The Ice Watchman

Ice Watchman on Lake Sunapee….

When it came to spotting lake Sunapee flashing over early this winter we got the jump on the local crowds. Through his living room window (the kind we iceboaters dream of) high on the southwest shoreline, NEIYA member Dr. Mark Friedman, was able to monitor the early freeze and it was through his communications we were the first to set blades on this seasons glorious sheet of perfect black ice. Unfortunately mother nature had plans of her own to limit the days of sailing but Mark was able to stretch the miles via skates and hand-sail to enjoy much of the lake with his two bladed friends. But WAIT!?!…

Somehow, somewhere, since then, the DN bug entered his system. Note the attached photo where his skate-sail was left in the barn and he is now ripping by the camera balanced like a true sailor gentleman. Can you recognize the hull?

NEIYA would like to give a big shout-out to Dr Friedman for being among the newest iceboaters in the Sunapee fold, for keeping a fresh and vigilant eye on a legendary NH iceboating lake and for his early reporting of green light sailing status. May we be lucky enough to enjoy many more years of Sunapee scouting! Thanks Mark!

If you are able to report sailable conditions anywhere in New England please help us all by sending current info to NEIYA’s ice report at:

ice@neiya.org

Bonus Fact: The beautiful hull seen in the photo is none other than “Yellow Ice”. A lightning bolt of sorts assembled in the secret basement laboratory of Steve Duhamel – Northwind Iceboats.

Sail New England!

Jay Whitehair

US3947

Some cool Montana drone vid from yesterday- Click and have a look!

https://www.idniyra.org/2020/01/23/20twenty-dn-north-american-video-from-day-1/

Setting up and ready to go out. Where are you? Come on up we will sail today and tomorrow and till the snow comes.

Questions drop me a note john@neiya.org

Think Ellacoya,

John

DN5023

Hey everybody,

I am sure everyone has seen the sail wave results, but here is the Rest of the Story…(Say it like Paul Harvey)

I am tired, so I am just going to write this in list style.

1. We got to the reservoir. It was snowing and breezy and the drifts were still out there and only getting more hidden by the new snow fall.
2. Yesterday, Joerg Boehn who had flown in from Germany that same day to some midwestern airport and then rented a car to drive to this place then decided to rent a small plane from the local airport and do recon mission to find better ice on the reservoir. He found a clean plate about 8 miles from the launch site.
3. At this morning’s skippers meeting the race committee announced it was debating whether to have us all either sail or be towed to the area Joerg had found. They had sent another group out to check the Joerg ice and we had to wait to get a better real time report.
4. The group came back from the ice investigation and the committee decided to instead stay put and try and get some races in closer to the launch location.
5. The committee set the course and many of us did our best to sail it. I personally dove through a very deep drift at the windward mark. Others found drifts and some large puddles.
6. The good new is the snow stopped, but then it started to sleet a bit which made the drifts super wet, heavy, and cement like.
7. Then the Montana blue sky starting taking over and the clouds were dissipating.
8. The lovely blue sky also stopped the wind from blowing.
9. We waited a long time for the breeze to fill.
10. The breeze eventually filled in very nicely about an hour and half later, but about a mile away from where we were and after a 90 degree wind shift. So, we all relocated.
11. At last the race committee, who worked incredibly hard all day to pull of races despite very shift conditions, called up the silver fleet.

Okay, the next list is going to be about me. Sorry, but I only have that perspective.

1. There were 36 racers on the line. I got assigned the #7 position on the line.
2. The night before there was a panel discussion with ten of the best sailors at the regatta. One question posed to the group was on starting and T said, "I learned that you don’t get in your boat until the guy to leeward gets in."
3. I was at the line and feeling very ready for the flag drop.
4. The flag dropped and I pushed and sprinted with all I had and didn’t get in until the guy to leeward got in.
5. I built speed really well, two blocked it, and just sailed fast.
6. I ducked one boat that tacked early and I decided to go right for the layline.
7. I tacked over and followed Ron Sherry’s advice from the night before to use my leeward knee to help push the boom over.
8. I was approaching the windward mark and I realized no one was close to me.
9. I rounded the windward mark IN FIRST PLACE in my first DN North American Race!
10. My speed was good around the windward mark, but then I choked and gybed in a snow drift and I lost tremendous speed. A guy from Kingston passed me and by the time I was at the leeward mark I was in second place. I did a conservative leeward mark rounding and then just focused on keeping my boat fast.
11. At the finish I was not sure where I placed, but T said I should head to the pits for measurements.
12. I didn’t really understand why.
13. Then one of the measurer’s looked at me and told me I had finished in 2nd Place!
14. 2nd place! I could not believe it.
15. Uh Oh..
16. The problem with 2nd place is that means you get moved up to the GOLD FLEET for the rest of the regatta.
17. Again due to shifting conditions, the race committee has to adjust the course and the starting line.
18. The called for the Gold Fleet to line up and I had to race again. I got a good start, but the guy to windward of me and leeward of me just got up to speed faster and I got caught in dirty air.
19. I was happy to keep my boat flat and just maintain control honestly. With the wind building, my plate runners were making noise and sliding a bit. I think I finished in 33 place.
20. The race committee called another gold fleet race. I switched my runners and I had a good start, but these folks in gold fleet are just wicked fast. I think I got 32 place.
21. Then the race committee called another gold fleet race because three races makes a regatta and if conditions deteriorate the regatta will be in the books.
22. I, unfortunately, was putting on my mitten when I saw everyone around me running. Oops. I didn’t look up and I didn’t hear the flag was up. Lesson learned.
23. I did get up to speed and I did end up beating a boat or two despite a really bad start.
24. Congratulations to Chad and T who are leading the regatta. Eric and Eben also felt pleased with their races.
25. I honestly had the best day of sailing in my life. I have never gone so fast while feeling in relative control. And, I also know my time in the boat and my 100 practice starts played a big role in my first race of the day.

