The Fat Lady is warming up and has sung in the Four Lakes area. There’s been iceboat racing in Finland and on Lake Baikal in Siberia the past week. Thunder Bay, always the spot for spring ice, is still hanging in there. Mike Madge reports the bay has “lots of ice but still needs a little Zamboni work for my liking. I am getting a little pickier on the ice conditions, as we have had such a great season.”
UPDATE: Chickawaukee Ice Boat Club’s Bill Bucholz says they “aren’t giving up yet!” Keep informed on their site for any spring ice sailing.
Spring sailing continues in the desert as several 4LIYC members (Jim Nordhaus, Wayne Schmedlin and his 2 grandsons, Geoff Sobering, Brad Wagner, and Lars Barber) made the trek to the cathedral of land sailing, Ivanpah, for the Blokart North Americans. We had one day of racing on Sunday, but 75 mph wind gusts and a dangerous dust storm kept us off the race course on Monday. I’ll be heading out to the play soon, dressed in warm iceboating gear because it’s in the 30s here this morning. Follow along on the NABSA Facebook page.Results here.
Brad Wagner gets a push during the Enduro Relay Race on Saturday, April 1.
Canadians, start your engines! DNer Mike Madge inaugurated the ice sailing season in North America on Whitefish Lake near Thunder Bay, Ontario, which often has the longest ice sailing seasons in the world. Video here.
Like KID ROCK, “he’s a Michigan boy, can feel that? Matt Struble now calls San Diego home, but he’ll always be a Midwesterner at heart. And he’s a sailing phenom. A multi-time DN World and US Champion on hard water. Countless catamaran titles in multiple classes on soft water. And more recently, since it’s hard to find hard water in San Diego, he’s tearing up the Moth circuit. Matt hasn’t actively campaigned a DN in years, yet he’s still an expert guest on SailJuice.com, sharing all his go-fast DN secrets with our Canadian buddy, Mike Madge. (Mike’s up der in Thunder Bay, eh, and he’s a really good guy. Check out the interviews if you haven’t seen them already). Take notice…Matt is planning on the Hardwater Summit next March. In spite of his layoff, odds are the rest of the DN fleet will be fighting for places 2 and below. If you’re going to get waxed, it’s not bad getting the beat down from Matt. He’s as soft-spoken and humble as he is good. Reminds me of another Michigan athlete, Barry Sanders, who simply handed the football to the ump after every touchdown. When you’re that good, I guess you can act like you’ve been there before.
But what if you’ve never been there before? No worries, the Hard Water Summit is still for you. Take French sailing superstar, Benoit Marie. He’s the reigning French Moth and A-Class Foiling Catamaran Champion. In 2018, having never sailed an iceboat, he showed up at the DN Worlds, outfitted with equipment and tips from Vaiko Voreema of Estonia. With no ranking, Benoit sailed as a rookie in both the Silver and Gold Fleet qualifiers, advancing both times up to the Gold Fleet. And he ultimately finished the World Championships in an impressive 35th position. Oui, oui…it appears the guy has talent. Always seeking the next adrenaline rush, now Benoit wants to try a C-Skeeter. Thanks to international ice sailing coordinator, Deb Whitehorse, he’s going to get his chance at the Summit.
Gareth finds the English Pub in Irkutsk, Siberia.
But what if your style is a bit more…let’s call it…flamboyant? Take our friend Gareth Rowland who’s coming to the Summit from England. I’m not sure if Gareth has ever won a race, but ask anyone…he always wins the party. His ice sailing regatta attire routinely includes Union Jack adorned sports coats, top hats, kilts and the like. And, no, I have no idea what he wears under the kilt, but if you come to the Summit, there’s a good chance you’ll find out.
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada ice sailors usually open and close the ice sailing season in North America. While most of us in the U.S. are turning our attention to soft water and off-season projects, Mike Madge continues to sail well into April, the perfect time to spread the iceboating creed when he actively works on getting new people to try the sport.
No matter what time of year, respect and caution are always part of ice sailing. Spring sailing can be tricky, and NEIYA Vice Commodore Jay Whitehair explains his common sense decision-making process when faced with marginal conditions. Read it here.
(Tip of the Helmet Mike Peters.)
No matter what type of iceboat you race, watch and listen closely to this interview with 12 times DN World Champion Karol Jablonski. Karol breaks down every racing move he made on a short course with shifty winds.
Below is the original video Karol and Mike are discussing.
