Land of the Polar Night

While we wait for ice, Norwegian ice sailors share videos and photos from Soløyvatnet Lake near Bodø, where the scenery is incredible. They appear to take advantage of every drop of daylight with a narrow window of opportunity to sail. The sun rises in Bodø at 10:30 AM and sets at 1:48 PM.

 

Regatta Watch: WSSA Postponed to Jan 23-24

Class C Stern Steerer: TWIN BEDS Peter McCormick   Photo: Gretchen Dorian

The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to January 23 and 24, 2021. The next update will be Sunday, January 17. Check back here at that time.

We still need more cold air, so get your friends to leave their freezer open, too.

Andy Gratton

WSSA Secretary/Treasurer

Ice Invaders

Big lake, big ice, big booming Skeeter hike on Lake Winnebago at the 2010 Northwest Regatta. Photo: Gretchen Dorian

Are you ready for some legendary arms-falling-off-from-pulling-sheet ice on big inland lakes? If we believe the weather forecasts this far out, ice sailing hotspots in Wisconsin like Menominee, Lakes Geneva, Winnebago, and Green should be coming online in the next two weeks. Fingers crossed.

Accuweather: Polar vortex set to unleash coldest air of season yet in US
By Alex Sosnowski, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Updated Jan. 9, 2021 3:11 AM CST

Accuweather January forecast for Madison, WI as of January 9, 2021.

4LIYC Club Racing Update for Jan 9-10, 2021

Greg Whitehorse sailing his Renegade BLADE RUNNER on Lake Monona

There will be no Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club racing for the weekend of January 9-10, 2021. Club members have been keeping a close watch on area lakes. Lakes Kegonsa and Monona are snow-covered. Lake Mendota’s “slow growth” ice holds much promise but needs a few more days of colder temperatures. The next update will be on Friday, January 15, 2021.

 

News We Can Use: Polar Vortex Making an Appearance

Enjoying the Vortex

via Accuweather:

“Many of the chips are beginning to line up to suggest we will see a shift of the polar vortex and an Arctic invasion across the central and eastern U.S. and Canada toward the end of the month,” Pastelok warns.

“The pattern also looks favorable for the bitter Arctic blast to be ushered in by a big storm somewhere in the eastern U.S.”

“Enjoy the ‘warmth’ while it lasts,” Anderson says, “because Old Man Winter is looking to return with a vengeance.” Read more.