Over and out,

Karen Binder, DN 5630.

They call this Big Sky country and that’s no exaggeration- Really something to behold. Of course the picture doesn’t do it justice but you get the idea-

And we see Atkins, grinning like a guy leading the regatta- which he is!

Stay tuned…

Here it is so far- New England representing well w Atkins in the lead, Thieler in second, Anderson almost top ten, and Binder the rookie in the Gold Fleet!

Breeze and challenging ice made for great racing-

Check results here and stay tuned!

http://dniceboat.org/2020/na.html

Heading to the launch for 2020 NA day one….

Action photo from the van. Emotions ranging from nervous to excited to marveling at scenery….

Bit of breeze, bit of snow, should be an interesting day…. stay tuned!

Hope you all get some miles on the big new ice out East!

Winni off Ellacoya 1-21-20

Winni off Ellacoya 1-21-20

Winni a couple years ago

Spread the word. There is big ice on Winnipasauki launching from Ellacoya State Park.

The area has been skated and sailed with a consistent 4 – 5 inches (3.6 to 10.2 cm) over the areas that were checked. As you can see there is a nice smooth milky surface with some black ice. This is a big plate of ice and there are pressure ridges present and forming, cracks and other hazards lurking. Heads up out there. Talk to people who have been out and buddy up.

We are expecting sailors from the southern iceboat reaches of NJ, Long Island, and CT and to our Northern neighbors who have expressed a strong interest in making the drive south. Bienvenue et nous nous réjouissons de partager notre glace.

A team will be on the ice tomorrow late morning to do a deeper check. We expect to be sailing this plate for the next few days or at least till the snow comes in and makes a mess of things on Saturday.

Come out and play there is a racing event in the works likely Thursday and I know lots of cruisers, boards and skaters. Big ice for all to enjoy.

Additional information on lodging and evening refreshments and dining TBD.

Please leave a comment below if you intend on coming or leave a note in the forum section for more general questions.

Think Big Ice and see you there,

John
dn5023
john@neiya.org

P.S. If you are new or interested in the short of iceboating Thursday would be a good time to come.

KB et al:Fort Peck Reservoir, MontanaI think this is near an Indian Reservation.
Just last week it was 40 below in Calgary, Alberta.
Hope warmer now where you are…and that
you get smooth ice and some wind.
LG

I hope you are warmer in Montana.

On Jan 21, 2020, at 1:24 PM, Karen Binder <karenbinder> wrote:

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Dear Friends,

Writing from the shore of Fort Peck Reservoir, Montana. Apparently, there is more shoreline here than the California coastline and I’d have to believe real estate prices are lower. Racing is to begin tomorrow, but we are all a bit concerned about forecast and ice conditions. While the picture makes the ice look nice and smooth, yesterday’s practice session found lots of Styrofoam like snow drifts no matter how far we sailed out.

The best ice was actually closer to shore right where the little ice huts are located. I stayed out kinda late yesterday and used the huts as my windward mark. The occupants inside didn’t come outside to complain that I was bothering the fish, but I do wonder if fish mind the sounds of rumbling ice boaters above.

We are all hoping the warmer temperatures today will melt off the snow. The challenge today is no wind. Our boats are already rigged and we are all just waiting.

Competitors have come from as far as Halifax, Martha’s Vineyard, and North Carolina. The challenge of getting to this remote location has everyone in good spirits. The landscape is stunningly barren and beautiful.

But, the bottom line is that we all really want to sail and get racing!

Think Ice,

Karen Binder DN 5630

Dear Friends,

Writing from the shore of Fort Peck Reservoir, Montana. Apparently, there is more shoreline here than the California coastline and I’d have to believe real estate prices are lower. Racing is to begin tomorrow, but we are all a bit concerned about forecast and ice conditions. While the picture makes the ice look nice and smooth, yesterday’s practice session found lots of Styrofoam like snow drifts no matter how far we sailed out.

The best ice was actually closer to shore right where the little ice huts are located. I stayed out kinda late yesterday and used the huts as my windward mark. The occupants inside didn’t come outside to complain that I was bothering the fish, but I do wonder if fish mind the sounds of rumbling ice boaters above.

We are all hoping the warmer temperatures today will melt off the snow. The challenge today is no wind. Our boats are already rigged and we are all just waiting.

Competitors have come from as far as Halifax, Martha’s Vineyard, and North Carolina. The challenge of getting to this remote location has everyone in good spirits. The landscape is stunningly barren and beautiful.

But, the bottom line is that we all really want to sail and get racing!

Think Ice,

Karen Binder DN 5630

Eric, Eben, Karen, and T trying their best to be good while passing through the Bad Lands of ND Sunday.

While our intrepid shake the road dust out of their hair and start tuning up for the DN North Americans at Fort Peck MT, we have Winni coming into season.

Initial reports are good and the locations will be scouted Tuesday morning by Lee Spiller. Stay tuned for reports here and on the CIBC’s iceboat.me.

If things turn out as planned we could be on this lake for a few days of fun and some potential races. Lay your gear out, pack and get ready to roll.

Stay tuned,

John
DN5023
john@neiya.org

P.S. Bantam has skimmed over and maybe sailable for the weekend. Eyes are on it. Any other places out there leave a comment.