Iceboating On Scuttlebutt
Probably a good percentage of us follow a few sailing websites, and there is a good chance that Scuttlebutt is one of them!
They printed a little item about the new DN website, with the link included in the article. Have a look and THINK ICE! T
Learn about the DN Iceboat >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News
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James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Newport Boats
NEIYA photographer Bill Converse was in Newport a little while before the Bermuda Race and caught a few boats tuning up. Just a hint of the variety of craft that participated!
-The first boat is a Santa Cruz 70, a downwind flyer from a few years back. Very narrow beam compared to what in style these days.
-The second is a Maxi 72, so far only four in existence- all carbon, built to a box rule, very light weight, lots of righting moment, very fast, VERY expensive!
-The third is a Class 40, also a box rule boat, built for shorthanded or solo sailing. Bill believes she was built in Bristol RI called C&C Fiberglass. Speedy little thing… there are a bunch of these that compete in races up and down the east coast and back and forth to Europe.
-And finally we see the SALTY GOOSE, built by the legendary Bob Derecktor down at his yard in Mamaroneck, NY. One of a list of amazing boats he built, from cruisers to America’s Cup winning 12 Meters.
What does this have to do with iceboating? Not much, but couldn’t resist sharing the good photos.
Thanks Bill and keep them coming! Think ICE!!
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BERM-BAH-DOO-DAH-DAY!!
The final NEIYA rep we know of has finished the Bermuda race! Jonathan Green and Russ Hancock brought JEROBOAM across the finish line after 4 days, 18 hours, 48 minutes and 25 seconds of sailing. This puts them over the line in 87th overall and 2nd in the doublehanded division. Well done! Hope they are enjoying all Bermuda has to offer!
Congrats to them and all the NEIYA members who did the race. Enjoy the party gang! Looking forward to hearing the stories this winter- or sooner if anyone wants to write a little piece for this site… (hint hint….)
Think Ice!
BERAMBABADADOO-DAH
Looks like two of out three are done the Bermuda Race-
The light winds at the end had to be rough but LADY B and AUGUST WEST have finished.
The Lambs are done, having finished in 4 days, 11 hours and 30 minutes. This put them 7th in class and 33rd over the line. Not bad at all! Hope Steve did well in the galley-
NEIYA regatta chairman Oliver Moore and the gang on AUGUST WEST did very well to finish in 4 days, 8 hours and 22 minutes. This puts them 4th in class and 13th for line honors- very impressive for being one of the smaller boats in a 200 boat fleet!
And Jonathan Green on JEROBOAM has about fifty miles to go and is making about 5.5 kts toward the finish. At this rate he is looking at 95th for line honors but is holding onto 2nd in the doublehanded class. Not bad at all! I’ve done the doublehanded race from Bermuda back to Newport and I can tell you that it is a lot of work- there will be two tired sailors stepping off that boat!
Congrats to all- enjoy the parties and get out of jail before hard-water season!
Think Ice! T
NEW DN CLASS WEBSITE!!!
With the summer solstice now behind us and the days getting shorter it’s time to start thinking about the upcoming iceboating season!
To celebrate this milestone the International DN Ice Yacht Racing Association has launched a brand new web site, fully re-designed and up to date. Everything you need to know about the DN class is included and easy to find: How to get started, building and tuning tips, plans, regatta notices, classified ads, the DN Class Forum, contacts, lots of great photos and videos, and much more.
To learn more about the fastest sailing on the planet (And how to join the fun!) visit the new site at
Make this the year to start iceboating! Take a look at the site and start getting ready. Be sure to spread the word. Look forward to seeing some new faces in the class this season!
BERMBADUDA UPDATE
Looks like the NEIYA sailors are going to have some patience as they get into the final stage of the Bermuda Race- The breeze has settled down quite a bit and shifted 180 degrees, so the fleet is now sailing in less than ten knots of wind, pretty much beam reaching on starboard tack. Bad news is the closer they get to Bermuda, the lighter the breeze will get.
This is hard to take in the best circumstances but when pink sand beaches and Dark’N’Stormies are waiting at the finish line it’s even tougher!
Jonathan Green on JEROBOAM is bringing up the rear as NEIYA representation goes but they are first in the doublehanded class, 87th for line honors, and are 120 miles from the island. Currently going about 6.5 kts.
