Hey Folks-

This summer heat will pass and we will be out in the cold soon enough….

In the meantime take a look at the new rank list, see where you are, where your friends are, where your rivals are…. Start setting goals and making lists!

Fire up the inspiring “Rocky” soundtrack music and hit the gym or just go in the garage and give your boat a pat, doesn’t matter. Just get ready to hit the ice!

2023 International Ranking List Published – DN North America (idniyra.org)

Hey Folks- Take a few hours to listen to Henry Bosset and Deb Whitehorse talk all things iceboating-

Great way to learn a few things, beat the heat, and get fired up for the coming season!

Here is the link:

https://www.mysticseaport.org/events/america-on-ice-lets-go-ice-sailing/

NEIYA 2022-2023 Season

Shout out to all ice boats and yachts dating back through the ’80s and earlier. This is your year! The NEIYA is focusing on bringing back the sights and sounds of the vintage class. Our goal is to empty the attics, boathouses, and garages around New England of any boats that have been mothballed, neglected, or abandoned. Iceboating is always a group effort so we are calling upon our members to lend a hand to others that may need support in getting the old wood back out on the ice – and we are encouraging YOU to gather up your old parts and get those beautiful old crafts up and running again. This is your year. We are celebrating vintage.

Keep an eye on this NEIYA website for more details as they roll out. The highlight of the season will be a full vintage regatta. A full weekend of fun plus all the days in the following week we can muster. Good food, great company, prizes, rides.

To get the ball rolling we are asking you to take a moment and fill out the following survey. the information will be use to help guide the event parameters. Your input is important to us, and we want to hear from you. Please take a moment and answer the quick survey below.

Think Vintage,

Jay Whitehair
Vice Commodore NEIYA

We are ticking off the milestones till we get on the ice again. The summer solstice is behind us, Independence Day is past and we are nearing the Dog Days halfway mark.

This weekend I was (again) reminded of how close our ice boat community is and the depths it reaches in sailing at all levels. At an after-race party on the Hudson (Chelsea, NY) I was introduced to someone I already knew through email correspondence on a classified ad for a DN. The boat sold and found a new home in Ontario Canada. That single classified ad connected iceboaters across the northeast and into Canada and down to the majestic Hudson. The Chelsea Yacht Club was originally founded as an iceboat club and many members sail classic stern steerers and more modern craft. For a historic view and classic iceboat origin check out Chelsea YC history. Great iceboat history read. If you have never perused the Hudson River Ice Yacht Clubs, site now’s the time.

This BIG iceboat community is exactly what is behind our Vice Commodore Jay Whitehair’s 2023 BIG Iceboat Gathering initiative. We are looking to hold a gathering of all iceboats next season. A parade of the ages featuring crafts from far and near.

Join us for our first preseason call to discuss the BIG Gathering as well as an upcoming summer drysuit demo next month. Pre Ice call is scheduled for tomorrow Tuesday night July 19th, at 6:15 pm and will last under an hour. To participate please drop me a note at john@neiya.org for login credentials.

Sail Fast, no matter what the craft,

John Stanton
DN5023
John@neiya.org

P.S. Keep cool this week with iceboat thoughts.

Happy first day of summer. Happy Solstice. A time we have all cherished from an early age. Schools out, sailing, boating, beaches, fireflies, picnics, canoes, bike rides, surfing, fishing, etc.

I hope everyone is enjoying outdoor summer activities offshore, inshore, on our favorite lakes, or on land. Good luck to all the racers whether on a classic yacht, evening beer can races, around the buoys, or offshore. I am not sure but but likely someone in our crowd is about to finish or has finished the Newport Bermuda Race. Of course, there is always fun to just drop the hook for lunch, fish, or overnight. I will be participating in many of those activities in addition to racing an Ensign on the Hudson and I hope to see a few DNers at the Ensign Nationals under the shadow of the Tappan Zee in August.

As we count down to the first frost, first ice, and first sailable ice the New England Ice Yacht Association enters into our second 50 years of existence. We all (well those that were born before 1960 something) know what the last fifty looked like in the ’70s, ’80s, ’90s ’00s, 10’s, and the beginning of the 2020s. The question for all of us is, what will the next 50 years of the NEIYA look like? Something to think about as we soak up the sun and fun of summer.

Over the past few years getting on the ice to cruise or race has become increasingly more difficult. Challenges are hitting us iceboaters from many fronts, conditions have changed, and some of our beloved locations in New England have become unreliable, the ever-increasing commitment of our time on all fronts as well as covid and access and competition with other ice activities. While we hope the worst of covid has passed, it has left damage in it’s wake. The greatest, collateral damage is the end of our social gathering innocence. Some of which lingers in the back of our minds whenever we travel.

