The conditions at Webster Lake are not good enough for official club racing but there will be unofficial scratch racing there tomorrow for those who dare-
BE ADVISED USE EXTREME CAUTION AS THERE IS OPEN WATER IN PLACES!!!
See the NEIYA ice reports for details and stay tuned to this site for updates.
Sail safe and have fun if you go!
THINK ICE!
02/09/2018 | Categories: 2018 Season | Comments Off on NE CHAMPS POSTPONED
Race Committee Chair Steve Madden is feverishly looking for a location to hold the New England’s this weekend.
There will be DNs of course and Steve wanted to remind everyone that any class bringing three boats to the line will get their own start. I know there are 10+ Whizzes out there. You all together once before and it’s time to do it again.
We all know the challenging weather that has been blowing through every week or so and this week is no exception. There is snow everywhere to the north but the areas near Worcester MA look promising. Scouts will be out tomorrow checking conditions on Webster and Quaboag.
Venue announcement to be made tomorrow (Friday) evening. Whether racing or cruising come out for the fun. See you there.
Think clear and smooth ice,
John
P.S Sorry for late notice but conditions have been challenging.
02/08/2018 | Categories: 2018 Season | Comments Off on The New England’s This Weekend, Maybe…
The gang in upstate NY has been busy since the DN NA champs- Looks like they ran the inaugural Keuka Cup regatta, top spot being taken by veteran DNer Guy Lovejoy.
Congrats on getting the regatta off and looking forward to sailing up that way more often!
Results here:
Keuka Cup Feb 3 / 4 2018
Boat Name Race 1 Race 2 Race 3 Final
4638 Lovejoy 1 1 1 3
5498 Gordon 2 2 3 7
637 Meade 3 3 1 7
2637 Brown 6 6 4 14
5395 Farmer D. 4 4 DNF 15
4287 Famer R. 5 5 DNF 17
02/08/2018 | Categories: 2018 Season | Comments Off on KEUKA CUP!
Photo credit Silfvenius Remick Museum ice harvest 2018
Photo credit Silfvenius Remick Museum ice harvest 2018
Photo credit Silfvenius Remick Museum ice harvest 2018
Photo credit Silfvenius Remick Museum ice harvest 2018
This past weekend Hardway Captain Charles Silfvenius set up his boat for the crowds at the annual Remick Museum Ice Harvest & Winter Carnival and served as the Iceboating ambassador. He talked to loads of interested loads of interested people and answered the usual questions. How fast do they go and how do I get started. He was pretty sure that at least a few people would take the next steps to get on the ice.
More pictures of Quaboag this past Saturday from Jeff Soderholm. Thanks for passing them on. Everyone loves more pictures. Jeff noted a good time was had by all. Let’s hope that some of our ice is spared after tomorrow.
Photo credit Soderholm Quaboag 2/3/18
Photo credit Soderholm Quaboag 2/3/18
Photo credit Soderholm Quaboag 2/3/18
Photo credit Soderholm Quaboag 2/3/18
Photo credit Soderholm Quaboag 2/3/18
Photo credit Soderholm Quaboag 2/3/18
THINK ICE,
John
DN5023
02/07/2018 | Categories: 2018 Season | Comments Off on Iceboat Ambassador
The Weekend was a little iffy with some of our best ice covered in fresh Sticky White S$%#. There may have been other sailable spots but I do know that a group sailed (sort of) on Quaboag this weekend as well as more favorable conditions on a Batterson Park Pond In CT. Batterson is a small venue but had nice clear ice. Those going to Quaboag wish they had headed further west on to I-84 in CT. But as they say, if you take a chance when conditions are in question you will never get to sail. If you sailed this weekend let us know in the comment section below.
I was originally going to provide a recap on the MIT boats that came out this weekend but Bill beat me to it. Below is a repost from iceboat.org.
