I've just been reading some amazing ice yachting websites. There are so many it's difficult to know where to begin. It sounds like an incredible sport, with a huge variety of sizes and types. Some of the bigger boats (50') will accelerate to 80mph in seconds. Some you lie flat on your back like a luge with a sail. The world record set in 1938 was 143mph - and they haven't beaten that to this day it would appear, despite some high tech attempts. It's been nominated as a sport for the Winter Olympics 2010. The history of some of the ice yacht clubs is amazing, preserving and racing yachts built years ago.
80 mph, 143 mph. That's scary speeds!
Some starters.
What's an ice yacht here the amateur end
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.nsibyc.com/what.asp>and here</A>
Building again - as basic as it gets?
<A target="_blank" HREF=http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/winter/activities/skating/ice_boat.htm>http://www.inquiry.net/outdoor/winter/activities/skating/ice_boat.htm</A>
<hr width=100% size=1> I asked an economist for her phone number....and she gave me an estimate
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There are three kinds of people:
Those who learn by reading.
Those who learn by observation.
Those who have to pee on an electric fence for themselves.
Location: I\'m in Cambridge, boat\'s at Titchmarsh marina, Walton
Posts: 820
Re: Has anyone been ice yachting?
Why not give landyachting a try? Almost as fast as ice yachting, and easier to do in this country.
The speeds really are amazing. Class 5 yachts (the cheaper of the two classes sailed in this country) will sail at about 35 knots in 10 knots of wind, and will reach 60 knots on a good day.
Class 3, which I've just moved to, is plain scary- twice the size, large wing mast, kevlar body and so on. Will reach 80 knots quite easily. Yesterday, when the wind never got above 6 knots, I hit 24 knots on a few occasions.
If anyones interested in giving it a go, drop me an PM, and I'll put you in touch with the nearest club. I sail with ALYC - http://www.anglia-lyc.fsnet.co.uk/
I tried landyachting near Calais, with a cheap rented machine (Average White Landyacht maybe more pc), and it was enormous fun: only drawback in two seconds I was covered with sand and could hardly keep my eyes open.
A friend of mine literally disappeared behind a dune, he stopped in a trough filled with half a meter of water, not pleasant in January and blue jeans; the acceleration is amazing.
I got a gift voucher for landyachting for Christmas and can't wait to try it out - the voucher is for 6 hours of instruction. I'll post my experiences here once I've done it - although it won't be for a few months as Mrs SWMBO is due to have a sprog any day now. I'd assumed that you needed a decent bit of wind for it to be worthwhile, but from the speeds you've posted it sounds like they can shift some even in fairly light winds.... sounds like great fun.
I did some sand yachting whilst at Uni many, many years ago, and it is indeed great fun. There was something about the ice yachting that just grabbed my imagination, in a way that sand yachting doesn't. Wet cold beaches in the UK in January doesn't have the same ring as ice yachting on the frozen Hudson River in dry crisp air.
Didn't realise land yachts were reaching such speeds now though. Might have to have a look at it
<hr width=100% size=1> I asked an economist for her phone number....and she gave me an estimate
Location: I\'m in Cambridge, boat\'s at Titchmarsh marina, Walton
Posts: 820
Re: Has anyone been ice yachting?
Which club is it with?
Yes, it starts getting fun with about 10 knots of wind. 20 knots is about as much as you want for learning. 25 knots is brown trousers stuff, even for the top pilots.
Went to Chiropractioner the other day. Usually races yachts but was telling me that he strapped his wind surfing rig to a skateboard? Presumably one of those all terrain jobs.. Says he got 25MPH!
Its with Kirrawee Land Yachts in Kent. Must admit it was something I had never even thought about doing, to me anything with sails on it is also something that floats. So it was a pretty inspired choice of present for me.
Will let you know how it all goes, and whether I got brown trousers!
Has anyone been ice yachting?
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