LADY B and the Lambs are chugging along at 6.5 kts with 96 miles to go. This puts them in 50th for line honors and 8th in class.
And Oliver Moore and the boys on AUGUST WEST are probably ready to start swimming for it as they are down to 3.7kts with 44 miles to go. Sitting 4th in class (not bad) and 16th for line honors (very impressive)!
Hang in there gang, hope you celebrated the Solstice! Hope the last few miles go quickly and safely.
Think Ice!
James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
Classic (very) iceboating designs
John Mandryk, who has a house at Deep Creek Lake in MD, is going to try to build an old style Dutch ice yacht. And the term “old style” really applies here as this will be similar to the oldest iceboats we know of, going back to the late 1500’s!
Take a look at the attachments and have a look at his emails on the subject- if you think you can lend a hand or offer him some advice or an atta-boy give him a shout-
Here is an email of his:
Thanks for you interest in my quest for learning about the “Traditional Dutch Ice Yacht”
I tell my friends, that after two years of retirement, I have had only three “bad days”: Two were on the golf course (so what else is new?) and one was watching my friends sail their DN’s on Deep Creek Lake in Maryland, where I have a Lake House. My problem is that at age 67, I have had one hip replaced and one that should be replaced. And when I move, it is like the Tin Man in the Wizard of OZ. So sailing a DN or its equivalent is pretty much out of the question.
So I embarked on a search to find a Hard Water vessel that might accommodate my needs. I fell down a rabbit hole of endless myriads of Google Searches and finally discovered the “Traditional Dutch Ice Yacht”, or as they are called in the Netherlands: old Dutch ijsschuiten.
So here are my objectives.
1. Find pictures, line drawings, etc. and categorize these examples into convenient “Types”.
Note: I have displayed these on Pinterest for anyone interested to observe and to make comments, corrections, etc.
They can be searched by using the search words:
Type I iJsschuiten
Type II iJsschuiten
Type III iJsschuiten
Type IV iJsschuiten
Type V iJsschuitne
Type VI iJsschuiten
2. I intend to learn about the historical, traditional Dutch “soft water” craft and will hopefully make some connection between them and these ice yachts: For example what boats from history were influential on the design of the ice yachts. Can we make some general observations. I have been coached on this by Bert Van Baar a Boat builder in the Netherlands, and Cees van der Rest of Vaartips Nederland, and Maartin de Groot of the Netherlands.
3. I am enrolled in a the course “Elements of Design” at the Wooden Boat School in Brooklin Maine this summer. My objective is to make line drawings of the Types that I eventually settle upon. John Brooks of Brooks Boats Designs will be my instructor.
4. I have some stitch and glue sailboat plan recommendations from Paul Fisher of Selway Fisher in the UK. and Bill Buchholz. They could be modified to make and ice yacht. If I can come up with a suitable solution, I could have the vessel completed by February 2018.
5. Meanwhile I will convert my 8 ” sailing dingy to an old Dutch ijsschuiten for an experimental launch on February 2017. (Note: A club member in the Netherlands did a similar thing)
Note: To accomplish this I will need to:.
1. Build the “A” frame, and Sails. I have drawings from Maarten de Groot, Secretary of IJszeilvereniging De Robben, Netherlands that give me great guidance.
2. I received skates from a 1930’s rear steerer from Bill Bucholz of Apache Ice Boats in Camden, Me.
3. I was gifted a DN crossbrace to support 200 pounds from my neighbor and DN enthusiast Ray Gauthier of Annapolis, MD and Deep Creek Lake Maryland.
So this is my evolving story.
Let me know what you think.
John Mandryk
Boalsburg, PA
Deep Creek Lake, Me.
john_mandryk@comcast.net
PS. I have copied everyone who has been mentioned in this email. It is so amazing how generous people are with their time and talent. This project is really a compilation of their efforts. I am just the coordinator.
Examples of Type I Traditional Ice Yacht
Possible Plan A for Type I Traditional Dutch Ice Yacht
Possisble Plan B for Type I Traditional Dutch Ice Yacht
Type II. Traditional Dutch Ice Yacht Examples
Possible Plan for Type II Traditional Ice Yacht.
