iceboating.net Minnesota Ice Sailing Association

More delays...

http://dnamerica.org/forum/index.php?topic=501.0

http://dnamerica.org/forum/index.php?topic=501.0

DN Western Regional Championships will be held the weekend of January 17-18, 2009. If there is a suitable lake!

There are other regattas also trying to be scheduled this same weekend. The Western Regional Championship will not be sailed if the NIYA (Northwests) is called ON in the region. It will be sailed, however, if the NIYA regatta is outside the region or if the Central Region Championships are called for the same weekend.

STAND DOWN

The Western Regional Regatta has been postponed.

I guess we aren't going down to Wawasi, Indiana.

There were blizzard warnings and the ice conditions were deteriorating.

No go on the '08 National. Snowed out.

As for when the '09 will be scheduled, the pinwheel is spinning and the commodore is looking for his dart.

Browner
559

Photos of the 2008 Western Challenge are being posted under the images link. More are invited to post.
Check it out!
http://www.iceboating.net/image/tid/44

Mike(with a tired neck)

People are off airplanes, enroute from Boston, MA to someplace up on the Lake Wobegon Trail...

THE PRIMARY SITE FOR THE 2008 GREAT WESTERN CHALLENGE REGATTA IS LAKE OSAKIS, OSAKIS, MN

This Almost Perfect Ice is brought to you by 20 people, who tested sometimes perilously thin ice by walking on 50 lakes in Minnesota this past week.

We believe this is The Best Ice in the Great State of Minnesota.

Hay, its low tech, but it still works.

We leave Wednesday, me and three Poles. Internet access on the drive might be nil. Is there a phone number so we can update our destination?

Give me a call or post a reply, please, Mark.

Ken

Based on telephone contacts Monday morning:

Lake Washington- near Dassel, MN
Lake is 1.5 miles wide and 3.5 miles long
Saturday ice was 4-5inches of perfect black ice. A number of 4 wheelers and fisherman out.
Sunday and today. A half inch of fluffy snow-hardly enough to sweep off driveway- no drifting of the fluff. Most on the grass areas seemed to evaporate.
A public launch exists on south shore.
I will personally inspect on Tues 4PM, unless someones sails it today and reports by then.

Lake Osakis- Osakis Mn, 12 miles SE of Alexandria

Per phone call to a homeowner on the East shore, confirmed by bait shop in town. Lake is 3 miles wide and 10 miles long. Been frozen tight 10 days. Some chunks and rough ice 50 yards out from east shore. Otherwise perfect black ice all across. 4-5 inches, other than the north end with 3-3.5 inches. No known open areas. A small ice ridge from east side Miller Pt to middle of lake- not inspected. NO SNOW ON ICE CURRENTLY, other than 10% small patches of minor snow event from Saturday night. Numerous fisherman were out and some 4 wheelers from town. Bait shop reported 5 ice boat contraptions were going fast Sunday afternoon until dark. he thinks they were staying on the south end of lake. If I get time today may run over and personnally look it over or Tuesday AM for sure.

I am pleased to confirm the Great Western Challenge is ON. Dec 5, 6. & 7 someplace in Minnesota.

At present we're compiling inspection reports from a dozen or so suitable lakes... and assessing where we're taking this party. The Great Western Challenge's Dilemma Open in New Window

The range of locations is from Detroit Lakes, MN on US 10 on the Northern end of our range and Buffalo Lake, Buffalo, MN on the Southern End, with several attractive options in the middle.

At this moment, the Alexandria MN area is known to have 3 regatta grade lakes and for now we'll call that the Primary Location,

A good DN Sailor I know recently learned he could catch a flight and make the Great Western Challenge... unfortunately the boat is in Western PA.

If we can find him a charter boat, or perhaps because I expect a two fleet event, share a boat splitting fleet participation it would be cool... mine's already double booked.

An alternative might be if somebody coming from the east could give his yacht a ride out.

Please advise by email: mark (at) onemorebid dot com

4695

For fifteen years, the first weekend in December we've been sailing the Great Western Challenge Regatta, its the only real party I toss every year... as always, we'll have a great sheet of ice, and figure the rest out when we get there.

The Dates: December 5,6,7, 2008 (Friday is always perfect, not to be missed)

The Place: Best Ice, Western Region, (Plan on someplace in Minnesota, as we'll follow the freeze South from Milepost 8, Lake Christina, Ashby, MN)

Who's Coming: You never know. (I never know)

What are we doing: For sure we'll be sailing DN Iceboats, probably on pretty thin ice. If the ice is thicker, bigger, who knows what else might show up.

The Icemaker’s Real Challenge!

The answer is: DNers Are OLD!, Older than Average! 15 years older!
______________________________________________
The Average Age at DN Worlds 2008

Gold Fleet : 42 years old!

Silver Fleet 48 years old!

Bronze Fleet 52 years old!

The Average US Competitor was ~ 49 Years Old!

The Quiz:

1. It this OK? Y/N ______

2. If No, What have I done to change it: ____________________________________

3. If I’d gone the fleet would have been Older or Younger on Avg. O/Y ______

The World IceRacing Tour's Closed Course Champs, Great Racing in A Video Intensive Format, is ON for WHITE BEAR LAKE.
This Weekend, Full Details at
worldiceracingtour.com
If you've alway's wanted one of those pics with you in a tight pack of DN's, out front and smiling to show all your buddies, this may be the opportunity of a lifetime. The shooters and equipment there have never been seen at an IceRacing Event.

Shooting in Still and High Def, 4 professional videographers and 3 professional photographers will be capturing iceboating images like they've never been seen before! A 25' platform, on boat and full course coverage, We all know how sweet IceRacing is, but if your really want to show your buddies what this is all about, this is the to get your mug shot!

This just in, and totally unofficial! Seven Races Sailed, one Drop.

What we know of the top 10...

DN US 4691 John Dennis of Mound MN Wins the 2008 Western Regional Championships in very challenging conditions. US 4824 Mark "the Doctor" Christensen of Mound finished in 3rd Place behind IDNIYRA Commodore and perennial light air threat Dr John Harper leading a strong continged from Detroit Michigan, and in front of a much higher ranked, Aaron Stange US 4480,(he's really from Toledo, but they let him into Michigan) and Rising Star in the Michigan Fleet Jim Hadley reported to be in 5th, followed in 6 by the top Wisconsin Sailor, Steve Olebeke...of the Pewaukee Ice Sailing Squadron, no further finish information until 10th, well earned, by Emergency Replacement Regatta Chairman John Davenport...

From the DN Western Regional Regatta Hotline: (Loosely)

Woodstock on ICE! Give me an F... Give me an A... Give me an S... Give me a T... What's that Spell? FAST!

The Western Reional Regatta begins Saturday March 8, on the Best Ice Lake Geneva's seen since Dwight Eisenhower was the President of the United States!

The entire lake has been sailed every day since Tuesday this week by the SIBC, and is ranked a solid 9 on the 10 points are perfect SIBC Scale.

The launch site is on the West End of Lake Geneva, in Fontana near the legendary Chuck's Bar & Restaurant.

All manner of Iceboats will be Sailing this weekend; A,B, and C Skeeters, Renegades, Nites, and Stern Steerers, will be competing in the ISA & IRIYA and the WSSA Championship Regattas also ON for Geneva Lake in Fontana, Wisconsin... plus DN Fleet!