Posting this somewhere near Fergus Falls so excuse the brevity. Regatta complete. Congratulations to each and every competitor who made the journey and to James “T” Thieler on the win, Ron Sherry second, and Chad Atkins third. Safe travels home, everyone.

SCHEDULE FOR FRIDAY, JAN 24, 2020
9 AM Skipper’s Meeting at Launch Site
10 AM First Start Silver Fleet Race #2 followed by short break and then Silver Fleet Race #3.
If time allows, racing will continue with alternating fleets (Gold Silver Gold Silver, etc.)
There will be no on-shore postponement. Plan accordingly to be on the ice ready to race all day.

The Executive Committee met tonight and determined that our governing documents are clear that if we do not complete 2 Silver Fleet races on Friday that racing will continue into Saturday, January 25, 2020.

http://dniceboat.org/2020/na.html

Many thanks to remote tabulators  Ann and Bob Foeller for maintaining the off site office in Toledo, OH.

https://youtu.be/D1sbH9KkVgA

UPDATE Saturday 18 Jan 7:30 PM CT: The Cottonwood Inn is experiencing a phone outage. “Our provider is working on fixing the issue.
Please email us at cottonwood@cwimt.net for the time being.”

Fish or cut bait. Shit or get off the pot. Sink or swim. Drop the puck. Any way you say it…it’s decision time. Do I send it? Or do I stall again? I’m the guy with his finger on the button surrounded by wise advisers. And sometimes I even listen to them, though I’m known to be afflicted with MBD. (Mission Blindness and Deafness). Damn it…we’re going to make this thing happen! Step back, the launch sequence has been activated.

 

We’re ON. We’re headed WEST. Boldly going where most of our iceboats have never been before—the Fort Peck Reservoir outside of Glasgow, Montana. It’s nearly 400 square miles of ice. Shouldn’t be a problem getting a long enough race track (That’s what the Euros call it. Thought it might make me sound sophisticated. My wife knows otherwise). The reservoir froze nice and smooth earlier this week. By the time we arrive, thickness should be 5-6” minimum. They got less than an inch of snow and there’s next to nothing in the forecast. Except for moderate temps and a range of wind speeds. Sounds good to this urban cowboy!

 

Here’s the video that was shot today by our man in Montana—Tim Ogrinc. Give him a hug when you meet him. If you’re homophobic, then just buy him a beer. He set up his DN today in sub zero temps with winds above 20 mph, and went out twice to capture this footage. He doesn’t even know any of us, and he did this anyway. Wow, talk about selfless! Tim said the best ice is always further out in the middle. Sounds to me like Mother Nature is polishing up the surface for us! Is calling it on a leap of faith? Yeah, maybe, but I’m going to jump. After all, I know I’m going to get to sail in a place I’ve never been. I know I’m going to learn something new. I know I’m going to have a great time with many friends. Heck yeah, that’s worth it! You in?

 

If yes, email or text Deb right now. We need to update the hotel on our numbers for their food order. Here are all the details. Travel safe…see you there!

 

PS

 

Did I mention you can support your class by drinking free beer all week? The first keg we’ll tap is called “Naked Threesome.” Yes, there is a hot tub. (It does concern me, however, that we’re mostly all dudes). Did I mention that the fast guys are going to tell you all their secrets? Did I mention that we’ve gathered thousands of dollars of booty for the raffle? Did I mention that two great meals are included? And that you can get a special iceboater breakfast every day in the onsite restaurant for just $8.50. I could keep going, but I need to sharpen my runners. See you on the ice!

Daniel Hearn

US 5352

Event Chairman

Western Hemisphere Rear Commodore

SITE:
Fort Peck Reservoir, Fort Peck, MT

LAUNCH:
Duck Creek Recreation Area:
Please stay on all roads and observe all rules. Do not drive off road or park off road. We have a permit to launch here.

LODGING
Cottonwood Inn
54250 US-2, Glasgow, MT 59230
Phone: (800) 321-8213
Iceboater Rate: $84 plus tax ($92.74)
Breakfast buffet each morning  6 – 8 AM for $8.50

SCHEDULE OF EVENTS

• • Tuesday, January 21, 2020,
    Registration 6 – 6:30 PM MT
    Regatta HQ: Cottonwood Inn, Glasglow, MT,
    6:30 PM MT Opening Ceremony
    7:00  – 9 PM MT: Optional Speed Symposium Session w/ heavy hors d’oeuvres and drink
  • Wednesday, January 22, 2020: First race at time stated in sailing instructions.
    8:00 PM: Annual Class Governing Meeting
  • Thursday, January 23, 2020
    7 PM MT Dinner Buffet & Raffle
  • Friday, January 24, 2020 racing is concluded with Prize Giving after racing at Regatta HQ.
    (Providing 3 Gold Fleet races)

https://youtu.be/MGW7i8j1XSY

The announcement for site selection for the 2020 North American Championship regatta has been postponed until January 18, 2020. The governing board is going to meet immediately upon receiving accurate and up to date information from actively scouted sites.

