Hi Friends,

Seventeen racers from New England, New Jersey, and Canada decided to take on the Doc Fellows challenge at Damariscotta. The ice was hard and we had wind. T set the course early and racing started on time. Nice job T, Chad, and Oliver with all the committee stuff.

All season I have raced with my ABS sail no matter the wind or ice conditions. For several years racing my laser, I just used the full sail. I am small for a laser, but I dealt. When I finally cracked open the wallet and decided to buy a radial rig, I found myself constantly agonizing over sail choice if the wind prediction was 12+. On the course and depending on a race outcome, I’d say "Ugh, did I make the right choice? Should I go back in and switch out?" It was not necessarily great for me having two sails.

And, frankly, there is enough to be confused about ice boating that I didn’t want to muddy my brain with more decisions this season, but on Saturday T suggested I try his old FO sail. He said the fuller shaped sail would help move the boat through rough patches and lighter wind. I said what I usually say when advice comes from the top, "Okay, sounds good. Thanks!"

I was pleased to find the FO sail a little easier to trim given in its fuller shape. In the first race, I was just getting used to the new shape and finished in 8th. Not terrible, but I just felt I could do a bit better. The shape and tell tales in an FO sail seemed to fly a bit more similar to a laser sail given its fuller shape especially downwind. As the day progressed, I was really fast off the line with building speed and I was consistently surprised that I was rounding the first mark right with the top guys and holding my own downwind. When you are anywhere close to a mark with Chad, Oliver, Jeff K, or T – it’s a GOOD day. The most surprising thing is that I was close to them A LOT at the top mark (even in front of some of them at times) and I stayed with them at the bottom mark and then back up at the windward mark. And so on…

The breeze was very shifty. We had to re-position the marks and starting line mid-morning. In one race I did what almost felt like an auto-tack close to the windward mark, but the shifts were effecting everyone. Seven races allowed for one throw out. Phew.

Here are the scores below…I am not sure if it was the sail choice, luck, or maybe I am actually getting the hang of this sport but DAMN – I ROCKED! Is it lame to self congratulate? Probably. But the difference between last year’s crazy season with lots of "incidents" and this season is dramatic. Honestly, I am feeling in the ZONE a lot!

We scratch raced on Sunday on rougher ice and in huge wind. Jack from New Jersey (he knows wind from being a fighter jet and glider pilot-that’s cool!!) said some gusts were 25 mph. I felt so good after Saturday and with a hoped for regatta next weekend (stay tuned), I didn’t want to break me or my boat. I held the flag for several races and everyone was FLYING around the windward mark. The mast bend was incredible.

By lunch time most headed back to get home, but Robin, Nick, Peter and Colin were game for more racing. Canadians, clearly LOVE heavy air. They all gave T good consistent pressure and Peter took the last scratch race off T. Nicely done, Peter!

By this time several boats were straining under loads and a few sailors found cracks on planks and hulls. It was decided to call it a day and get boats home to be fixed before next weekend…Stay tuned. We are hearing good things from Canada and Lake Champlain…

(Here are the results…If you did race committee one or two times your average cumulative score was put in for those races. Then, there was one throw out. If anyone sees an error, let me know. )

Think Spring Ice,

Karen Binder DN 5630

DOC FELLOW REGATTA – LEAP DAY – February 29, 2020 – Damariscotta, Maine

df 1

The Doc Fellows Regatta is in the books- Thanks to Bill Bucholz for scouting Damariscotta Lake and pronouncing it sail-able!

Saturday was the day- almost 20 boats showed up in spite of the relatively short notice including people from Kingston, Montreal, RI, CT, and elsewhere-

Wind? Shifty and a little gusty. Ice? Rough with some shell in places. Courses? A little crooked at times. Conditions overall? Not perfect by any stretch.

Did we have a good regatta? HELL YES!