BERMADU RACE UPDATE
The Bermuda Race is lumbering on, with the NEIYA reps apparently too busy to check in (or maybe there is no cell reception out in the middle of the ocean? Who knew???) but no doubt enjoying good conditions.
Looks like the breeze will be more or less on the port beam for the fleet for the next day or so, allowing the fleet to make good headway toward the pink sand beaches. Not sure how everyone is playing the Gulf Stream but a large part of the fleet is staying west of the rhumb line although there is less breeze down that way- must be a good eddy or something….
Looks like Oliver Moore and Co. are still topping the NEIYA leaderboard aboard AUGUST WEST: Going 7.8 kts at last check in, in line for 16th to finish and 5th in her division. 286 miles to go. So far I’ve been able to resist the temptation to go to his house while he is out of town and help myself to his nice DN gear….
Jonathan Green on JEROBOAM has the afterburner on and is going well- 7.4 kts, 65th for line honors, 9th in the doublehanded division, and 333 miles to the finish.
Looks like an early move west of the rhumb line has yet to pay dividends for LADY B- Maybe long term things may pan out for Steve and James Lamb but for now they are only making 5.9 kts, 71st for line honors, 9th in division, and 345 miles to go. Good news is she is the most comfortable out of all the boats and not a bad looking ride to boot!
The big marquee boat of the race, COMANCHE, is tied to the dock in Bermuda, having finished in 1 day, 14 hrs and twenty minutes. Many soft water sailors are befuddled about how she could go so fast as to generate her own apparent wind and get down the course so quickly…. Anyone who has sailed on the hard stuff knows this phenomenon pretty well….
Good luck gang- don’t forget to ease the mainsheet when you go downwind!
Think Ice….
BERUMDA RACE UPDATE
A quick look at the Bermuda Race tracker shows NEIYA regatta chairman Oliver Moore aboard AUGUST WEST rolling along at 7.5 knots, about 457 miles to finish, 5th in class and about 15th in terms of line honors- not bad!
Steve and James Lamb aboard LADY B are slightly behind on the western side of the fleet, about 488 miles from the finish, going about 5.7 kts, 9th in class and 77th for line honors.
Jonathan Green on JEROBOAM is in the middle of the pack, with about 483 miles to go, sitting second in the double-handed class and about 89th for line honors.
Doesn’t look like the fleet has hit the forecasted rough conditions yet- not sure if they even will. Hope the forecast moderates for them and everyone has a good race and gets there safe and sound. Looking at the wind overlays at the moment it looks like the fleet will enjoy a port tack beam reach right down the rhumb line for awhile. Nice!
Have a look at the tracker here http://yb.tl/nb2016 to see how the race is going. Check the buttons on the left to find individual boats and to check the leaderboard.
No matter what happens the line honors race is for second- COMANCHE already finished with an elapsed time of 1 day, 11 hrs and 50 minutes. Average speed 17.8 kts. Not bad for a soft-water craft! See the pics of her out of the water a few weeks ago, getting ready… Hopefully you can get a sense of the scale of this boat- She’s what you might call a big boat, 100 feet long, 30 feet wide- you get the idea.
Good luck, sail safe and Think Ice!
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Bermuda the hard way
The proper way to get to Bermuda is in a 747. Instead I am going to be getting there on the fine yacht August West. It sounds like it’s going to be a rough one. Wish us luck. We are going to need it.
Oliver Moore
US 5469
NEIYA GOES TO BERMUDA
Hello All-
Tomorrow is the start of the Newport to Bermuda Race, looks like a light air start with some big northerlies waiting out in the Gulf Stream…. Gonna be a bumpy ride for awhile out there!
A few NEIYA members will be headed for the tiny island-
Regatta Chairman Oliver Moore will be aboard AUGUST WEST, a J-122. He will be trimmer and in charge of keeping things tidy.
Steve and James Lamb will be aboard a big red Swan called WHIZZ. Just kidding, it’s called LADY B. Steve has signed on as chef (seriously) and James will be doing everything else.
Russ Hancock and Jonathan Green will be aboard JEROBOAM in the 17 boat double-handed fleet. These guys will both be busy as they will be the only two people on the boat!
If I left anyone out be sure to let me know!
Be sure to follow them on the tracker- the link is below.
Hope y’all have a great race- be safe, go fast, and check in along the way if you can! And if it gets hot out, THINK ICE!
