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:

<image.png>

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.

Hard to say who got here first after the Great Migration to the NA champs- BUT Jodi, Peter and Trey were the first to plant the flag at the launch site- not a bad Neal Armstrong impersonation!

As Trey paraphrased JFK at breakfast: “We choose to go to Montana not because it is easy, but because it is hard!”

This is from Peter Van Rossem and Colin Duncan, somewhere in Montana… look at the shadow and look in the rear view…. nice….

Oh sure, when you do these long trips you see all kinds of wildlife, scenery, stars, weather, people…. that’s one thing.

But you are sure to see these too. Nothing like a fresh hotel waffle to start your day….

Jeff Kent sends this photo from somewhere south of Rapid City, SD. Big Country indeed.

It’s ON! Take a look- even if you aren’t attending you’ll live Dan Hearn’s prose…

https://www.idniyra.org/2020/01/18/jan-18-pm-update-twenty20-dn-championship-called-on-for-fort-peck-mt/