Seven races completed, lots of close racing, plenty of lead changes, some crowded mark roundings, and a few moments in each race that were sure to get the adrenaline going. For start positions we drew numbers out of a hat for every race rather than the usual method of having your finish position determine your next starting position. It’s easier than trying to make sense of the score sheet in the cold and wind and I like that it introduces some randomness into the mix. Lots of grins and laughs in the launch area at the end of the day! And as if this wasn’t enough we saw a bald eagle during the day and there was a live mink running around the launch area. Gotta love the little things…

Scoring and RC duties were handled by whoever won the previous race and/or whoever needed a break. Thanks to all who picked up the pencil and waved the flags! Thanks to Karen Binder for tabulating the results- any and all complaints and/or future bribes can be directed to her.

In the unpredictable conditions consistency was key- that and setting the boat up to sail well in the different wind speeds encountered during a race. Steering aggressively for the smooth areas was important also as the rough ice patches really took a bite out of the boat speed…. Also it seemed that sharp 90 degree runners seemed to dig into the rough ice while 95 or 100 degree runners were able to stay on top of it and let the boat maintain speed. Of course, you have to be wary of spinning out if the breeze comes up and you are using the flatter runners! All part of the decision making process…. Full sails were the order of the day as they provide more grunt out of maneuvers and keep the flow attached in the rough ice. They also allow the flow to stay attached more easily in the abrupt changes in wind direction and velocity.

Jay Whitehair took tenth, Jack Goritski took ninth (in his first day in a DN all winter!), Neal Fowler got more dialed in as the day went on to take 8th, Peter Van Rossem had some good races to take 7th, Nick Mabboux was able to keep his boat in one piece long enough to take 6th, Robin Lagravier (5th) and Karen Binder (4th) are two relative newcomers who have done a good job getting on the pace and well done to both of them, Oliver Moore came out of a starting-a-business and becoming-a-father induced hiatus to take third, T Thieler was able to stop talking long enough to take second and Chad Atkins was the big winner of the day with ten points in seven races. Not bad at all! Full results will be posted soon.

Thanks to all who participated and helped run the event. Great to see the whole group pitching in to make it happen!

Stay tuned, there is talk of the Canadian Champs or possibly Eastern Champs this weekend….

T Thieler
Commodore Emeritus, Regatta Chair, Doctor of Movie Quotations

It was a big weekend on Damariscotta Lake- the Doc Fellows regatta was held on the north end and the CIBC orienteering event took place at the south end. Both events went very well but more about them later-

Right now take a look back at where all this all began with Part 2 of Deb Whitehorse’s report on the classic iceboating going on in Sweden. These boats are just so cool…. Great stuff!

Article and photos here:
https://www.iceboat.org/2020/02/27/where-it-all-began-part-2-the-boats/

And if you want a little music to set the mood while you read, this may be appropriate- The first verse in particular struck me as being relevant to an iceboater’s frame of mind….

“Say you want to be a rollin’ stone
And get your sail out in the wind
Get out on the highway
And just let it roll on
Roll on back to someplace you ain’t never been”

Click to hear the song….
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M4UFm_xhXwg

Think ICE!!

The first is an orienteering event on Damariscotta- guaranteed to be interesting! Details here:

https://iceboat.me/2020/02/29/orienteering/

And at the other end of the lake there will be racing- not sure what the title is but let’s say Maine state champs- skippers meeting at the Lake Farm Inn launch site- see yesterday’s NEIYA posts for details

https://theneiya.org/2020/02/28/doc-fellows-regatta-saturday/

Looking forward to the reports! Think ICE

OK Gang, it’s on….

The Doc Fellows Regatta is ON for Saturday, Feb 29 2020, maybe another regatta (Maine States?) Sunday. Sounds like Damariscotta Lake in Jefferson, ME is in decent shape.
Wind forecast is good for Saturday and a little more promising for Sunday. The ice looks decent, reports from the site give it a 6.5 out of ten. Not exactly miles of perfect black ice but let’s not let perfect be the enemy of good!