With all the rain we should have some nice resurfacing across all the thick ice we have built up. As always be careful venturing out onto what was previously sailed on. I am sure there are runner swallowing drain holes out there. On deck it she New England Championships and some great sailing in general. We need to get through the next weather bullet before we can call anything. Stay tuned
Deane Williams sent in a report late last week about this little pond just off I-84 in CT. The MIT gang was itching for weekend ice and took a chance on this unknown plate. In spite of everything else in New England having some degree of surface issue this spot seems perfect. Thanks Deane!
“Five students and two researchers from MIT went to Batterson Park Pond. The pond did not suffer the negative effects of snowfall that many of the surrounding lakes suffered. The four boats from the MIT build-class were used. Two of the students had never sailed an iceboat before and were instant fans of the sport.
Three other boats were present. A wing-foiled boat (Joachim, Surf and Turf, you can see in the background of this photo) and two other DN’s.
There were many ice fisherman that had bored holes in the ice with small mounds of ice spoil alongside their holes.
It was clear that this pond has not been sailed before as many of the locals descended onto the landing to find out ³what you call those things². It was clear by the smiles that the iceboats were welcome additions to the pond¹s scenery. All enjoyed a beautiful day of sunshine, wind, and clear ice.”
02/05/2018 | Categories: 2018 Season | Comments Off on Next Generation of Iceboaters Take to the Ice
Lake Winnipesaukee had been resurfaced with the large amount of rain received earlier in the week and the cold temperatures launched a scouting trip on Thursday, 1/25/18. 4 boats set up but only two made it into the broads using storm sails. The scouting trip made it near the high point of the last attempt a week earlier beyond the north end of Rattlesnake Island. I was deemed a GO and word went out for the next day try as winds were predicted drop and temperatures to warm for the weekend. As the local set up for the day more and more started showing. A skippers’ meeting was called at 0945 and the details outlined. As a final check of boats, safety gear, provisions and the projected route were completed the fleet of a variety type of craft cast off at 1015.
Temperatures were in the high teens as we started and rose through the day to near 30 at the end with constant sun.
Winds mostly from the north west and starting about 10-12 mph, predicted to drop in the afternoon.
Wolfeboro Bay was rough due to weekend traffic through the snow, as ice fishermen use this as a major entrance point to the lake. Once out of the bay, there were many, “snow bubbles”. These are spots where the snow was higher than the surrounding ice when the rains came. The tops had a thin layer of ice that the runner would break through and then drop 2 or 3 inches through the remaining snow until it hit solid ice below. Obviously this would slow you down and sometimes make it rough to go in the lighter winds.
Photo credit Hardway Knowles 2018
First checkpoint was off Parker Island. Everything seemed solid so we continued into the Broads where there was a nice plate of ice, grade 7-8 where you could really play. We didn’t linger due to the predicted wind drop.
Second checkpoint was up the lake near the north end of the broads. Someone had made a small snow castle visible for quite a ways. This allowed for a magnificent view of the surrounding countryside from Mount Major to Gunstock ski area to the bright white snow capped peak of Mount Washington, the hill not the boat. Everything was solid so on we went.
The only ridge encountered was from Welch Island across the lake to Long Island. We agreed to meet on the east end and sail along for a crossing. An easy spot was pushed through and all proceeded northwest toward Six Mile Island. You can use two cleared fields on the hill as landmarks to shoot for. This was another area of the bubble ice.
Photo credit Hardway Morrone 2018
Photo credit Hardway Langley 2018
Photo credit Hardway Langley 2018
Photo credit Hardway Langley 2018
Photo credit Hardway Langley 2018
At Six mile you could see the Mount Washington in its winter home. Easy to work your way through some narrows between the islands and to the halfway point. Arrival time was about 12:15 hrs. A leisurely lunch was had and then a lineup for photos. A freelance pro photographer just happened to be around and constantly was taking shots. I know some of the sailors got he website. I’ll try to find it and pass it on.
At about 13:00 hrs the group set off for the run back. The wind had dropped and a couple of boats fell a little behind. A sweep was assigned to be sure everyone would be partnered to make it back. Since the the route was known the only scheduled checkpoint was at the pressure ridge. The new spot was a little rougher so all helped back the boats over and then on through the broads with falling winds and rising temperatures.
