Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

While the CIBC have evolved into primarily a cruising club, we still use the rules of the road. They are just as critical, if not more so, to maintain order in the way we sail: reaching around with the sun in our eyes driving the boats as fast as possible. Please take a minute every now and then to brush up on the rules. We need to assume the other guy knows them just as well as you do. Here’s a nice nod to Jane Pagels who worked long and hard to unify the rules across many different iceboat clubs.

News from the National Iceboat Authority

Jane Pegel has decided to retire from the Board of Directors of the National Iceboat Authority. We’d like to thank Jane for over 50 years of service regarding the management of our racing rules and ensuring safety and fairness is maximized in iceboating. Jane was one of the founding members of the NIA along with Elmer Millenbach, Wally Cross, Homer Seider, and Bob Pegel. Prior to the NIA racing rules, the various sailing clubs around the country had different racing rules which created confusion and hazardous situations on the race course. Jane played a key role as this group worked together to develop the NIA Racing Rules which have successfully served as the basis for iceboat racing since the early 1960’s. Please join us in thanking Jane for her many contributions to our sport!
We’re happy to announce that Steve Schalk has accepted the open position on the NIA Board of Directors. Steve is an experienced B-Skeeter sailor with many years of service on local and regatta race committees. Those of you who know Steve would agree that he is a reasonable and patient person who communicates well and always considers the needs of every class of iceboat participating in an event.

Here’s the North Ridge at Moosehead, taken by John and Tania. It’s Rick Bishop and the Cape Codders looking to cross. As you can see, the ice is always better on the other side.

And why are there four boats and only three skippers…?

Our Canadian sailors Denis Guertin and Francois Henault have been sailing up a storm in their Whizzes winning both “Mile a Minute” and “Century Club”. There are a lot of MAM awards out there over the years but only a few Century awards including of note Jeff Brown on a free skate and James Lamb in an Opti and Lockley Skimmer after his Opti blew up.

On Jan 16 they sailed Moosehead in very strong winds with storm sails for some 3 hours non stop. Frank topped out at 73 MPH and Denis at 67.

On Feb 22 they sailed on Lake St. Francois in Lambton Quebec both clocking 104.8 miles before turning off the GPS to save battery and not lose data some 10 miles from home.

Congratulations to both and a testimony to the durability and speed of the Whiz design and the Whizz skippers.

Lloyd Roberts, Secy. CIBC

One of the great joys of a fabulous day on the ice is meeting new people and being a part of such perma-grin joy. Yesterday, life was such an easy game to play. Wind, sun, ice and all on a Saturday. Carl Jelleme, Chris Gordon and his gang on safari from Nantucket hit the jackpot. Tom Nichols had his new boat out for the first time this year and was really getting it dialed in, leaving the fleet behind when his mast broke (of course there wasn’t a full rigged Whizz on hand to give him some real competition, but Indigo came close) It was an old A Cat mast that just wasn’t up to the task. Dave Fortier towed him home from the backside of Hoyt Island.

We did have one good race of about 5 miles. We started at the pressure ridge deep on the east side of the lake, beat up around to the top of Hoyt, then downwind to the pits. It included on pressure ridge crossing and was a tight finish between Fortier and Buchholz. The wind was blowing directly down the lake giving the long stretch on both sides of the island a perfect upwind downwind orientation.

Curtis stopped to check out some real estate with “potential”, and soon everyone came to give support and encouragement. Steve Lamb offered to barge over some steel I beams.

Rounding out the group for the day were Fred Wardwell and his son, Lloyd and Bob McKewen in Cheapskates, Gagnon and Jimmie, Ben Fuller in Tipsy, Denis Guertin (who is promising great ice soon in Quebec: no pressure, Denis!), Bunting and Fred Muser with their Nites, and probably a few others my wind blown brain has forgotten.

Tom Nichols has this to add:

Yesterday I was talking to Steve Lamb, telling him we were moving to Maine this year.
He said that if you are going to iceboat then that is a “pretty smart move”. How can anyone disagree with that.

What a GREAT day on Great Pond with GREAT new friends.
Oh the mast?? I really didn’t like it any way. In true fashion when
it broke many came to help. Dave, thanks for the wonderful
“Lake Tow” back to the pits. Yes, after yesterday “What’s Not To Like?”

