Two Sunday-Monday sailings: same great forecast, same great ice. Almost. The light snow Saturday created wind packed drifts yesterday that would have been a game changer if not for the 15-30mph breeze. It was easy to dodge around most of the drifts but every now you missed the clear lane and the boat would groan as it powered through the deep stuff. Remember, we’re not sailing A Class stern steerers here.

The wind blew all night, note the streams of blowing snow above, and today the drifts were noticeably smaller and the entire plate was completely hospitable. The major N-S pressure ridge had dried up and froze tight and could be crossed anywhere. Our fleet made a number of lovely tours to Frye Island, deep reaching downwind, racing the scudding snow until the snow trash ice hove into view. Then it was the brutal realiy check that yes, it was still blowing a gale and we put the bows up for the long slog back. Crossing back onto the home plate, it was a screaming reach back to Nasons Beach to get warm, have a snack, check in to see who has showed up and just revel in the tranquility of our pits in the lee with the full sun.
And then back out and do it again.

We had fourteen boats today. Above: MacEwan, Boivert, Boynton, Guertin, Buchholz, Gagnon, Malliet.

Missing are Fortier, Butterfield and buddy, Linc and Andrew Davis with Cheapskates, and Chuckie with TJ from the Androscoggin Lockley Sailers Association.
Also in attendace was Clayton, of the Steampunk Cheapskate Ironmongers Group.

Here’s a bit of ice art to cap it off. If art imitates life then here we have contrast, drama and beauty with no understanding of how it all comes to be.
Such is ice sailing.

iceboat.org Read on blog or Reader In The News – AFTER 135 YEARS, RED BANK ICE BOATERS RELINQUISH CUP By Deb Whitehorse on February 9, 2026 Photo: Brian Donahue for Red Bank Green ice sailors never forget! Talk about patience, this is next level. Congratulations to the Hudson River crew on winning back the Van Nostrand Cup after 135 years and for keeping this remarkable piece of ice sailing history alive. And thank you to Red Bank Green, the independent local news outlet, for giving this regatta practically play by play and for their continuing coverage of ice sailing at Red Banks. As the boat built by 19th-century architect Archibald Rogers came to a stop after their second straight win in the best of three, skipper Luke Lawrence and sheet tender Max Lopez exchanged hugs and gloved high fives with friends and family. One of several drones filming the action crashed into the sail and fell to the ice. Then, Lawrence paused for a quiet emotional moment, kneeling silently in the basket amid the hoots and hubbub. “I did this one for pop pop,” he said a few moments later, referring to his grandfather, Bob Lawrence, a boat builder and sailor. “He won a lot of stuff, but never this one. So this one is for him. Read more

How ironic that last week we sailed Sunday-Monday, and now we have excellent conditions this Sunday and Monday. The big lake got a dusting of snow; folks were skating through it. With the wind forecast it will probably all blow off.
Launch from Nasons Beach. We don’t know anything about the pressure ridge just outside the pit area, so proceed with curiosity, find a crossing, and mark it.

The latest from John Sperr of the HRIYC:

Word just in from Bob Wills who is in Red Bank —

Racing has been called of for Saturday because of the threat of very high winds and the extreme arctic cold.

Maybe Sunday, maybe Monday — we shall see.

This weekend the Navesink Ice Boat Club is hosting the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club to compete for the Van Nostrand Cup at Red Bank. Not sure which classes but there are bound to be some big stern steerers. Last time this was held was 2015 with the mighty Jack Frost and Rocket. If you are anywhere close this will be a show not to be missed.

Regarding the calendars in the previous post, the pdf’s are at the bottom. Just click and print.