Temps will be in low 30’s during the day, with clouds on Saturday we should be able to sail pretty well. Sunday will bring sun so slush runners might be handy- Will be interesting to see what we can get away with!
Launch will be out of
Damariscotta Lake Farm
15 Bunker Hill Rd, Jefferson, ME 04348
Take Lake Farm Circle down to the beach to rig and launch, DO NOT drive on the grass! The folks at The Farm have been very iceboater-friendly and we don’t want to do anything to sour that relationship.
We can’t stay at The Farm but lodging available at the Senator Inn And Spa in Augusta about 30 minutes from the launch. Web site is here: https://www.senatorinn.com

Skippers Meeting Saturday AM at launch, 9:30 AM
First Race at 10:30 AM

Be sure to have your insurance with you!!! NO EXCEPTIONS

Regular iceboating rules apply- familiarize yourselves with them at
https://www.idniyra.org/racing/rules-safety/

NOTE- some iceboating Right Of Way rules differ from soft-water rules so read them closely-

IF three of any class show up and want to race they will get a start and races of their own- all welcome!

In the DN Class a Vintage / Classic trophy will be awarded to the boat and skipper that has a certain combo of age / wear and tear / battle scars / character / and results!

We are looking for volunteers to run and score races- earn some karma and volunteer!

If not no big deal, we can use the Maine system (Regatta Chair runs first race, from there on whoever wins a race gets to run and score the next one. Average points awarded for the races missed. I think. Will figure it out when the smart people get there)

Feel free to contact me with any questions or to let me know what I’ve forgotten- t_thieler

Stay tuned to NEIYA site for details and updates!

Think ICE and LINE ‘EM UP!!

At the southern end of Damariscotta Lake there will be an Iceboat Orienteering Event, organized by the CIBC- Sounds like an interesting idea and is open to all manner of craft- Skeeters, Whizzes, Skimmers, what have you!

Launch and skippers meeting will be at Vannah Rd, at 0930. Keep an eye on https://iceboat.me/
For details.

Sounds like a fun event and will look forward to hearing about it. Sounds like there will be something for everyone on Dammy this weekend!

OK Gang, it’s on….

The Doc Fellows Regatta is ON for Saturday, Feb 29 2020, maybe another regatta (Maine States?) Sunday. Sounds like Damariscotta Lake in Jefferson, ME is in decent shape.
Wind forecast is good for Saturday and a little more promising for Sunday. The ice looks decent, reports from the site give it a 6.5 out of ten. Not exactly miles of perfect black ice but let’s not let perfect be the enemy of good!

Temps will be in low 30’s during the day, with clouds on Saturday we should be able to sail pretty well. Sunday will bring sun so slush runners might be handy- Will be interesting to see what we can get away with!
Launch will be out of
Damariscotta Lake Farm
15 Bunker Hill Rd, Jefferson, ME 04348
Take Lake Farm Circle down to the beach to rig and launch, DO NOT drive on the grass! The folks at The Farm have been very iceboater-friendly and we don’t want to do anything to sour that relationship.
We can’t stay at The Farm but lodging available at the Senator Inn And Spa in Augusta about 30 minutes from the launch. Web site is here: https://www.senatorinn.com

Skippers Meeting Saturday AM at launch, 9:30 AM
First Race at 10:30 AM

Be sure to have your insurance with you!!! NO EXCEPTIONS

Regular iceboating rules apply- familiarize yourselves with them at
https://www.idniyra.org/racing/rules-safety/

NOTE- some iceboating Right Of Way rules differ from soft-water rules so read them closely-

IF three of any class show up and want to race they will get a start and races of their own- all welcome!

In the DN Class a Vintage / Classic trophy will be awarded to the boat and skipper that has a certain combo of age / wear and tear / battle scars / character / and results!

We are looking for volunteers to run and score races- earn some karma and volunteer!

