Iceboating in the Olympics

John Buckstaff Archives
Ice sailing as an Olympic event has been a hot topic in the DN class for years. (See
Runner Tracks, September 2017 for that story.) Iceboat sail maker and historian, Henry Bossett, has come across an extraordinary 1933 Oshkosh, WI newspaper article about John Buckstaff receiving an invitation from the German Yachting Union to compete at the 1936 Olympics. I can find no mention in further news reports as to what transpired. For now, here’s the article that ran in the Oshkosh Daily Northwestern. Click on the newspaper column image to enlarge it.
Tip of the Helmet: Henry!

In The News: “Cool Running” from Lakeland Boating Magazine

Lakeland Boating Magaine
BY HEATHER STEINBERGER

Got a need for speed this winter? Just hoist the sails.
In my career as a boating journalist, I’ve had the opportunity to meet a few serious adventurers who actively seek hard water when the temperatures go down and the wind pipes up. Winter weather has most Great Lakes residents curled up in their cozy homes, dreaming of warm summer afternoons, yet these folks are hurtling toward any inland lake that offers smooth, stable, snow-free ice.

They are iceboaters, and their sport isn’t for the faint of heart. Continue reading.

Picture of the Week

Through the Harken Looking Glass…

Polish DN sailor Tomasz Zakrzewski P55 shot this clever photo at the Swedish DN Championship which was held over the weekend (December 18-19, 2021) on Lake Ymsen. Tomek placed 4th in a very competitive field. Results here.

Paint Your Skeeter Trailer

Bob Kau visits the Past Champions Skeeter Shop.

What do you do when your runners are sharpened, your Skeeters are ready for ice, and the temperature is a balmy 70F in the middle of December? The guys next door to iceboat.org HQ, Ken Whitehorse and Paul Krueger of the Past Champions Iceboat Shop, made good use of the day and painted their trailer. However, today’s falling temperatures moved the project back inside for wheel-bearing packing, almost as important as sharp runners.