Members, Guests, and anyone with an interest in Iceboating:

The green flag is waving and we are a go on Sunday, November, 19th for the New England Ice Yacht Association’s annual Swap Meet, Lunch, and annual meeting. We will be once again returning to The Golf Course area at the Tompson Speedway in Thompson, CT. Yes you read that right we are going with a Sunday this year and a little later in the season.

Join us at NEIYA’s annual event—an ice enthusiast’s dream! Reconnect with old friends, plan future adventures, and revel in the warmth of camaraderie, sans helmets and goggles.

This is your go-to Northeast event for all things ice sailing, whether you’re a novice or a seasoned pro. From masts to sails, planks to runners, gear up and go faster with us! Don’t miss out—be part of the vibrant NEIYA community.

NEIYA Swap Meet, Lunch & Meeting Information:
When: Sunday, November 19th, 10:00am
Where: Thompson Speedway Golf Course, 205 E Thompson Rd, Thompson, CT 06277
https://goo.gl/maps/DbGpTekm4ZLNnV8n7

Now is a perfect time to pay your 2024 dues and reserve your seat at our annual Luncheon and Meeting. All are welcome to attend.

Please Pay Your Dues

Dues Time	Price
2024 Membership	$30
2024 Membership + Lunch	$45
2024 Membership + 2X Lunch	$60
2024 Lunch (11/19/2024)	$15
Mail in Form We prefer you pay online – Thanks

This year’s event is a little later than usual so don’t wait till November to begin preparing for the season. It’s been a long summer and if you have not already shifted to thinking about iceboating, now is the time. Drag your gear out set it up in the driveway and be sure you have everything. Have anything extra in storage? Nows is the perfect time to free up some storage. Put it up on the classified section. Remember your older equipment may be far better than what someone else has now.

Our Thursday calls will resume next week. More on that coming shortly and stay tuned for a calendar of events.

Till then Think Ice,

John
DN5023
John@neiya.org

P.S. Block out Sunday November 19th and please pay your dues and reserve your seat for lunch

With the sun setting on one season the Ice chatter is increasing. Hints of new equipment acquired in and outside the North East are making their rounds. Don’t forget to check out and post equipment for sale in our Classified section. The two masts I had for sale last year are still for sale. No i’m not getting out of iceboating but do have my eye on something new. See the Moore Brother’s Company FB Post Below.

And the tales of Summer are circulating…

Our VC jay Whitehair tearing it up on the Ohio River in his Vintage Hydroplane.

While winding up for the pass and the green flag (see video below) the words of NEIYA founder played in Jay’s head “There’s no such thing as a ‘friend’ in front of you!”. Warner St. Clair

Jay’s vintage boat is running 100+ mph. That’s 2X’s faster than most iceboats and every large wave/wake is like a pressure ridge. We all look forward to sailing with you again Jay.

This bit of art was created by a cousin-in-law of mine, probably in the mid-1930s when he was in his early teens. My best guess is that it’s on the Hudson (he grew up in NYC), and shows someone in a stern-steerer in the evening with a couple of lighthouses going, which obviously made a big impression on him. I think we should all, in the coming season, do our part in making a big impression on some youngster, although perhaps without sailing at night by the light of two lighthouses! — John Hughes

Does anyone, recognize Twin Lights? Any thoughts from the Hudson sailors? Or the adventure-driven dreams of a young man. Chime in.

Keep those projects going and spread the word. Talk with some of you tomorrow evening.

Think Ice,

John
DN5023
john@neiya.org

I hope everyone had a fun-filled summer full of sailing and other activities. Our membership has been busy cruising racing and generally staying busy and collecting silver on the podium. Congratulations to Milo Flemming on winning the Maine state C420 championship. Way to go Milo! Look for him on the starting line come winter.

Bill Buchholz is once again hosting a land sailing event at the former Loring Air Force Base in LImestone ME September 19th – 24th. Loring is a wonderful venue with a vast racing surface and seems to be frozen in time since the Cold War. Its a must see for any history and anyone who enjoys remote and wild places. Details here https://iceboat.me/2023/08/18/eastern-landsailing-championships-on/

We are securing a venue for our annual Swap, Lunch, and Meeting and narrowing down to three dates Saturday October 28th, November 4th or 11th.

With the days getting shorter I am going to hold an open conference call next Thursday, September 7th, 6:30pm. Details to be sent via email to all current member on Monday.

Enjoy your Labor Day Weekend and hope you get to set sail.

