Art Menard Sails Off Forever
It is with sadness that I have to share the the news of the recent passing of Art Menard. Art was one of the core sailors that would be out on a regular basis. We will all miss seeing Art in the coming winters. But we will remember Art when we sail in and around Massachusetts.
Farewell Art and may your hand be steady on the helm of whatever craft you choose to sail. I’m sure your choice will be an iceboat on miles of black ice with a steady 12 knts to wind up the speed.
Art’s obituary can be found here https://obits.masslive.com/obituaries/masslive/obituary.aspx?n=arthur-menard&pid=198959897
As always please share any pictures or memories of Art, either in a comment or feel free to send directly to me and I will post. The above picture was all I could fine in our archive.
Sail Fast and Think Ice,
John Stanton
Commodore, NEIYA
DN5023
john@neiya.org
New England Ice Yacht Association 
Greetings – I have donated my Gambit to the New Hampshire Boat Museum for their annual benefit auction. Below is the description that I have given them:
This Gambit was built by Jay Whitehair in about 1985 from a Lloyd Roberts design.Whitehair remains an active and renowned iceboat builder and sailor in northern New England. Roberts, also an active sailor from Maine is the author of the first and still definitive book on the sport, “Think Ice – the DN Iceboating Book.”
We bought the new Gambit from Jay as an addition to our little fleet. The appeal was that it could take two sailors so it was perfect for a family option as we had four young sons who were developing an interest in the sport. It was also enjoyed over the ensuing decades by our friends and extended family as a fun way to experience hard water sailing with a bit less risk than venturing out solo. We sailed it locally on Winnipesaukee, Wentworth and Mirror Lake, all right here in Wolfeboro.
This Gambit is not a boat for the aspiring competitive racer but a fine craft for family fun. Close examination will showsignsofmanyofusjumpinginandoutwithgolfshoesoriceskatesonourfeet.As JayWhitehair commented in one of our recent exchanges about the boat, it’s a real tribute to Lloyd that it has survived in such good condition.
After being in storage for about a decade in the 1990’s, it was actively sailed from about 2000 to 2017 when local conditions permitted.
All hardware is included and in good condition as is the sail. The trailer is old but functional for this light craft and it is currently registered.
Correspondence from Jay Whitehair last spring:
(Someone was asking about the boat Mrs Turner wanted to donate to the Museum. I think it was one from this delivery. Over 35 years ago I sold a Gambit to Lee Turner, her husband. Recognizable by the back deck access ports and split hand rails. If you can forward this info back to Mrs Turner she might appreciate it. It is a testimonial to Loyd’s design that these boats last so long. Jay Whitehair)
I’m sending this to you hoping that you might be able to get the word out to potentially interested buyers. The auction will be both online and in person.
Here’s their website: https://www.nhbm.org/auction-2021-sneak-peek/
Thanks so much for considering! The NHBM is a great and needy organization striving to build a new home on Back Bay on Winnipesaukee.
Best regards,
Kate
Katherine Turner
Associate Athletic Director
603-569-7116 | 603-455-4804
http://www.brewsteracademy.org
On Sat, Jun 19, 2021 at 11:10 AM New England Ice Yacht Association wrote:
> Commodore John Stanton posted: ” Art Menard, Kate Morrone, Bob S, Paul > Zucco and Dave Buckley Ninigret Pond 2014 It is with sadness that I have to > share the the news of the recent passing of Art Menard. Art was one of the > core sailors that would be out on a regular basis. We will all” >
07/07/2021 at 7:29 pm
What a great guy. Who would have thougth a steel iceboat – Art would have! Sail on Art we will miss you.
Matt
4762
06/20/2021 at 10:27 am