Tom

Long shadows of those unwilling to quit. We’re waiting for the last couple of boats to come in so we can bring home the cones marking the crossing. Thanks to Lloyd and Bob for moving them to a better spot as our original crossing deteriorated, and thanks to Carl for crossing that old spot just ahead of me. He might have needed that pressure wash after the long drive from Nantucket but I didn’t.

The cones had a rough day on the front lines, but we brought them home for a proper burial. No, Indigo did not pick this up on the fly. Not this time, anyway. And speaking of pressure wash Curtis…

Unclear forecast for now, but we’re watching…

this morning,  i was just about to push ‘send’ on the “fine tuning” post.   It contained the following closing words: “If you do come to Great Pond today, and you don’t have an amazing sail, please plant a not-so-frendly kick on my derriere.”   hmmm, I thought ….that could be dangerous, given the 5-10 MPH wind prediction…..so i took the invitation out before posting….

this evening,   could i dare say, “best sail of the season”?….when we’ve had other great sails…..i think of two especially on Moosehead….but today had the joy of smooth smooth ice and lots of wind…..and the pure joy of going really really fast. I poked my bow out of the launch’s cove about 930 AM, since i was set up from the day before…. and after crossing the nearby pressure ridge, it took lots of luffing just to keep the boat on its feet. Without hesitation, I returned and swapped to the storm sail…i thought i would need to go back to full sail later in the day, but the wind held up 100% until I left at 3PM.

I blasted up the long passage west of Hoyt Island, and waited for others there in the especially beautiful ice in the NW corner. Curtis and Steve Lamb, both in storm sails, soon joined me and we were off on a romp south in what became our playground for the day: the wide passage east of Hoyt….soon we were joined by many others…..the lake, though large, seemed to have iceboats everywhere….proceeding south, we then encountered the ‘mother of pressure ridges’ and, after searching the west end, eventually found a safe but slightly scary crossing at the east end. Once about 8 boats had crossed, we passed into an enormous E-W broads, with smooth ice in swirling, milky textures.

It seems that many iceboat adventures have a certain point of….dare i say orgasm?….and today it was the smooth ice, pedal-to-the-metal speed, the great number of playmates, the bright noontime sun…. the iceboat tuned, with it’s stormsail, so perfectly…the under-control, but almost out-of-control speed….where we older farts, and perhaps others….fearing for our very lives, sheet back from the limit….out of pure survival.

back at the launch for lunch, i counted 15 boats….no question of lingering there!….we were off for Chapter II, during which a strange iceboat appeared. black in color, a bow-cockpit, with two X’s on the sail: fast, mysterious, and agressive-looking. It reminded me of the Rime of the Ancient Mariner: “The sun’s rim dips, the stars rush out;  At one stride comes the dark; With far-heard whisper, o’er the sea; Off shot the spectre-bark.” A few minutes later, at one of our round-ups, we could ogle this unusual craft, so different from any angle.  I wondered at a mast held up by mere ropes.   the runners could be easily aligned by simply loosening a bolt…the bow cockpit had an ample windscreen and a genuine sheet winch….Three cheers!

though the wind was holding beautifully, and match races were happening on every hand, at 3PM I felt that if i stayed 10 more minutes, my happiness fuses would blow….just how much fun can a person stand?….so I blasted back to the pits, downwind weaving with Ben’s “Tipsy” who was finding occasional blasts of speed even with reefed main and no jib. as i had my final gabs with others, some boats were spending the night on the ice….i suspect that many will gamble on tomorrow’s winds….the stakes—another amazing day—are high.

dear buddies….if you plan to join us on Great Pond, Belgrade today (saturday) , I want to add a few details, based on my skate on the “pond” yesterday…

1. this lake is large and variegated. bring a map.

2. as you leave the launch, sail with a buddy and a cell phone

3. do not explore the open water lead extending south of Hoyt Island. it is continuous between the shores. if you want to explore the eastern part of the lake, pass north of Hoyt Island

4. when returning to the launch proceed south along the far western shore of the lake, and you’ll find it OK. there is a similar bay east of the launch bay, which is easily mistaken for the launch.

my overall impression of the lake, having only explored a fraction of it, is that with the thickness being about 11”, and the major hazards seeming to be pressure ridges, that it is moderately safe to explore in company….perhaps we’ll see you there….sunday looks windless so far, so today may be the best day….jory