Think Ice,

John
DN5023
John@neiya.org

Hey Folks-

Hope all are getting through the dog days of summer and using the time to get the gear tuned up and the neck muscles moving!

Won’t be long now until we see frost on the pumpkin- You can while away the time by checking out the latest DN Class Ranking List.

2024 International Ranking List Published – DN North America (idniyra.org)

See where you are, where your friends and rivals are, and maybe draw some inspiration and set some goals for this season!

I know it’s still August but THINK ICE!

T Thieler, DN US 5224

Hey Folks-

If you are DN Class member be sure to vote on the latest ballot- only takes a few minutes to get familiar with the items and cast your voice heard.

Vote early and often!

Notice of Electronic Ballot – DN North America (idniyra.org)

It may be June but the hard-water world is still out there waiting…. Pass the time with the latest Runner Tracks!

See it online or custom order a paper copy- And congrats to cover boy Jost Kolb!

Runner Tracks – DN North America (idniyra.org)

Hey Folks- Sad to say another legend has gone over the bar…. Raise a glass and toast a life well lived!

Sail on Buddy- I don’t know how the hell you did it, but you sure as hell did!

One of my favorite “Buddy Moments” was during the 1987 America’s Cup in a Fremantle, Australia.

A reporter was asking him what is was like to drive a highly tuned, thoroughbred racing machine like a 12 Meter…. obviously looking for a response along the lines of “Well you’re on the edge the whole time…. One wrong twitch and it’s disaster, have to be afraid to panic etc….”

Buddy just shrugged his shoulders, grinned ever so slightly and said “Well, it’s like drivin’ a truck.”

The reporter was slack-jawed.

Classic!

More here….

https://www.iceboat.org/2023/05/18/buddy-melges-fair-winds-endless-black-ice/

Hey Folks-

If you have some time this Saturday and want to learn about a true legend make your way to the CT Spring Boat Show and catch this biography of the one and only Buddy Melges!

This guy has done it all- He has won Olympic Gold, the America’s Cup, Star World Championships, a ton of Scow championships, and a metric ton of iceboat regattas. Just amazing. Obviously and real competitor and by all accounts a good guy to boot!

Learn more about the man at the premier. If you can’t make it we will try to find out where we can all see it later on.

Think ICE!

April 29

Buddy Melges Documentary Premiering at the CT Spring Boat Show in support of Sails Up 4 Cancer Saturday, April 29 MELGES: The Wizard of Zenda, a film about the life of sailing legend Buddy Melges, will have its Connecticut premiere in conjunction with this year’s Connecticut Spring Boat Show at Safe Harbor Essex Island in Essex, CT, on Saturday, April 29. The ninety-minute movie will have two showings hosted at the Essex Yacht Club at 1:30 and 4:30. Tickets will be $20 with half of the proceeds going to benefit Sails Up 4 Cancer. These RSVP-only tickets will also provide access to the Connecticut Spring Boat Show all weekend long. Tickets are available at https://www.windcheckmagazine.com/shop/ These premiers are being sponsored by the Eastern Connecticut Sailing Association and Precision Tech Manufacturing, maker of stainless steel turnbuckles and other marine products. The two showings are limited to the first seventy people. Advance ticket purchasing is strongly encouraged as these shows will likely sell out. Wizard of Zenda takes the viewer on a wild ride through the career of one of the greatest sailors in the history of the sport. The movie tells the untold story of Buddy Melges, a fiercely competitive but beloved sailor who won Olympic medals and championships, and his quest to capture the pinnacle of sailing, the America’s Cup. Melges was an entertaining character who shared everything he knew and refused to take himself too seriously. His intuitive, some would say mystical, powers to see and feel the wind, along with his home base of Zenda, WI combined to earn him the well-deserved nickname: The Wizard of Zenda. Melges won the respect and admiration of his peers and adversaries. Many of sailing’s biggest icons were interviewed for the film, including three-time America’s Cup winner Dennis Conner, Australian champion John Bertrand, former ESPN sailing analyst and America’s Cup winner Gary Jobson, and Bill Koch, the billionaire businessman who teamed up with Melges in the 1992 America’s Cup. Quicklier Film Partners Executive Producer Anne Peterson chose longtime partner and filmmaker Mark Honer to write and direct Wizard of Zenda. “It’s been a long road, but we’re excited to share this amazing story,” said Peterson, who grew up sailing the same waters as Melges at Lake Geneva, WI. “Many people know about Buddy’s championships, but not many know how he used that winning platform to teach not just sailing, but lessons about humility, honesty, persistence and overcoming adversity.” Through exhaustive research, the filmmakers uncovered film and video ranging from a 1946 regional regatta, when Buddy was 16, to a world iceboat championship in 1991, which he won at the age of 71. “We told sailors we were producing a film about Buddy Melges and doors magically opened,” said Honer. “The jackpot was getting unprecedented access to over 100 hours of behind-the-scenes archival footage of the 1992 America3 campaign.” Quicklier Film Partners is partnering with organizations and sponsors to distribute the documentary through private screenings, events and film festivals. To learn more visit Sail.  For more information about the CT Spring Boat Show, including the screening time for Wizard of Zenda, a list of exhibitors, schedules for seminars and live music, and to purchase advance tickets, log onto CTSpringBoatShow.com. Sails Up 4 Cancer | su4c.org Connect with us courtney powered by Try email marketing for free today!

