While we’re waiting, and it won’t be long now, here’s a tutorial all about thin ice. Fascinating information, and a very good explanation on why not to drive fast on the ice.
Thanks to Denis Guertin for sending it in.
Here’s a good one from the stern steerers of Wisconsin:
https://iceboatorg.b-cdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/12/2023-season-newsletter-WSSA.pdf
Enjoy!
Thunder Bay Ontario is a large bay on Lake Superior. It’s known in the iceboat world as the place where the ice is first in and last out. Here in Maine when we think we’re a big deal for sailing into April, the Thunder Bay spring season still has no end in sight.
Mike Madge is the man on the ice up there. He has fifteen days sailing so far this season. You might have met Mike on line during the pandemic when he held a series of excellent interviews with the who’s who of the iceboat racing world. He got to scheming with David Frost in the off season and they decided it would make sense to hold a scratch racing regatta the week before the Great Western Challenge. A tune-up for the tune-up kind of thing.
They pulled it off over the last few days, with two full days of racing. Smooth black ice, big wind, moderate temps. By all accounts just about as good as it gets.
Mike had set the course, and perhaps five or six DN’s ran back to back races on both days.
The Western Challenge is this coming weekend in Hutchinson, MN so if you feel you missed out on the early ice in Ontario, Minnesota will have to do. Last year the Western Challenge had over seventy DN’s.
Thanks to Paul Chamberlain, DN 5700, for the photos.
Lake Abenakis is looking very good. Five plus inches, orange peel surface.
Rain forecast today, with a touch of snow to follow. Denis will check it late Thursday when that all has ended. Might be good to go on Friday and Saturday.
Got your passport?
Commodore Stanton put on a terrific show at Steve and Linda Lamb’s shop in Canton, MA yesterday. In addition to learning to stone runners, a review of the rules of the road and plenty of food and drink, we got to help a new sailor refine her setting up, adjusted her alignment and repaired a crack along the edge of the cockpit. She sails on a small lake in New Hampshire in a small fleet of DN’s and will take her new found skills back there and spread them out. Way to go Chris!
Jay Whitehair made some iceboat models that we used to simulate rules situations, first in an informal fun discussion, and later T walked us through a number of crossing, overtaking and mark rounding situations. He also laid out a recent crash, deconstructing exactly what happened. Basically, a boat was giving way and ducked under the stand on boat only to find another boat directly behind him, who had been hidden by the first boat.
Eben Whitcomb gave a demonstration on runner stoning techniques, basically how to finish the edge after sharpening. Very informative, and lively conversation was stimulated by lots of excellent questions.
At the very end of the day a call came in from Maine. Rob Dmitiof made a last minute decision to move up from the Lockley Skimmer and buy Steve Lamb’s red Renegade El Diablo. There was a mad scramble to round up all the parts and pieces, but with help from the entire crew the trailer was packed and on the way to Maine before sundown. Congratulations Rob!
