Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1912-02-26
ICE YACHTING,
1t Is One of the Most Delightful Sports
on the Shrewsbury.

lie lCe NdctlHlS centre VI 2hiltliCd -
ON the Shrewsbury River and its capital
is Red Bank. For more than half a Gen.
fury ice sailing has been the foremost
sport thereabout This winter has been
the best that even the oldest inhabitant
can remember, AS if in anticipation of
it. II is said that more ice boats We're
built last autumn and that more preten-
tious meets We're planned for this season
than ever before For once. therefore
the tickle divinity that presides over lee
yachting has proved kind and is giving
the lovers of that sport on the Shrews-
bury fuller measure of days and weeks
of enjoyment than ever before in re-
turn for their patience and more or less
costly devotion.
The ice yaehtsmen are unique crowd
Most of them. of course. are born sailors.
They have 10 be, especially when they
sail boats for championships. for that
takes not only skill. but consummate
daring They are keen-eyed. they have
no nerves, and like the racing drivers
of automobiles and the aviators who ride
the air at tremendous speed they possess
the sixth SENSE which enables them TO
scent danger and concentrate their brain
and muscle instantaneously to meet it.
1t takes iron nerve to enjoy ice boahng.
The start is prosaic enough. The run
ners have to be chopped free from the
frozen ground the boat pushed out a
little way from the shore, and the sail
hoisted. Thtn the one, or two. or three
persons stretch themselves out ON the
chilled planking and hold on to the small
rail When all is ready the craft Slides
easily out on the ice. The novice grips
the rail tighter and starts to say some
thing. when he hears the runners CRATE
harshiy and the wind begin TO sing past
his ears The boat sweeps on, gathering
speed tremendously with every second.
1t seems to be dying through the air,
and the runners appear to touch the ice
only at long and painfully irregular in
tervals Then comes turn. Only the
exertion of every ounce of strength keeps
the persons on the boat from shooting
off at a tangent The speed increases.
The shore is "A white blur, with blotcnes
of leaGess trees Tie wind howls like a
typhoon. The helmsman tugs at a rope,
the wind catches the huge spread of
canvas at a new angle. the boat gives
another sudden lunge and gathers even
greater speed. OFF in the distance rail-
way train is speeding at the rate OF 80
miles an hour. The yacht passes 1t as
though it were standing still. Those who
are having their first experience at ice
yachting grow terror-stricken at this
stage They would welcome unconscious
ness, but they must hold on. Then, in n
few minutes, the speed slackens, and
they find themselves near shore again.
They roll off on the ice and lie still until
fppl q if
they had been riding ON a bolt of light
ming. The first trip brings fear. but as
soon as that is over it is succeeded by
curiosity and by desire to try it again.
Then the speed madness gets. the neo-
phyte and he is eager as any to ride
/, faster than man ever rode before--to
reach that unattainable point that dances
forever just in front of the ice flyer 5
prov.
Swimming over the ice alone is greas
| fun, but when there is regatta and :,
number of the wind beaters' are out.
it gets TO be the most thrilling sport N
| the world 1t is thrilling even for the
spectators. The yachts are drawn up in
line waiting for the instant when thu
f., cannon booms, the wind filing the sails
! just enough to stretch them. They are
| almost moving, but not quite. When the
! powder speaks the wind catches the sails
] with a tremendous kick that seems as
I though it would tear them away. The
! boats start as though they had been sho
! from cannon. They move so fast thai
l it is almost impossible to follow then
/ through field glasses Even at a distanc,
! their terrific speed is apparent
In an automobile so or 20 miles an houi
lis pretty fast going. Coasting down {
long, steep hill one can ride for littl,
ways at so or 90 miles an hour. But il
ice boating, 100 miles an hour is not al
extraordinary speed. Incomprehensibl'
as it may seem to the average layman
the iceboat can go two or three time.
faster than the wind. This happens whel
! she is sailing across the wind with he
sail approaching a right angle to its di
rection, but still sloping. In this way /
20-mle wind may make a sail slip pas
it at rate of 60 miles an hour TIT
closer the boat can sail to the wind tn.
faster she will go. That is why SOM
4 boats can leave behind others that hay,