the attached photo?
Any help appreciated.
Hans Hug
Sonar Search & Recovery
PO Box 580
Exeter NH 03833
info
Cell: 617-513-2778
Sunken Ice Boats?
Hello All-
Below is an email from a gentleman who scours lake bottoms looking for cool sunken stuff…. And he is currently on the lookout for an iceboat! If you know of a place where he may be able to spot an propeller or sail driven one that went down read his email and give him a shout!
Could be interesting…. Think Ice!
NJ, with pics (hopefully!)
Hey Folks- apologies for the repeated posting- tech issues…. Anyway hope the photos are attached this time!
Here we see Jim Hadley out on the water and showing why fish fear him!
Looks like a great way to kill time between ice seasons- Hope he will bring some fish to the events this year (hint hint)!
Rumor has it that his daughter reeled in the tuna because he was tired out after reeling in the dolphin….
Nice work!
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840401 258 6230
t_thieler
ICE WINS IN JULY!
Denis Guertin was featured on the CIBC website with this hot little news item. Check it out!
Ice Wins In July
Posted on July 11, 2016 by billbuchholz
The small village of Lampton is nestled along the southern end of Lac St. Francois in Quebec. Careful readers of these musings will remember this lake as the venue for the first annual CIBC Hundred Mile Race last March [Still kicking myself for missing it…] , and the summer home of winner of that race, Denis Guertin.
Apparently Lambton has a fine community spirit. This from Denis:
“A few weeks ago, I took part to a photo contest in Lambton.
Participants had to submit a picture taken in Lambton. The theme of the contest was: Showing someone doing his sport or hobby in Lambton.
So I decided to send a picture of Bill, Jim, Lee, Karin and me (behind the camera) all aligned with our iceboats, the day before the 100 miles race.
And guess what? I won the first prize… $100!
I guess I will have to pay you all a beer some time next season.”
Don’t worry about that beer, Denis. Your hospitality during those amazing days in March was already way over the top. Here’s to pulling it off again next year!
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IDNIYRA – New Site – New Way to Join
Hey Folks-
The Regular membership remains at the bargain price $25 per year. You now have the option to pay conveniently through Paypal for one, two or three years.
The Sustaining membership is $35 per year and for those who want to give a little bit extra to help support promotional, regatta, and basic class expenses. Again, you have the option to pay for one, two, or three years.
There’s also a Donation button on the Membership page for anyone who would like to give an amount of their choice to help insure the future of DN racing.
Think Ice,
COOL NEW BLOCKS!!
We all know that the folks at Harken keep topping themselves by rolling out one amazing new product after another…
But did you know that one of their main engineers and visionaries behind a lot of those items is the one and only Steve Orlebeke, veteran DN campaigner and Skeeter newbie?
Well, he is. Check out this video- get the scoop on the latest Harken innovation from Steve and the gang!
How It’s Made: Harken V Block >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News
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James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
BIC ON ICE
Not sure where or when this was taken but I’m pretty sure it wasn’t last week! The boat is an Open Bic and it’s a damn shame they didn’t slap a few skates on the hull and rip it for a day!
Looks like a fun day though-
Whatever lake that is I hope it freezes up early this year-
Think ICE!
Independence Day
Happy Independence Day gang- be sure to take moment to appreciate all we have and all it took to get here…. And then enjoy the day!
Back In The Day
This was lurking in the back of Classic Boat magazine a month or so ago- Thanks to David Hastings in Norwich for sending it out to the masses- Sounds like a great day!
James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Open Wheel Wednesday!
Hey Folks- Now that the Solstice is behind us it’s time to start thinking of the next event to kill time until it gets cold again….
Fortunately Open Wheel Wednesday is coming up soon at Seekonk Speedway in Seekonk, MA!
Steve Duhamel and Bill Converse have been attending this for years and having joined them a few times I can see why! It’s loud (seriously, bring some earplugs), fast, flashy, and there is great spectator access to the pits so you can check out the cars and the trailers. Yes, the trailers. These things are amazing.
Mark it on your calendar (Wednesday, June 29) and come join the fun! Hope to see a bunch of fellow ice-people there…
New England Ice Yacht Association 