On Saturday the hardwater sailors began to arrive at Torch Lake, where ten inches of solid ice was slicked with a thin layer of melt that reflected the gray sky. Perfect. They took a few practice runs and worked on their gear.
By Sunday morning, the sun had come out and Babs was on the case. She writes: The World and North American Championship DN ice boat regatta is being held on Torch Lake this week. There are about 130 boats from all over the US and 11 foreign countries. I took this photo from my front porch. It gives a perspective on the scene. They will be racing all week. The smoke is from a controlled burn of the old Blue Pelican that they did this morning.
When it’s Babs, you can always count on something special. I loved her images of the turquoise ice of Torch Lake.
Here’s a closer look at the boats flying across the ice.
Want to see more? Babs says I took 241 photos and no one, even me, wants to see that many photos of anything. So I uploaded a few to Flickr and you can see them at Ice Boats 09.
Torch Lake Views 
dmarks
February 9, 2009
Great photos.
I have some of iceboats on East Grand Traverse Bay from a few years ago, but none as nice as this. I also have some 100 year old postcards of ice boats.
Gerry
February 9, 2009
Thanks, d – I’m enchanted with the jewel-toned ice Babs captured.
I’d love to see the vintage ice boat postcards. If you post ’em I’ll link ’em!
p.j. grath
February 9, 2009
In the second picture, the sails look like cabbage butterflies clustered on a puddle!
giiid
February 9, 2009
The ice photos looks great.
katherine
February 10, 2009
The ice is very cool (!?) It does kind of worry me when it’s clear though.
Gerry
February 10, 2009
PJ, I hadn’t thought about the cabbage butterflies image but you’re absolutely right! Thanks, Birgitte – I liked the ice, too. Babs is a genius.
Katherine, I think really clear ice may be stronger than the cloudier version. It’s an interesting question. But when I think about “rotten ice” it’s always the variety that looks like refrozen slush. Maybe some ice-boaters will weigh in on the issue.
Babs Young
February 10, 2009
What a beautiful day. I was just down by the launch site and all this may move to Wisc. or some other place depending on the weather. Stay tuned. I guess you have to be able to deal with uncertainty with this sport.
Katy
February 10, 2009
Gerry I really like that you comment on the comments … gives me a full circle feeling…which is real nice. Thanks.
Gerry
February 10, 2009
Thank you Katy – the conversation is one of the best parts of the whole enterprise.
Thank you, too, Babs. It was a beautiful day, and I’m looking forward to the pictures you took while the ice-boaters packed up to go find icier ice and while I took pictures of you taking pictures of them . . .
Babs Young
February 10, 2009
Gerry,
I added some more to the Flickr site and like magic when you click on the link you created you can get to them all. This technology stuff just gets better and better.