Race Info: http://bermudarace.com/
Scratch sheets, etc: http://bermudarace.com/entry/official-notice-board/
Race Tracker: http://yb.tl/nb2016
JEROBOAM info: https://neiya.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/6a833-start2.jpg
About Jonathan: http://jaybirddog.blogspot.com/2014/10/philip-s-weld-memorial-trophy.html
John’s Blog: http://jaybirddog.blogspot.com/
John’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaybirddog
ICE YACHT VS MOTORCYCLE
Hello All-
This photo was in a thread on sailinganarchy.com and has no caption, explanation, or background other than the title, “Iceboat vs Motorcycle Race, Toronto Bay.”
But it does show a wild-looking craft clearly having a moment! It also looks as thought the motorcycle is well behind. Must have been a great day on the ice- Looking forward to a few of those in a few months!
Think Ice!
Beach Patrol – Pile On Ladies
Got to get me one of these- clearly a chick magnet.
I think they just dig into the sand a bit- these things seem to always be on the beach(French seem to call them “Aeroplage” which I think loosly translates to aero-beach?). I actually was going to build something very similar to this a number of years ago for the Old Rhinebeck Aerodrome. Louis Bleriot(fisrt across the english channel in 1909) was an enthusiast and his company sold somethign similar for awhile.
Thought it might be sort of fun to sail up and down the runway on days when it blew to hard to fly the old planes. Unfortunately I haven’t gotten to it yet. Stay tune…
Peter Truesdell
Warren Nethercotte Recognized By Sail Canada
![W_Nethercote[1]](https://i0.wp.com/neiya.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/w_nethercote1.jpg?w=291&h=291&crop=1&ssl=1 "W_Nethercote[1]")
![Warren_at_USODA_2012_Opti_Team_feature_photo_1[1]](https://i0.wp.com/neiya.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/warren_at_usoda_2012_opti_team_feature_photo_11.png?w=291&h=291&crop=1&ssl=1 "Warren_at_USODA_2012_Opti_Team_feature_photo_1[1]")
Ripped from the headlines of Scuttlebutt Sailing News and Sail Canada (Original Sail Canada article). Our Canadian and Nova Friend Warren Nethercotte (KC 3786) has been recognized as a top Sail Canada Volunteer. Echoing Sail Canada’s write-up, Warren is a tireless traveler, relentless competitor and all around great guy off the ice. In addition to all the contributions mentioned by Sail Canada, he is a pivotal member of the NOVA Ice Boat Club and serves as IDNIYRA Canadian Vice Commodore. When we see Warren sailing in New England, you can be sure that he has driven at least 50% more miles than anyone on and off the ice. As we all know, dedication and miles traveled equals more ice time. Warren congratulations from the New England Ice Yacht Association and see you on the ice in six months time.
![scuttlebutt-logo2[1]](https://neiya.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/scuttlebutt-logo211-e1465658801138.png?w=590){kind=logo}
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(June 10, 2016) – Warren is a tireless contributor to his club, the province of Nova Scotia, Sail Canada, and regattas around the world. A continuously active volunteer at St Margaret Sailing Club, he has been on the club’s Board of Directors for a number of years, only very recently stepping down.
Warren’s leadership has been evident with Sail Canada’s Training & certification Committee – Chair from 2010 – 2013, and continued as a contributing member through 2015.
A leader in the training and development of Sailing Judges, Warren was active with Sail Canada’s Judges Sub-committee for decades. As an International Judge, Warren holds a wealth of knowledge and experience from his many appointments on sailing juries around the world.
Warren finds some time for himself – he is an avid ice-boater in the winter, and enjoys sailing a Soling in the summers. His volunteering touches so many – you will still find him volunteering as a Judge at regattas up and down the Atlantic Seaboard and at local, provincial & national US and Canadian sailing championships!
The St Margaret Sailing Club is a Member Club with Sail Nova Scotia and Sail Canada. A registered CANSail Training Site, SMSC’s Sailing School delivers CANSail dinghy programming for youth and Keelboat training for adults. They run weekend & weeknight racing for their members. Each year SMSC hosts the famous Bay Wind Regatta, and is renowned for hosting class championships at all levels, and the Sail Canada’s Sail East & National Youth Championships.
Think Ice,
John
VC
P.S. Only ten days till the days start getting shorter!
