I remember the first time when, driving from New York to Vermont in winter, I saw a confusing sight on Lake Champlain. A few boats were gliding across the lake, white sails full of wind—despite the fact that the water was completely frozen. On top of that, it looked like the boats were hovering a few inches above the ice.
Although at first I didn’t entirely know what I was looking at, I’ve since learned about the sport of ice boating. Each winter, when lakes around the world freeze, a few brave, passionate souls launch their ice boats, or ice yachts, to zoom across the glassy surface on slender blades.
“Think about going 50 or so miles an hour, four inches off the ice,” says John Stanton, a lifelong sailor and commodore of the New England Ice Yacht Association (NEIYA). “It can be almost silent. You sheet in [adjust the sail], you accelerate, and it’s like flying—it’s a thrill.”
All around the world, visitors can travel to watch the winter spectacle—or even try it for themselves.
The Dutch brought ice boating to New York, where it developed into a competitive race.
Photo by Smeerjewegproducties/Shutterstock (L); photo by Steve Photography/Shutterstock (R)
What is ice boating?
Just like regular sailboats, ice boats are wind-powered and steered using a rudder and sail. But these winter vessels have three runners with blades like ice skates attached to the bottom of the hull: two on either side of the back and one extended out in front, almost like a tricycle. They come in different sizes, but the most popular is a 12-foot DN (Detroit News) model. With the right wind, the little skiffs skate across the ice, reaching top speeds of 50 to 60 miles per hour. “Helmets are a must,” says Stanton. “It’s effectively a bobsled with a sail.”
Ice boating started in the Netherlands in the 1600s as a way for folks to transport their goods over the country’s frozen canals, according to Deb Whitehorse, secretary for the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club in Madison, Wisconsin, and secretary–treasurer for the International DN Ice Yacht Racing Association (IDNIYRA). In early 19th-century America, Dutch settlers began to navigate the Hudson River and other frozen waterways in New York with just “a crude box, some skates, and a sail,” says Whitehorse.
“People always say, ‘If you have two bicycles or two go-karts, you’re going to start racing,’” she adds. As more immigrants built their own ice boats, a friendly competition ignited.
Today, the culture of competitive and recreational ice boating is expanding across the globe, but it’s the places home to wide, open lakes and frigid temperatures where ice sailors have the best conditions.
“In Poland, it’s a national sport,” Whitehorse adds. “Poland has won so many [World Champion Ice Boating] titles. . . . If they come to America, win the title, and fly back to Poland, when they get off the plane, it’s like they won the Super Bowl.”
Madison, the capital city of Wisconsin, is an excellent place to watch races and celebrate afterward in its many restaurants and pubs.
Photo by MarynaG/Shutterstock
Where to watch ice boating
There are many places around the United States and the world to watch regattas. Typically, the IDNIYRA organizes major races in North America and Europe. They’re highly dependent on weather: Ice conditions need to be completely frozen and glossy, with no snow drifts or soft spots (Whitehorse calls it “Hollywood ice”) to ensure the safety of the sailors. Many events are confirmed only if suitable ice exists when the date approaches.
Europe offers some of the most reliable ice sailing anywhere, with ice yachting fleets thriving in such Nordic and Baltic countries as Sweden, Finland, Estonia, and Lithuania. Many of these countries have long winters paired with expansive lakes that freeze into wind-swept racecourses. In Poland’s Masurian Lake District, Lake Niegocin near the resort town of Giżycko regularly hosts top-tier DN regattas. These events offer a rare chance to see the sport at its highest level while experiencing Eastern Europe at its quiet, frozen best.
In the United States, the winter sport is most popular in New England and New York—and throughout the Midwest, especially in northern Ohio, Michigan, Wisconsin, and Minnesota. Races and meet-ups frequently take place on Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin and Lake Minnewaska in Minnesota, which both offer sailors ample gliding space to explore. Whitehorse says some events embody more of a “carnival atmosphere,” like the annual Western Challenge in Starbuck, Minnesota, with celebrations at bars afterward, but for the most part, the races are casual gatherings.
“Lake Monona is also very unique in ice boating,” says Whitehorse. “It’s right against the backdrop of the Madison skyline [in Wisconsin]. And it’s just really beautiful,” Compared to most of the more rural locations ice boating can take folks, Wisconsin’s capital has more lodging and dining. “This is a university and a foodie town, so this is a very popular place for people to come for regattas,” Whitehorse adds.
In New England, vast lakes like Lake Champlain and New Hampshire’s Lake Winnipesaukee draw ice sailors from around the world. “We need wide open space,” says Whitehorse. “We share the lakes with skaters and ice fishermen, so the more room the better for a [race] course.” Maine, New Jersey, and Long Island, New York all have local clubs, too.
Ice boat races have occurred on Navasink River in Red Bank, New Jersey for more than 100 years.
Photo by James Kirkikis/Shutterstock
Where to try ice sailing yourself
These clubs and meet-ups are the best bet for beginners to get involved. Getting out on the ice as a newbie can be tricky, but it is possible with some research and willingness to be flexible.
In rare cases, small operators offer introductory rides. SkyBrothers Paragliding in Wayzata, Minnesota, runs 30-minute ice sailing experiences piloted by a professional for $120 when conditions allow.
Stanton and Whitehorse both explain there aren’t any formal individual rental programs in North America, since the sport is extremely weather-dependent and can be a liability to amateurs. Most people get involved by finding a local club, connecting with a member, and asking to try on their boat.
“Find us,” says Stanton. “We’ll take you out. And if it doesn’t hook you, you still get to check ice sailing off your bucket list.”
