Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club

As the guest of the Russian energy giant GAZPROM, I’ve been given a boat and a crewman with which to compete in the Baltic Cup, European Champs and the Worlds here in northern Sweden. We set up the boats this afternoon after a six hour drive north from Stockholm. It wasn’t until we were only 100km from our destination of Ostersund that we began to see ice. First it was the rotten spring time type, then firming up and filling in, and then vast sheets of grey snow ice. And as a final welcome as we rounded the last turn in the twisty decent to the lake one of the Dutch boats came roaring around the point!

The pits are muddy but happy. Lots of these guys haven’t sailed at all this season and this coming week will all they get for the year. My crewman Dimitri speaks no English, but you can’t hear much at speed anyway. Last time an American team raced here they broke a boom, so my goal is to just finish cleanly and not break anything. Practice races tomorrow with the serious stuff beginning Monday and going all week.

Boats on the ice in their shrink wrapped travel duds. We did get the planks on and masts stepped. The fuselage just sits on the plank positioned with blocks of wood on the bottom and on the plank; no nasty stud plates. It just takes a couple of good butt drops on the deck to seat it, and the the shrouds hold it there. It’s a crude version of Fortier’s balls, which proved their worth last week on Sebago when Dave noticed one of his bolts had rattled out. I sure hope that happened AFTER our mile a minute drag race!

Departing Logan I was sent off with this lovely image from the magazine stand:

Those of you who know the meaning of “Fast Piece Of Furniture” will appreciate the irony…

CIBC and NEIYA will share the ample Sebago ice for DN regattas this weekend. Which title contest which day to be determined by Dave Fortier and Steve Madden.

Launch site Nason’s Beach at about the middle of the West bank of the lake.

Plenty of drive on ice along the beach for vehicles and trailers.

The hard core will be arriving to sail on afternoon Friday. Good weather forecast with “seasonal temperatures” in 30’s, likely wind, and only small chance of showers.

We have thought ice. It is here.

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Just in case you haven’t had enough of the coverage, have a look at this video: breathtaking!

http://youtu.be/pRU1o54A_Uo

Thanks to John Henry Low for sending it in.

There may be a break in this listless pool of lazy cold Canadian air Wednesday afternoon, forecast at 10. Might be last chance before Sebago migration on Friday. Thursday unknown.

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Where have we been while Sebago was sneaking up on us? The ice is there, how long has it been there? No one seems to know but it is thick enough to park on at Nason’s Beach and form pressure ridges, and it is 10 below here in Rockport Tuesday AM. Winds for the next three days in the belly of this cold Canadian high are forecast as gentle. There is even nothing awful in the tea leaves for the weekend. Sooo.

Commodore Fortier proposes racing DN’s on Sebago for those not going down to the Hudson river to feast their eyes on antiques. The not recently raced trophy for the “Sebago Open” is on deck and the Maine Championship beckons as well. Launching at Nason’s Beach on the West shore of Sebago about half way up. See reports below to whet your appetite. Wind forecasts are out of focus for the weekend but to quote the late ice bard, Larry Hardman, “Ice Will Suffice”. See you on the ice gentlemen, details to follow.

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