Here’s a look at England’s frigid winter of 1963, which looks quite normal to Midwestern eyes. The dramatic melancholy soundtrack, more suited to an alien-invasion movie, shows how much England was not well equipped for cold weather. Of course, others saw a great opportunity in the freeze, and iceboats came down from the rafters. Go to the 30:00 minute mark to see ice yachting in England in 1963. Unfortunately, the documentary doesn’t give a location where the ice sailing took place. Perhaps it’s in Norfolk, which does have a history of ice sailing. Tip of the Helmet: Rick Thompson
Update January 15, 2021: UK DNer Chris Williams who served for many years at the IDNIYRA European Secretary recalls: “Thank you so much for that great film of the 1963 winter. We remember it well and were living in Edinburgh at that time – I was second in command of a Royal Navy Minehunter! The picture at the start showing a large expanse of ice and several different types of ice yachts is not in the UK. At the 30 minute point in the film with several basic – home made ice yachts in in Lincolnshire ( east England). I introduced my DN when I returned from 3 years in Canada in 1969. I had built my DN as part of a project at the Nova Ice Yacht Club where I am a Founder
Member! We built 11 DNS !
Think ICE
CHRIS
K-1”
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.
“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.
“Ice Yachts On The Hudson River” by Nicholas Kahn and Richard Selesnick. “They work primarily in the fields of photography and installation art, specializing in fictitious histories [much like winter weather forecasts – Ed.] set in the past or future. Website
The winter forecasts are out, peppered with words that hedge their predictions – terms like possible, possibly, maybe and expected.
You can trust our winter forecasts here at iceboat.org. We guarantee that there will be ice sailing somewhere in North America and around the world, hopefully near you! And make plans to attend your local iceboat swap meet this Saturday, October 24. Information below! WINTER WEATHER GUESSES Farmer’s Almanac NOAA Accuweather John Dee’s Winter Outlook
ICEBOAT SWAP MEETS
EAST – THOMPSON, CONNECTICUT
New England Ice Yacht Club Swap Meet
Saturday, October 24
10 AM
Thompson Motor Speedway Golf Course
205 E Thompson Rd, Thompson, CT 06277 We will have lots of outdoor space for the swap meet, Lunch, and our Annual Meeting. You don’t have to come inside if you are not comfortable doing so but everyone should meet up in the parking lot. You do not have to be a member to attend the swap or other activities. More information
WEST – GREEN LAKE, WISCONSIN Green Lake Ice Yacht Club
Saturday, October 24
10 AM – 2 PM
Green Lake Town Square Parking Lot
Green Lake, WI More information
WEST- DELAVAN, WISCONSIN
Delavan Yacht Club
Saturday, November 7, 2020
10 AM – 3 PM
Location: Delavan Yacht Club
1501 Cedar Point Drive
Delavan, WI More information