The video above is from today, January 17, 2020 from Fort Peck, Montana and there was limited scouting ability due to weather conditions. The ice will be re scouted at that site in the morning of Saturday, January 18, 2020.

Registration has been postponed until Tuesday, January 21, 2020.  This is to ensure safe travel of all competitors and to supply accurate ice condition information.

Next update: Saturday, January 18, 2020 sometime after the ice has been scouted.

DNs line up to race on Lake Pepin in Minnesota.

Keep The Faith!

If this were a card game I’d call a misdeal. My partner starring across the table with that, tell-me-you’ve-got-SOMETHING look in her eyes. No face cards. No pairs. No aces. Four suits. One Joker, but it’s not funny. That’s my hand friends, but I’m still going to play it for all it’s worth.

 

Not much has changed since last night. Still lots of snow on the way almost everywhere. Except Montana. That’s a long way for a lot of people. That sucks. But the Governing Committee agrees, it would suck worse to not do our best to stage an event anywhere it could happen for those who could make it.

 

Some of you will undoubtedly be forced to pull out. We regret that. But we just don’t appear to have ANY other options. We’re going to delay another 24 hours to see if something miraculous happens. And if it doesn’t, we WILL call on the Championship for our best location. It’s likely somewhere in Montana. They’ve got ice. It’s got very little snow. Temps and wind look good. We’ve got someone sailing it tomorrow. A very experienced local ice sailor. In an ideal world, he would be ranked. In our world, he’s a great guy who’s been extremely helpful and is working hard to provide us with all the information we’re asking for.

 

Sit tight for one more night. We’ll be back tomorrow evening with our final call, pictures, videos, description, weather forecast, etc. For what it’s worth, we have exceptional accommodations lined up for where we think we’re going. And we’ve got lots of fun stuff planned that should make the regatta a great experience for all who will still be able to make it.

 

Keep the faith, and Think Ice! And remember, if it were easy, everyone would do it. We’re a special breed. Arguably not the most sensible in our selection of recreational activities, but I wouldn’t trade it for anything! You in?

NEXT UPDATE: 7 PM CT, FRIDAY, JANUARY 16, 2020

 

Signed,

Daniel Hearn (aka, the guy whose ass is on the line)
US 5352
Event Chairman
Western Region (which now includes Montana) Rear Commodore

Twenty20 DN Championship Registrants:

After careful consideration, the Governing Committee has concluded that we do not yet have enough thoroughly vetted information to announce a site for our event. We are electing to postpone for 24 hours to allow us to consider updated forecasts and verification of ice conditions of the sites currently on our short list. The primary issue is a wide band of snow that is expected to wipe out everything from the Midwest, to north central states, the east coast and north into Canada. Below is a map and statement from our independent weather advisers depicting expected snow falls.

“Due to storm system moving E thru Great Lakes into NE part of the US, there will be widespread area of 6+ inches across the region, most in northern Michigan into central/northern Wisconsin and Minnesota. Lesser snow to S as some rain mixes. 1st attached map shows snowfall amounts thru Sun evening” Weather Commander Forecasting Service

The bright spots from a weather standpoint are locations on the outer fringe of the Western Region, specifically in the state of Montana.

“[This] chart shows snowfall amounts for US NW, which most of Montana has little or no snowfall thru Sun evening.” Weather Commander Forecasting Service

We recognize that Montana would be very long drive for our friends on the east coast and in Canada, but at this point, other viable options, which will not be affected by the major snow storm, have not been identified. 

I awoke this morning to see Lake Monona in Madison snow free. Unfortunately, the same as last season, Mother Nature is going to toss a white blanket on her before we have a chance to play. And she’s doing the same thing all over the country.

Lake Monona, morning of January 15, 2020

We WILL be playing somewhere next week, and it appears it may have to be in Montana, but we’re not prepared to conclude that yet. We may announce tomorrow night, or we may elect to delay another 24 hrs. to Friday night. By Friday night, all sheets will have been sailed and more of the impact of the coming storm known. In either case, we are officially delaying registration to Monday night January 20, 2020.

 

If you want to begin heading west, assuming somewhere west is where we are going to end up, then you need to make that decision for yourself. The Governing Committee is NOT advising you to do so. Please consult your own travel advisory resources to determine the impact of the storm on your probable driving route. Then, you will be better equipped to determine if and when you should start a journey. Of course we’d love to see you, but even more, we want you to be safe.

 

Stay tuned for the next update on Thursday evening, January 16, 2020.

Think Ice! (Not Snow)

Daniel Hearn
US 5352
Event Chairman
Western Region Rear Commodore