Eight of the fleet was back in Wolfeboro around 15:00 with the last two doing a little leg work to call it a day.
A beautiful day, great group, and 14 year hiatus ended.
Respectfully submitted,
Charles Silfvenius – Hardway Fleet Captain #14
Part of Fleet #16? Tell everyone about in the comments below
Matt Knowles DN 5506 Hardway Impressions
As a relatively new iceboater (my third season), the Hard Way was a blast. More than anything, we really lucked out with great conditions, only one reef to cross, and respectable breeze in both directions. Two things jumped out at me: one, this was the only time I’ve had to think about “navigation” on the iceboat, and two, how much fun it was to do the longest segment of nearly 12 miles running on starboard gybe, just blowing down the ice. My favorite moment was putting the hammer down on the run back home, watching the other boats disappear over the horizon. I was, by my count, over three miles from the nearest human. Pretty cool!For this sail, I wore an offshore HH drysuit (https://www.hellyhansen.com/en_us/aegir-ocean-survival-suit-31706). I wouldn’t wear it to race (too bulky) but for a long cruise on uncertain ice, it was great comfort to know that if I went swimming, it wouldn’t be a major issue .
It was also interesting to note how much my runners noticeably dulled over the course of the day, on a sail of this length. Had a rather gnarly 360-spin when I got a puff on the last downwind segment.
02/01/2018 | Categories: 2018 Season | Comments Off on At Last, The Hardway Returns — January 25th, 2018
We have these vids from the Oxelösund Regatta / January 27th 2018 / Kisängsfjärden, Nyköping and the Meijer DN Cup 2018
Watch for the love-tap at about 20 seconds in and the spin just after the first weather mark rounding…. Great stuff!
The Cheapskate may be a relatively new iceboat design but the fleet has grown fast and the world championships are held annually!
No details on the regatta but we do know that Bryce Geele took the title this year over last year’s champ Bob MacEwan. Keep an eye on the CIBC site for a report…. https://iceboat.me
Cheapskate Commodore Lloyd Roberts looked on with approval at the awards ceremony pictured below.
Well done Bryce! Looking forward to that report (hint hint….)
01/31/2018 | Categories: 2018 Season | Comments Off on Meanwhile Up In Maine
It wasn’t easy but not only is the DN North American Champs in the books, it was run against the odds and in fine style by the Eastern Region.
Chad Atkins and the team made some good calls in the face of challenging weather patterns and ice conditions across the continent. What seemed like a million ice reports came in from all over and to make a VERY long story short nothing looked good enough to tell everyone to hit the road. Until….
…Finally it was decided to head to Lake Charlevoix in NW Michigan. Excellent call, the ice was good and the snow held off long enough to git ‘er done!
The event ended up being knocked out in a day, five races for each fleet in a range of conditions- early in the day the ice was hard and fast and as it warmed up runners started digging in and adapting boat tune and sailing style was necessary.
The NEIYA and Eastern Region was very well represented; Thieler, Atkins, Lovejoy, Clapp, Hadley, Anderson, Miller, L’Hullier, Baby, Crinion, Curtis, Madden, Brush, Whitcomb, Nethercoate, Samson, Meade, Truesdell, Gordon, Fortier, Valentine, Duncan, Kaiser, McGowan, Connell, and Kent (and probably a few I forgot) made the trip west and waved the NEIYA flag! Not bad at all…
Sailors from the US, Germany, Sweden, Switzerland, Canada, Holland, Poland, and Ohio were all in attendance.
In the Silver Fleet Eben Whitcomb took fifth place, counting a bullet in Race 3. Not bad at all! Some guys from Toledo (Kjoller and Baker) took fourth and third with Don Brush edging both out for second. His finishes of 1,2,3,2,(9) were excellent but amazingly not good enough to keep Steve Madden out of the top spot with a (21),1,2,1,2. Way to rebound from a bad first race! When asked the next day to talk about his win, Steve’s response was to cryptically state that “I’M NOT LIFTING ANYTHING TODAY.” We can only surmise that he left it all on the race course! See photos for a shot of Whitcomb and Madden in the 1 and 2 starting spots….
