Autumn is Cresting the Horizon

Brothers & Sisters of WIND, ICE, and SPEED, the current is slack but the turn is imminent. In simpler terms Winter is coming. Many of us sail year round but it just isn’t enough and miss the ICE and more importantly the SPEED. Winter will be here in a few months. With Labor Day Weekend coming up fast and autumn looming our thoughts have shifted to ICE and SPEED. It’s never too early to pull your gear out and assess where you are for the upcoming season.

With all the pressures of covid we missed celebrating the New England Ice Yacht Association’s 50th anniversary. Like so many things our official celebration will during this years swap and annual meeting. People have been kind enough to send many vintage pictures in the past few years and if you come across anymore please send them to me.

We have a great season coming up. There will be our usual Fall Swap and Luncheon of course as well as an additional pre-ice event or two. Details for the Fall Swap and Lunch are in the works and I encourage anyone with any ideas to reach out to me or one of the other officers. This event has grown over the years and we can use some help.

This season racing will return, of course, headed up by our Race Chair “T” James Thieler. “T” will also hold the title of Rear Commodore in the IDNIYRA taking over from Chad Atkins who tirelessly held the role for what seemed like a decade. In addition to racing, he will be sharing his, rank-proven, speed and racing knowledge with a series of GO-FAST sessions. Ask about his own QND inc. speed enhancing projects and creations when you see him.

It’s not all about racing and this season we will be kicking off a “Classic” iceboat gathering. This effort is being headed up by our Vice Commodore Jay Whitehair. The intent is to bring together as many stern steerers and other older ice boats in one place. The gathering will be a tribute to the artistry and craftsmanship of iceboat heritage. Individuals from around the Northeast and Mid-Atlantic (New England, NY, and NJ) have already committed to hauling their craft to where the ice is. More on this event in the coming weeks. Also Jay will need a hand in making this happen to please volunteer to help and pitch in if recruited.

I look forward to seeing everyone together again this fall and throughout 2023 iceboating season.

Think Ice,

John
Commodore, NEIYA
DN5023
John@neiya.org