If not no big deal, we can use the Maine system (Regatta Chair runs first race, from there on whoever wins a race gets to run and score the next one. Average points awarded for the races missed. I think. Will figure it out when the smart people get there)

Feel free to contact me with any questions or to let me know what I’ve forgotten- t_thieler

Stay tuned to NEIYA site for details and updates!

Think ICE and LINE ‘EM UP!!

Sounds like momentum is building for the Doc Fellows Regatta tomorrow- so far we know of four sailors on the way from Montreal, at least two from Kingston, four from RI, and who knows how many from everywhere else- looking forward to a good event(s)! See everyone tomorrow- the more the merrier-

Would love to have some help with RC and scoring duties- if you or someone you know wants to help out contact me at t_thieler@yahoo.com

Think ICE! See y’all tomorrow in Maine…

OK Gang, it’s on….

The Doc Fellows Regatta is ON for Saturday, maybe another regatta (Maine States?) Sunday. Sounds like Damariscotta Lake in Jefferson, ME is in decent shape.
Wind forecast is good for Saturday and a little more promising for Sunday. The ice looks decent, reports from the site give it a 6.5 out of ten. Not exactly miles of perfect black ice but let’s not let perfect be the enemy of good!

Temps will be in low 30’s during the day, with clouds on Saturday we should be able to sail pretty well. Sunday will bring sun so slush runners might be handy- Will be interesting to see what we can get away with!
Launch will be out of
Damariscotta Lake Farm
15 Bunker Hill Rd, Jefferson, ME 04348
Take Lake Farm Circle down to the beach to rig and launch, DO NOT drive on the grass! The folks at The Farm have been very iceboater-friendly and we don’t want to do anything to sour that relationship.
We can’t stay at The Farm but lodging available at the Senator Inn And Spa in Augusta about 30 minutes from the launch. Web site is here: https://www.senatorinn.com

Skippers Meeting Saturday AM at launch, 9:30 AM
First Race at 10:30 AM

Be sure to have your insurance with you!!! NO EXCEPTIONS

Regular iceboating rules apply- familiarize yourselves with them at
https://www.idniyra.org/racing/rules-safety/

NOTE- some iceboating Right Of Way rules differ from soft-water rules so read them closely-

IF three of any class show up and want to race they will get a start and races of their own- all welcome!

In the DN Class a Vintage / Classic trophy will be awarded to the boat and skipper that has a certain combo of age / wear and tear / battle scars / character / and results!

We are looking for volunteers to run and score races- earn some karma and volunteer!

If not no big deal, we can use the Maine system (Regatta Chair runs first race, from there on whoever wins a race gets to run and score the next one. Average points awarded for the races missed. I think. Will figure it out when the smart people get there)

Feel free to contact me with any questions or to let me know what I’ve forgotten- t_thieler@yahoo.com

Stay tuned to NEIYA site for details and updates!

Think ICE and LINE ‘EM UP!!

Hey Gang- Check out this well written (if slightly depressing) article in Atlas Obscura….

The Bittersweet Thrill of Iceboating in a Warming World

Hello All-

Optimism reigns in our little world- It may be on the warm side here in RI but just a few miles to the north the forecast is for some very cold nights, could have things ready to go by the weekend, especially the latter part…

Could be Winni…. Could be Dammy…. Some lake just over the border….

IF we find sailable ice we are hoping to have a regatta (Doc Fellows? Easterns? Canadian Champs?) so stay tuned to this site for details and updates. And if you have ice for the love of God let us know at ice@neiya.org

Think ICE! T

IDNIYRA Secretary Deb Whitehorse is still in Europe, now reporting on the folks who are sailing the boats that started it all-

Click the link and get an idea of how this all started, how it looked, and the people who are keeping the tradition going. Think ICE!

https://www.iceboat.org/2020/02/27/where-it-all-began-part-one-the-club/