In the Gold Fleet Chad Atkins was able to forget about the pressures of running the event long enough to take sixth spot in his new CSI/MBC hull, only one point out of fifth. After a strong morning NEIYA Commodore T Thieler counted some high numbers but still managed a fourth. Just ahead of him (AGAIN) was Steve Orlebeke from WI who sailed a strong series. John Dennis of MN missed one race with a rig failure but bounced back for second and Ron Sherry was consistent across all the conditions to take the whole show. Well done Ron! Full results here http://na.idniyra.org/2018/01/26/2018-north-american-championship-results/
I should note that Ron gave a great victory speech (he’s had a bit of practice at this over the years) and also shared some great memories of Meade Gougeon that had everyone in the room laughing through the tears. Well done again Ron- ever think of politics or stand-up comedy? Either way we all appreciate the thoughts.
A few film crews were on hand to document the action, check this site for some video already posted and stay tuned for more down the road….
There were photographers and drone pilots a-plenty, see their stuff at these links:
As ever the volunteers who ran the event deserve a standing “O”! My apologies to everyone I’ve forgotten but Loretta Rehe, Deb Whitehorse, Dan Heaney, John Atkins, Bob Schumacher, Mercedes Auger, Erica Stange, Bob and Anne Foeller, Bill Coberly, Bob Grey, and probably more pitched in to get this event knocked out in one day. No small feat- We can’t thank you all enough! When asked to comment on the event Atkins uttered something that was best described as part gibberish, part scat-singing, and part the ramblings of an over-caffeinated lunatic. That said I’m pretty sure he thanks everyone who made it happen as well!
Thanks also to all the sailors who kept the faith and made it to the event! Worth the trip yet again….
Already looking forward to next year and of course all the local and regional events still to come this season. Stay Tuned and Think ICE!!
dave clapp
jeff kent
half of fleet
atkins interview
atkins demo
atkins gets grilled
madden lit up
whitcomb and madden 1 2
valentine and madden
whitcomb gets trophy
madden and trophy
mc chadwick a
ron sherry
not lifting
miller and kaiser
driver fuel
01/30/2018 | Categories: 2018 Season | Comments Off on DN NA CHAMPS
Raw live footage (well yesterday) from T’s WPBN/WGTU interview by Jeff Kent shooting the camera crew with supporting cackles from Chad.
Back here in New England I am waiting to get final end of day reports but positive reports abound. This should be considered a transitional time from the last system that went through so treat any surface with caution. Check the ice reports email and reach out to members that have supplied info for details. Please don’t venture out alone
I will be giving Bantam in CT a shot tomorrow. The same is true for Winni in Wolfeboro and up in Maine (check out iceboat.me) where people have been sailing the last couple days. There is also word that some cones may be set up there. Let’s hope we get two days this weekend.
More details to follow. Think Ice and be cautious on new surfaces.
John
01/26/2018 | Categories: 2018 Season | Comments Off on That’s All Well And Good…
Thanks for all the updates! While a few NEIYA racers are out at the NAs in Michigan, we have plenty of ice reported here in New England. The highlights:
10 boats completed the Hard Way on Winnie, reportedly for the first time in 14 years. More Winnie details below.
Lake Pocotopaug as of Thursday: Looks good, ice is grade 6-7, 5-10″, will have a number of boats out Sat. Only things that are open are the edges and they maybe closed up by then…
Bantam: Resurfaced with all the rain and warm days, hosting a number of boats Friday.
Mallets Bay, Lake Champlain: Looking good, more reports when the ice is checked.
