Ice first: Tyler Vroman, of Rockland, has made a great start on his new Whizz project. He’s been thinking about it for a few years and has realized the time is now. He’s right. Time keeps on slipping into the future and if you really want to sail iceboats seriously there’s not one season to waste. Tyler inputted the design into his cad program so if that’s any motivation for anyone to start building, contact Tyler.

Careful readers of this column will have heard plenty of accolades for this design, but suffice it to say that in terms of how we sail iceboats in New England there isn’t a more perfectly suited iceboat. Hopefully we’ll have enough Whizz in a few years to begin racing more seriously. Well, we do race pretty seriously but it’s the thing with going around the marks that may start happening. We still have a beautiful Whizz Regatta trophy, last sailed in 2017, looking for a new home.

One week from today is the opening day of Loring Landsailing IV. The unlimited class is filling out nicely with a hot collection of converted DN’s. With that in mind, Steve Duhamel will be there with a selection of conversion hardware.

Above, a front fork with multiple steering rod location options.

Here’s a rear wheel spindle with 5/16” threaded mounting holes that will bolt right to your existing plank, right though the same holes. If you’re not ready to sail this time, you can still show up, bum a sail on some one’s yacht, load up on hardware and be ready for the fall event, second weekend in September. Contact Steve at Northwind Iceboats for more info.