iceboating.net Minnesota Ice Sailing Association

Here's what Ken has to say after the conference call on Sunday.

From the DN America Forum..
http://dnamerica.org/forum/index.php?topic=1025.0

Sunday, January 23, 2011

Based on reported ice conditions today. No final site has been selected. Several sites have or have the potential to have conditions suitable for the regatta. The next update will be Wednesday, January 26 at about 8:30 PM

The following locations are being monitored as noted:

WESTERN REGION:
Lake Saneshwine, SW of Ottawa IL - Sailed each of the last three days. Lake is about 1 mile by three miles and no obstructions to sailing found. Ice is in excess of 8 inches, gray snow ice. Saturday evening brought less than 1/2 inch of snow. By late afternoon Sunday, most had vanished. In the 1/2 mile course set on Sunday in a southerly breeze, there were a few soft drifts less than 4 inches high mostly on the eastern half of the lake. The primary access is at the north east end of the lake at a public access. There is ample parking adjacent to about 150 yards of shoreline. One shove must be passed just adjacent to the access point to access the main lake.

Green Lake, near the town of Green Lake, WI, west of Oshkosh, is cleaning up. The snow there has mostly submerged the sheet and it is looking like gray ice will firm up. There are now slush pockets in several areas, and it is not suitable at this time, but the forecast weather has a good chance of making the lake sailable in the coming week.

The bay of Green Bay, about half way between Menominee MI and Escanaba, MI is now frozen. On Friday, miles of new, black ice was found at a thickness of about 3 inches. This ice will have grown by now and will be checked and, if suitable and safe, sailed prior to the Wednesday update.

CENTRAL REGION:
The Traverse City, MI, area is experiencing very cold weather and the north half of Torch lake is open and trying to freeze. Also true of the west arm of Traverse Bay.

CANADIAN REGION:
Kingston Ontario is the only area still being monitored and checked in the eastern half of Ontario. The bay still has some thins spots, so was not sailed.

North Shore of Lake Superior. Major cold! will get update by Wednesday.

EASTERN REGION:
Ice was sailed near Lavallette, NJ (East of Toms River, NJ). There are two plates of ice on Barnaget Bay, the other will be checked and sailed if safe prior to the Wednesday update. 7-9 inches of snow/salt ice, at least a mile in most directions. Weather warming and precipitation will be monitored and an update will be made Wednesday.

Lake Champlain, NY. Two sites near Plattsburgh NY are being investigated and may be promising.