After a lay day, the fleet turned out in fine style for some of the best conditions we’ve seen here for a long time. The wind built to a low roar over the course of the day. Cheapskates, Skimmers, a BlowKart and the usual suspects blasted from the very bottom of the River to the pressure ridge at the middle of the North Broads. And back. The ice up there was polished black ice under a veil of blowing snow.

These small drifts, in a Lombardo photo from yesterday, were cast adrift by the howling wind. What was left is just the black stuff you see above. We tacked up to the top of the wind and then peeled off for a mile a minute blast back down. On ice like this the boat can really be pushed to it’s limits, and they were.

In addition to the adrenalin, there were moments of quiet beauty, like this shot looking down the River.

These two boats swapped tacks up and down all day. It was very close competition with no clear winner.

Tomorrow promises big winds and low mercury, much like last Tuesday. The MIT DN Team will be there, and perhaps a few other tough sailors. If you do come, be sure to park your car completely off the pavement only on the lake side of the road. If not, you will be towed and thereby jeopardize our access. We learned that today with a warning.