Thin…With a “K”
Found while wandering around a boat yard on the banks of the Stony Creek in Branford, CT.
But seriously, the owner should get a refund for the spelling error.
Think Ice people, the Summer Solstice is two weeks away and the days only get shorter from there.
John
Newport Last Saturday
Bill Converse was in Newport last Saturday but turned his lens away from the big fancy cats and took a few shots of these 29er skiffs practicing in the light air. Cool looking boats- wish they had been around thirty years ago!
And of course he couldn’t resist a shot of a vintage 12 meter- that is COLUMBIA, the first 12 Meter to defend the America’s Cup in 1958, defeating the British challenger SCEPTRE four races in a row to take the series.
COLUMBIA was designed by Olin Stephens and skippered by Briggs Cunningham, who invented the mainsail adjustment that we all know and love. I’ve also heard that he was a major player in motor racing and may have been the first person to paint racing stripes on a car. Seriously.
Look for more photos from Bill over the next week or so….
Think Ice! T
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LI Dogs
Here we see a few LI suspects doing up some hot dogs Crucet style….
Good to see that the Bernz-A-Matic technique works in all seasons! Party on gang….
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James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401 258 6230
t_thieler
New Hampshire Boat Museum
Don Stearns checks in with this report from up in NH- Be sure to check it out!
Quite possibly the finest setup of iceboats was uncovered by this iceboater on a recent trip to Wolfeboro N.H.
When was the last time you saw a mannequin holding what appears to be a kite sail? Well you can find it on stage.
Plan on putting the Boat Museum on your list of places to go this summer.
There is a boat auction there July 16. So I may see you there.
Should any ice boat items come up you can bet the bidding will be some fierce!
Best regards, Don Stearns
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Six Months….
….Until the Western Challenge. Yes, it’s a half a year away. Yes, it’s in Minnesota. Yes, it’s kind of a hike to get out there. Yes, it is a great way to kick off the season!
Last year we had a great turnout- about 40 boats. Several sailors from Europe made the trip as well as skippers from RI to MD to MN and everywhere in between. Good racing was had by all and everyone went home grinning.
Put it on your calendar now- December 2-4, Friday-Sunday. Make this the year to sail out in God’s Country!!
Some footage from last year here:
2015 Great Western Challenge
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OPEN WHEEL WEDNESDAY!!
Hey Folks- Now that the match race stuff is done 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…
WORLD MATCH RACING TOUR FINALE- WATCH ONLINE!
Hey Folks-
If you can’t make it to Newport but still want to see the Match Racing Tour finale you can watch it online starting at 2PM EDT. The link is on the Sailing Anarchy front page-
For a sneak preview scroll to the post below and see the shots Bill Converse shot the other day-
Log on and take a look! And of course, Think ICE!
Sailing Anarchy
World famous Sailing Anarchy
World Match Racing Photos- Good Ones!
Bill Converse was on the waterfront with his camera gear on Thursday and was able to snap a few good shots of the action at the World Match Race Tour.
Grand finale is tomorrow- be sure to check it out if you are in the area….
In the meantime check out the photos from Bill- nice work as usual! Many thanks-
WORLD MATCH RACE UNDERWAY IN NEWPORT
Some good spectating at the match race tour in Newport the last few days-
Bill Converse was able to get some good photos in spite of the fog on Monday and yesterday was clear and breezy-
Fast boats, course marks just a few yards off the docks, bumps, capsizes, nice spectator area- Definitely worth checking out!
Think Ice!
WORLD MATCH RACE TOUR IN RI
Just a reminder that the World Match Racing Tour will be in Newport RI from May 30-June 4. Racing will be right in close to Fort Adams, great visibility from the beach, everything you could ask for.
The boats are 32 foot one-design catamarans so the racing is fast and furious compared to what we’ve seen in the past. I’ve seen some of this racing online and it’s exciting- tons of lead changes and close boat-on-boat action, all going on a big multihull speeds….
Take a look at the websites and check your calendars- couch space at my house in Newport if anyone needs it-
Tour website:
The dock – World Match Racing Tour
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Event Website:
Newport 2016 – World Match Racing Tour
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World Match Racing Tour Comes to Newport >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News
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Think Ice! T
New England Ice Yacht Association 
