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

http://www.nhbm.org/

….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

2015 Great Western Challenge Lake Christina, Ashby, Minnesota Dec 4th and 5th, 2015 Music by The Replacements, Playing in the Talent Show.

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…

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

Sailing Anarchy World famous Sailing Anarchy

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-

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!

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

Event Website:
Newport 2016 – World Match Racing Tour

World Match Racing Tour Comes to Newport >> Scuttlebutt Sailing News

Think Ice! T

Here we see NJ iceboater and Runner Tracks cover boy Jim Hadley, just back from a two hour fishing trip that netted him two four foot striped bass, a three foot baby and five-plus foot pregnant wife. Not a bad haul!

Top photo: The bridge in Mikolajki, Poland.
Bottom photo by Gretchen Dorian from the 2011 DN Gold Cup.

Only In Poland

Only in Poland would a bridge be built with architecture inspired by a DN! As seen on Tomasz Zakrzewski’s P55 Facebook page: ” Mikolajki‘s new bridge pylon was inspired by DN rig says City Major Piotr Jakubowski in his interview. Local sailors won DN Worlds three times: Tomasz Zakrzewski (2012, 2013) and Wladyslaw Stefanowicz (1990). Mikolajki Sailing Club’s wall of fame has also photos of other Wolds and Europeans medalists: Lukasz Zakrzewski and Robert Graczyk . Fleet rich in youth DN and Ice Opti sailors from Mikolajki supported by parents, sailing club and authorities will soon take over. If they are successful I see plenty of other DN architectural inspirations. Good luck.”

NOTE- Glad they chose to emulate a raked mast and not a bent plank….

Looks like they had some good ice on Lake Mushamush.

OK, maybe it wasn’t last weekend but it looks like they had a good one- Pretty good turnout, looks like good breeze, what else can you ask for?!?

Thanks to Howard Garland for the photos!

The May issue of runner tracks is online- All kinds of great content starting with New Jersey’s Jim Hadley on the cover and more awesome content inside. Articles by authors with names like Anderson, Sherry, Thieler, and others will have you wishing it was December…. Check it out at:
http://runnertracks.org/index.html

James “T” Thieler12 Channing St.
Newport, RI. 02840

401 258 6230
t_thieler

I’m not sure who put this together but there are some great photos of last spring’s Lake Baikal regatta to be seen- Have a look!

Speaking of the Baikal Regatta, there has been some interest from a few New Englanders in participating- We are looking into cost and logistics and figuring out how feasible this might be- Stay tuned- In the meantime click the link and enjoy the photos- Think Ice!

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