The DN Western Region Championship is tentatively scheduled for January 13-14, 2018. Here’s an update from Western Region Commodore Daniel Hearn.
UPDATE 2: January 11, 2018 @12:30 PM CST
Please be patient. I understand many are anxious for the call, but I won’t have enough information to make a decision until sometime Friday morning. Right now it’s 47 degrees in Madison and we’ve got lots of water on top of ice on all the Madison area lakes. Same on Green Lake, Winnebago, Delavan and Lake Geneva. When the temps drop back below freezing this afternoon and get down to 9 degrees overnight, we could have either hockey rinks or runner swallowing shell ice and drain holes. The radical temperature shift could also create cracks/heaves. Unfortunately, I’m just not going to know until tomorrow. A number of us will be on Middleton Bay on the west end of Lake Mendota early tomorrow morning. It is our intention to inspect and sail, and call the event “ON” if at all possible. Lake Mendota remains our most probable possibility, but the other lakes mentioned above are not out of consideration. Others will be inspecting those tomorrow morning, as well.
Stay tuned…
Daniel Hearn
Western Region Commodore
US 5352
Ice Sailing Friends:
The Western Regional Championships remain a possibility for this weekend. Here’s what I know—
The big Zamboni is working overtime this week on the Madison area lakes. We’ve been above freezing during the day all week with a high of 46 expected Thursday, along with some rain. This should all but eliminate the modest amount of snow we have on our ice. Then, we’re back to 12 degrees overnight Thursday, with a high of 20 on Friday and down to Zero overnight Friday. All of these factors could set us up for a choice between sheets on the Madison area lakes, but there is a possibility that we could receive some mixed precipitation Thursday evening as temperatures drop back down. If we’re lucky, the precip will have ended as the temps drop back below freezing.
Don’t believe it’s been warm enough to the north to eliminate the snow that has landed on the ice.
To the south, the warm temps have not allowed Lake Geneva to lock up yet to safe sailing conditions. Have not heard any more about Lake Decatur or any other sheets in southern Illinois or Indiana.
Have not heard any promising reports coming out of the bays of Green Bay.Please keep ice reports coming my way!
All of this means that I am anticipating a late go/no-go call, possibly as late as noon on Friday. Have your stuff ready to go, because it just might happen! Many sailors are anxious to get in some tiller time before the North Americans, which open the following weekend. If we can’t pull Westerns off this weekend, we will postpone until after North Americans.
The 4LIYC will be checking ice on Friday. If sailable conditions exist, at a minimum, you can anticipate that scrub racing will be happening. I’m placing my personal bet on the west end of Lake Mendota.
Until later this week…
Daniel Hearn
Western Region Commodore
US 5352
