It’s all about the rewards. While we wait to see what this warm and wet spell leaves us, Scott Valentine sent over a video to share with everyone.

Lay back on the couch with your chin to your chest, cast the video to your TV and turn up the sound. Sorry the best you can do for the moment.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V-ADLBLUirU
Melvin Bay, Lake Winnipesaukee

Watch the Ice Reports and contribute if you find anything. There is bound to be some good news and be careful if your checking or sailing. Conditions could be tricky.

Think Ice,

John

Who knows what will be left after this mess clears itself out. Not looking good for any regattas this weekend but we would still like to get in a round of scratch racing and practice if possible. So if anyone sails or scouts anything Thursday or Friday please let us know.

In the mean time:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1UjDQCqAcDE?rel=0em&cc_load_policy=1

Make sure to turn on the subtitles.

Oliver Moore
NEIYA’s “I wish we could hold a regatta” Chair

De-rigging under last light over Mt Sunapee.

Thanks to the devoted ice checkers who drilled and poked to confirm conditions. They walked, skated and sailed. Confirming sailability and sharing what they found so that others could come out and play.

With hoards of ice fisherman descending on Quabaug for a tournament, this was not an option. Can you say swiss cheese? Blades descended upon New Hampshire, splitting the fleet into three (maybe four Paul D?) pieces.

Sunapee had a good collection of recreational and racers. When I arrived about 9:30 Kate was already out blasting around and motivating us all to rig quick and join in.

Oliver “The Race Guy” called for scratch racing Saturday and so we did. Wind was a bit of a challenge early on with light to nothing and shifty but built up over the day.  Seen on the line were the usual assortment of full CSI crafts along with aluminum and wood masts on plate runners and everything in between. Everyone found someone to compete against and fun was had by all. More importantly everyone on the ice Saturday had a great time!

Good surface!

Another shot of old 5023 just sitting – Need some actions shots Anyone please?

Great access parking right on the beach!

I know people sailed Leavitts Beach Melvin Village on Winnipausaki and the rumors were they had a great time. Sorry no first hand information was communicated back for publication. Let’s hear from you. A few words and a picture or two is all you need.

Bill Buchholz (iceboat.me) is calling for sailing tomorrow, Tuesday, up on Moosehead. Let’s see were we are after the thaw and rain. There is ice and we will sail.

Think Ice!

John
DN5023
john@neiya.org

P.S. Welcome home to our NEIYA Gold Cup and European Championship competitors.

Blazing Ecstasy!

Hey Folks:

The weary and soggy but upbeat American squad hoofed it back to Germany last night.

Sailing and packing the trailer in the rain means that everything we have is soaked and covered with beach sand. So today is given to hanging sails, drying clothes, washing sand off everything…. All the glamour stuff.

You can see in the photos the hanging sails, piles of gear, and various tasks being completed.

Mike Bloom and “The Doctor” Christensen’s …to the gills trailor

Agony in the shop

Drying Out

What the pics don’t convey is the stereo blasting Bruce Springsteen and the aroma of fermenting laundry and speed suits….

You probably can see that our host, Mr Torsten Siems, has a shop we can all be envious of! Many thanks to him for letting us have the run of the place.

Anyway as all ice boaters know you have to do the agony of the shop to enjoy the ecstasy of blazing across the ice…. See the photos!

Hope all well in NE and hope everyone is gearing up for the NA champs!

Think Ice…. T

Ron – With the win!

Eben – Top US in Silver

Jorg – Our host, guide and friend

Great day on the ice-  warm, big breeze, awesome sailing….

I don’t have time to write a lengthy missive hit the new European Champion is Michigan’s own Ron Sherry!   He was on fire today-  well done Ron!!

Almost forget Eben finished top ten in silver – Eben accepts his trophy in a blur.

Check DN Euro site for results!

Also check out some really great Gold Cup pictures taken by Neue Galerien http://www.saralin.de/ – The site uses Flash so your phone will most likely have difficulty. Try on desk or laptop, you won’t be disappointed.

T

Alright.

No New England Champs this weekend.

Informal scratch racing on Lake Sunapee on Saturday and maybe Sunday.

There just isn’t anything good enough that has been checked for me to call a regatta on. Lake Sunapee has 7 inches of kind of bumpy ice. The large part of the lake was sailed today and of the options available to us I think it is the best. So what I propose is we meet on Lake Sunapee for some practice and informal scratch racing on Saturday. There is still some scouting to be done and I am not promising anything but I think we should be able to get some good sailing in.

Launching is best out of the State park. Click the map below for more details:

The forecast is for 5 knots of breeze both days but above freezing temps. Warmer on Sunday.

I don’t know anything about the launch at Melvin Bay. Leavitts was sailed today and has 3-4″ of good black ice but has significant holes. So be very careful.

Squam lake is also sailable. It was sailed yesterday and has a mix of black ice and wet snow drifts. I forget where the Squam Launch is.

There is also ice up north of Burlington but none of it has been scouted. If you find something good up there please let us know. I think the inland sea or Mallet’s bay might be in the cards next weekend.

This is some weird weather we are having. It is going to be warm this weekend so please be extremely careful if you sail this weekend. This is like spring sailing where people can get hurt because the conditions change quickly.

Be safe. Have fun and let us know how it goes.

Oliver Moore
NEIYA “Regatta” Chair

Hey Folks-

Yesterday I used up all of my quaint country expressions for big breeze (blowing dogs off chains etc….). So today I’ll just say it’s blowing even harder…. Gusting to almost fifty good old fashioned US miles per hour!

Obviously no racing but went down to the launch site to check boats and re-set ice screws. All well, no boats blown away or anything but if you weren’t wearing spikes or cleats you couldn’t walk upwind and would probably go faster than you wanted downwind! It was quite a site….

Off to play tourist-Hoping to race tomorrow- Stay tuned…..

T

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

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

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

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.

Doc Fellows set up

Doc Fellows Pre-race

Sunday set up

Set up

The long wait

Calm…

Backside Kineo – Doug Raymond

All calm

Ze Plane Ze Plane…

Zipped right past my foot

Miles of black ice

Reflecting on races to come – Doug Raymond

Great engineering sail heads up – Doug Raymond

Still waiting

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