Winnipesaukee: 8” to 10” thick. Really rough in Wolfeboro Bay by Brewster Beach because of last weekend’s activities in the slush that is now frozen solid. But as you get further out you get smoother ice. 4 boats were on the ice and some sailing done Thursday. No leads or pressure ridges seen up to Welch island . One pressure ridge from sound end of rattlesnake. Can be crossed.—
Remember NO ice is completely safe and there is always thin ice someplace. It is up to each individual sailor to determine whether the conditions are safe to sail.
Reports are not an assurance of safety and may not be complete information. Please both check with the poster (just reply) and more importantly check in with others on location.
NEVER SAIL ALONE!
01/26/2018 | Categories: 2018 Season | Comments Off on Weekend ice report
Hey Gang- registration and opening ceremonies for the DN NA champs are done, which means racing starts today!
Eric Anderson was emcee, flags were held by john Curtis from Canada, Bernd Zeiger from Germany, Dideric Van Ramsdic from Netherlands, Leszeck from Poland, Stefan from Sweden, Arnaud Hullier from Switzerland (note flag is upside down) and Griffin Sherry from Detroit. That’s part of US right?
So that is seven countries represented, someone said there were 90 entrants so no a bad turnout!
Ceremony was lighthearted as always and I have to say Ron Sherry gave a very sincere, from the heart eulogy for Meade Gougeon that everyone smiling and laughing as a good eulogy should! Well done Ron.
Stay tuned, racing starts today….
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James “T” Thieler
12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840
401-258-6230
t_thieler@yahoo.com
01/25/2018 | Categories: 2018 Season | Comments Off on DN NA Opening Ceremonies Done
Sorry for the miss posts. Here is the complete message.
The 2018 DN North American Championship Regatta has been called on for Lake Charlevoix in Michigan.
LAUNCH
ALTERNATIVE LAUNCH (Whiting Park is closer to sailing area) Boyne City:
REGISTRATION
On site: 5 – 7:30 PM at regatta headquarters
Call In: 401-787-4567
Opening Ceremony: 8 PM Tentative
LODGING: Odawa Hotel
1444 US-131, Petoskey, MI 49770
(231) 347-6041
$89 Wednesday & Thursday night
$119 Friday & Saturday night
Includes $15 casino voucher for each night, hot buffet breakfast, indoor pool, and hut tub
RACING BEGINS THURSDAY, JAN 25
01/23/2018 | Categories: 2018 Season | Comments Off on 2018 North Americans: Called ON for Lake Charlevoix, MI
Here are a few shots taken on Mecox Bay Southampton NY earlier today.
Mecox Sunday Hamptons style from the air of course.
Miller hits the ice old school… Monday moring 11/22/17 Iceboaters dream conditions! 5″ hard beautiful ice, with 1″ of water and 5-6 knts of breeze . Was great till the wind crapped out and the fog rolled in.
What a great way to spend Monday. Beats the hell out of staring at a computer screen
01/22/2018 | Categories: 2018 Season | Comments Off on Monday – Funday…
The ever tenacious found a small window of sailing as temperatures rose melting the snow down a bit and before turning mushy, sticky and generally unsafe. Mecox Bay in Eastern Long Island, Webster Lake (aka Chaubunagungamaug) and Pocotopaug in CT and Winnipesaukee in NH all saw some sailing.
The conditions on Webster were just perfect for second season sailor Bella who ripped it up in her custom Langley designed pink pocket skeeter. This young lady is a force to be reckoned with in a few years. Go Bella!
For the rest of us including the 100+ DNers waiting for tonight’s call on the North American Championships venue we need to wait for this next bit of weather to move through.
Stay tuned and THINK ICE there is more sailing in just a few days.
John
P.S. If any members are not getting ice report emails please drop me a note. John@neiya.org Remember, if you don’t tell someone it just didn’t happen.
01/21/2018 | Categories: 2018 Season | Comments Off on Some Sailing, Much Waiting
The regatta site decision has been postponed for 24 hours because of unsettled weather conditions in all regions. Thank you for your patience. Next update Friday, January 18 by 10 PM EST.
01/18/2018 | Categories: 2018 Season | Comments Off on DN North American Championship Udate
New England Ice Yacht Association 