Hey Folks!

The season may be in the books but there is plenty to keep us all interested here-

Hosted by Henry Bossett and Deb Whitehorse, this promises to be a real treat for racing and cruising fans alike.

Click the link to have a look and register- Look forward to comparing notes with everyone afterward.

Think ICE!

Virtual Lecture “The Exciting World of Iceboating” April 30 – iceboat.org

Hey Folks-
Sounds like last weekend was good up at Moosehead Lake- the ice was solid and there was plenty of it, vertically and especially horizontally!

Could be in play this weekend too- great excuse to blow off Easter and tax deadlines and do something fun-

Keep an eye on the CIBC website for details- Here is the latest:

Great forecast, conditions getting better by the day. It’s a sweet bone tossed out by Mother Nature for we iceboaters. It was a challenging season; the least she could do is give us back to back weekends on The Big Ice.
We have six skippers own board so far. Just use the comment thing below to check in if you are coming.
The goal will be to circumnavigate Sugar Island, which we did successfully last year. Iceboater’s Banquet at Kellys Landing Saturday night!
Launch at Greenville Junction public landing.

No secret we are getting to the end but I know people are still itching for one more day on the ice.

The CIBC recently updated their Pushaw lake potential to a NO but still believe Moosehead has possibilities in a couple days. If it is sailable I know the guys in Maine will find a way to make it happen and throw out the welcome mat.

Our Iceboating friends to the north are very hopeful for sailing outside Montreal.

Bertold Park in Baie d’Urfé, Quebec, just outside Montreal. It has a big parking lot with good ice access and is situated next to the Baie d’Urfé Yacht Club. This plate will be checked again tomorrow.

Both potential venues will be checked out over the next couple of days, and we will report back.

If you are looking for an ice adventure that is not sailing there is a world record attempt going on right now on Long Lake, Maine north of Caribou and Loring AFB (former) home of the Northeast’s biggest landsailing venue and regattas. There will be more Loring info in the next few weeks.

The Northern Maine Ice Busters group is currently attempting to construct the World’s Largest Ice Carousel. Finland currently holds the record at 1,692 feet (516 meters). The Ice Busters are aiming for an independence-like record of 1776 feet (541.3 meters). This should be quite a spectacle and not something one sees very often. Check out coverage of the attempt https://www.facebook.com/NMIB21

We will have our usual call at 6:30 tonight and maybe our last to discuss any breaking news, details, etc. The call may spawn a caravan to Montreal or Northern Maine.

Think Ice,

John
DN5023
John@neiya.org

Does anyone know where we might be able to get 900 million gallons of heavy water? It freezes at 39 degrees Fahrenheit and would be enough to fill a 500-acre pond to about five feet deep. That would surely extend our season on both ends. Start working on your deuterium-based steel runners for peak performance.

Spring is only days old and we are looking to make the most of it with some sailing. Some of the best iceboating days I have had over the years have been in spring-like or officially spring days.

After last week’s great Pushaw turnout and the CIBC’s successful completion of the Century Race (100 miles), the next venue rumors are again flying about where the next sailing opportunity will be. Moosehead Lake in Maine as well as locations in the greater Montreal area. The Canadian locations are typically just north of the St Lawrence River. Even though you will need a passport it is not that far and for some of us closer than domestic options.

Note, the above are just rumors at this point and will need to be confirmed over the next couple of days.

Don’t put your gear away just yet, as there is more hardwater sailing to be had.

Our regular call will be at 6:30 tonight. Not sure we will have any definitive weekend plans but show up to discuss.

Think Ice and Sail Fast,

John
DN5023
john@neiya.org