With the above in mind and a desire to kick off our next fifty years of New England iceboating with plenty of momentum, I want to hear from all involved. There will be a series of calls and gatherings of minds over the next few months. All are welcome to participate and some of you may feel a little arm twisting and herding to be sure you do. Please make an effort to attend when asked.

Think Ice and Sail Fast in any craft you’re steering,

John Stanton

Commodore NEIYA

DN5023

john@neiya.org

Our fifth, can you believe it, landsailing regatta is booked at Loring Air Base, Limestone Maine, for Wednesday September 14 through Sunday September 18. Everything will be pretty much as last time, but details will be posted here as the date approaches. It would be very helpful at this end for planning purposes if all registrations were in by August 15. Fees are fully refundable if you can’t make it at the last minute.
Still a bargain at a hundred bucks. Please include sail number and class. Weight if sailing BloKarts.

to:
Bill Buchholz
31 Gosses Hill Rd.
Camden, ME 04843

If you’re considering modifying your DN for land sailing, be sure to check out Steve Duhamel’s fine collection of hardware for just that. Northwindiceboats.com.

x

Mini Skeeters welcome!

Hey Folks, there is some good reading available to help while away the coming summer months- Get your copy today!

Runner Tracks May 2022 – DN North America (idniyra.org)

Hey DN people- don’t forget that we have this class ballot to fill out- It’s easy and quick so get to it!

Remember, vote early and often!

https://www.idniyra.org/2022/04/25/notice-of-electronic-ballot-for-2022-idniyra-elections/

Hey Folks-

Apologies for being a little late on posting this but the sport lost a legend awhile back-

Bill Mattison embodied everything a person and an iceboater should be; likeable, competitive, smart, and helpful to rookies and experienced sailors alike.

He also had a thirst for adventure.

You know how we say “he ran off and joined the circus”? He actually did.

A lot of us want to build big Skeeters and spend a lifetime ripping it up on one of those babies. He actually did.

Many of us think it would have been cool to be involved in a big America’s Cup campaign back in the 1980’s and 1990’s when the Cup was really cool. He did it.

Fair winds, Bill. We are all better for having crossed tacks with you.

“Nothing Fickler” – iceboat.org

Hey Folks, good news is there is sailable ice up north if you can take Wednesday off-

Option one is Umbagog Lake in NH- Local knowledge tells us the surface is re-frozen snow and is ice-boat-able. Launch from the Umbagog Public Boat Launch in Errol.

Option Two is Moosehead Lake in Maine- Launch and sail out of Kelly’s Landing In Greenville Junction. Miles and miles of sailable ice, it was cruised extensively by the Mainiacs today…. Call ahead, rooms may still be available at Kelley’s Landing.

Ice on both lakes is refrozen snow, some snow machine tracks, maybe a 5 out of ten but hey, it’s almost April, how picky are you gonna be?

Tomorrow looks like a good day at both places- as always use caution and never sail alone!

Think Ice and Sail Safe

Good morning,

This report below is from Bill Bucholz. Sailing at Moosehead is an unbelievable experience. The lake, scenery and stars are gorgeous. If you can take the day off from work DO IT! This may be the last ice of the season. Thanks, Karen, NEIYA Secretary

From Bill:

Here’s the lake this morning just after sunrise taken in Greenville Junction. The slush alongshore has frozen, and the plate is reported to be hard but not totally smooth. Sounds about right. Wind today and tomorrow is excellent. Accommodations at Kelly”s Landing. Launch at Greenville Junction boat launch. The launch ramp itself may be rotten but there are other slopes right alongside. Call me if you are coming so we don’t loose anyone. 207-975-6980.

billbuchholz | March 28, 2022 at 8:25 am | Categories: 2021 Season | URL: https://wp.me/p1wB1o-2xM

Well the big storm didn’t fizzle as the die-hard optimist would have hoped…. It’s a bit on the breezy side today, shall we say.

Not sure what the rain/snow combination did to all the sailable ice but the good news is there is a really good base on several lakes, large ones at that.

Saratoga, Winni, Damariscotta, and a few others still have plenty of potential so don’t pack it in yet- last year we sailed into April and with a little luck we can do it again-

As always stay tuned and if you know of sailable ice let me know at t_thieler@yahoo.com

Think Ice!!