Boxing Day Skeeter & 4LIYC Ice Checkers Have the Day Off

Waiting for the Great Ice Maker.

Ken, Paul, Daniel Hearn, and Ron Rosten took advantage of the 48F weather here on Thursday, December 26 to assemble Ken’s Class A Skeeter, WARRIOR to learn how the components and sails fit together.  Everything went well and now we wait for an ice-making cold snap to get runners on the ice here in the Four Lakes area.
Needless to say, there’s no ice check scheduled for today. We’ve learned that Kegonsa had between 3.5 – 4″ of ice a few days ago but the warm temperatures do not inspire confidence. Rain is in the forecast as well. So, we continue to wait.

Steve Arnold Photo Collection: Vintage ’80s

From left: Elmer Millenbach, Steve Arnold, Harvey Witte, Paul Krueger, Ken Whitehorse

It’s time for iceboat.org’s summer vacation series where we take a look back in our sport through old photos. Barb Arnold donated some of late husband Steve’s photos and scrapbooks dating from the late 1970s and 80s to the 4LIYC. Watch for more of these in the coming weeks and if the pictures remind you of any good stories, let me know!

 

Junior Worlds Complete

Ice Optimist sailor Livia Liszkiewicz P334 would rather be ice sailing!       Photo: Olsztyński Klub Żeglarski Facebook Page

Results

DN Junior World Championship: 1st Rasmus Maalen, 2nd Zuzanna Rybicka Photo: Zuzanna Rybicka

The 2019 Junior DN and Ice Optimist World Championships are complete. Congratulations to all who competed including the 4LIYC’s Thor Rosten who kept his DN moving in some sticky, light conditions. The European Championship began today and will be completed on Friday.
It’s heartening to see these kids racing iceboats and gives us all hope for the future of this always fragile sport. North Americans may be wondering how the Europeans can field an 80 boat youth regatta on ice. 4LIYC member and North American Junior Secretary Ron Rosten has written about why he thinks the Europeans are miles ahead of North America in youth iceboat sailing. Read his article, “The State of Youth Sailing” in the September 2018 issue of the DN newsletter, Runner Tracks.
Europeans are also leading the way to encourage more women to compete in the sport. One sailor who has benefited from such a strong youth program is Polish DN sailor Zuzanna Rybicka -she has had quite an ice sailing season. Someday we will see her compete in North America. I took the liberty of posting (with a bit of correcting and guessing on the translation) her thoughts from Facebook today:

 

Yay! Today ended the junior world championship where I took 2th place in the DN fleet and 1st place in the women’s division. 🏆
It’s a great goodbye with age junior, and at the same time successful year greeting with age
This year I got a lot of support from a lot of people and I would like to thank everyone Awesome starts having such great fans like you guys.

Summary of my results in season 2018/19:
🥇 1st Women, European championship
🥈 1st. Women, Polish junior championship
🥈 2nd  Junior World Championship
🥇 1st  Women, Junior World Championship
[In today’s] European Junior Championship, after the first day I am on lead among women and second place in DN. Open. Keep your fingers crossed, tomorrow decisive races 💪

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Previous: Junior Worlds Ice Sailing Championships Day 1

Junior World Ice Sailing Championship: Day 1

Photo: Michał Skawiński “Kornik” POL 333 P-339

Provisional Results IDNIYRA Europe

The 2019 Junior World DN & Ice Optimist Championships got underway today on Lake Siemianowka in light air and sticky ice. Ron Rosten reported that the wind shut off during the day’s last race and they tore down their boats in the dark. Ron also praised Estonian DNer Rasmus Maalen C20, currently in first, who “went out of his way to give Thor [Rosten] advice and offer encouragement.”
Rasmus Maalen, it should be noted, won the first race of the European Championship 2 weeks ago and finished 6th overall. Another junior who competed at the Europeans, Zuzanna Rybicka P119, is in second place just 2 points behind Rasmus tonight.
In the Ice Optimist fleet, Estonian sailor Lisbeth Taggu C1 holds first with Poles Mateusz Gigielewicz P89 and Anielka Graczyk P375 tied for second. Aneilka’s father, Robert Graczyk, won the Polish Championship last Saturday. There are a combined total of 80 skippers registered for the regatta. Youth iceboating is doing well in Europe.

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Previous: 2019 Junior World Championship Begins

Junior Worlds See the World

Junior DN & Ice Optimist sailors at Lake Niegocin in Gizycko, Poland                   Photo: Mihkel Kosk

IDNIYRA Europe

“Double ice [the Europeans’ name for shell ice], not frozen slush, and snow drifts” on Niegocin means the juniors are on the move today to greener iceboating pastures on Lake Siemianowka at Poland’s border with Belarus. Opening ceremonies and racing for the Junior World DN & Ice Optimist championships are scheduled for Wednesday Feb 6th.
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