DN North Americans ON FOR LAKE PEPIN!!!
At 4:00 pm today the DN North Americans Hotline Announced that Lake Pepin at Lake City is the Primary Site for the DN North American Championship Regatta.
Details will be posted on this thread later this evening... and now a word from our sponsors...
This world class regatta is once again brought to you by the ice checkers of the Minnesota Ice Sailing Association... "Let us carry your runners down to the ice for you, if you don't like the ice, come and tell us, we'll try to do better next time"
A tip of the helmet to ice checkers here and in other regions who make this event happen, in particular:US 3433 in Oshkosh, US 5287, Jay Davis (on the ice yesterday and today without success in Okoboji IA!!!, I personally appreciate this effort; Rumrunr (Ed Newcomb) of Pepin, WI for the "head's up!"; US 5366 for getting up this morning before sunrise for all you unwashed travellers, and driving 90 miles on a lark; and to US 5369 for sailing the ice this afternoon, ... and for letting me take a rip on his yacht, it's good ice, maybe better.
Load up your stuff, get on the road!
It's gonna be Amazing... all the ingredients... big breeze on Tuesday.
I predict this will be the best and biggest one design sailing event this year on the entire continent.
DO NOT LET THIS OPPORTUNITY PASS YOU BY
4695
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Launch Site Moved
The Launch Site for the DN NA's has moved ~8 miles North to near Frontenac. Directions given were Drive North, turn right at the Whistle Stop, go to ice. or something like that.
4695
Great sailing on Pepin
As of sunset there are 45 rigged boats on the ice. 25+ sailed today. Many more boats en route...
Saturday turned out to be a decent sailing day. The snow event was a non-event - just a little dust on the ice. Wind was plenty for the rumbly surface.
More tuning-up on Sunday, then the fun begins!
/Adam
Launch Site: Roschen Park,
Launch Site: Roschen Park, on the south side of Lake City MN.
Regatta HQ: Willows on the River, www.willowsontheriver.com Lisa!, 651-345-9900 this is a condo property with ample vacancy, 1 bedrooms have kitchen, king and fold out queen, 4 people max, $85.00 a nite, with attached bar restaurant, this is a sail in sail out location... right on the water,
Duane at the Skyline Restaurant & lounge will open for morning breakfast, (needs info and guidance) and can accomodate about a 75 - 90 person meeting... and he's offered to donate and bring hot cocolate to the ice Monday & Tuesday... btw, the waitress we had at the Skyline today came up to us and asked "Are you the iceboaters?" (Does it show?) and she showed us a picture of her Dad, sailing a Stern Steer on this bay, in 1921! Home built, the Comet was a fine looking gaff rigged yacht, about 25' loa, big angle runners on an ice spring day.
Other properties: DOG FRIENDLY AND... for the frugal (Hey the wind is Free!): Sunset Motel, Lake City's oldest motel.
$40.00 a nite. 800-945-0192
also nearby: AmericInn, Alaska Guest Suites (looked intriguing but no info yet), and others...
this should be enough to get the regatta underweigh.
Sunset Saturday,
Perhaps the Bald Eagle Fly Over's during yesterday's ice checking were a good sign, there are a lot of them here too.
As advertised, the ice is rumbly... last night's snow flurrys just painted the lake white, no perceptable impact on speed, the ice remains fast, if it were to blow 20 mph this will be very spiritual sailing... it is a little rumbly. That said, nobody suggested there were any real Launchers or things of that nature.
Over 40 DN's are currently on the ice at the launch site. License Plates on Cars from Quebec (who assure me that Canadian Money really is good in British Columbia), Massachusetts, New York, New Jersey, Slippery Rock, Pennsylvania, North Carolina and Florida as well as the many of the usual suspects from WI, MI, IL, IN and of course there's some folks from Minnnesota. Additionally there are 5 German Sailors, either at the Regatta or en Route, I hear the Aussies are coming too.
I can't be sure but I'm thinking this will be the biggest one design sailing event (in terms of number of competing craft) ever held in Minnesota, hard or soft water.
The wind we saw today was in the 8-10 mph range, far above what the weather station in Red Wing showed, with the northish breeze channelling down the Mighty Mississippi. One Michigan sailor claimed he'd raced and beat a Southbound train on the Wisconsin side of the river today, like they used to do on the Hudson River a Century ago.
It's a large expanse of ice, people driving in saw iceboats a ludicrous distance south of Lake City, the majority of the fleet seems to favor a sheet of ice two bays north of the launch site, which may change. Based on reports people were 4-8 miles North and South of the Launch Site, with no hazards reported.
With over 36 hours before the start of competition, I've never seen a fleet this big in anticipation of a Major Regatta, might have something to do with the lack of sailing this season around the continent.
Please be advised, stay in touch with the hotline, and either phone or in person Check In tomorrow with the RC if you're planning on sailing.
Not that it's entirely germain to this thread, but my boat's really fast, and quiet on this ice. Wow, what a hoot.
Great Breeze is forecast for tune up racing and sailing area determination scheduled for tomorrow. More for Monday and even more they say on Tuesday...
It is already an Amazing Event, and it hasn't happened yet.
4695
Ice report.
It is big,
It is fast,
"Rumbler" means you better have tight fillings if it blows more than 10-12
Two of us sailed about six miles north of the launch site and found zero obstacles. Zero launchers, drifts, cracks, holes or obstructions. But one bumpy ride at speed!
Ken Smith
DN4137
Ken Smith
DN4137
Are Ya Sailing or are Ya Scrap Booking?
The famous Latin Poet, Stone Blogger, and Iceboater, Horace, , about 2000 years ago said it best, people have been using his words for two millennia
"Carpe DN!!! : ) "
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