One of the biggest attributes of an Ice Flyer is it's ability to handle heavy air. Saturday, February 17th, I sailed Long Pond, a 4 mile long pond in Massachusetts. The ice was smooth and the wind was blowing 15 to 20 mph with some bigger puffs. I rigged a 6.5 meter sail and put on my 36 inch inserts. Ralph Steel was also sailing his Ice Flyer with a 7.0 meter sail. The boats were not only fast, but were easy to control with no side slip or spin outs. Of all the boats there, including many with windsurfing rigs, the Ice Flyer was definitely the best boat for the day.

Roger Livingston

Is enlightening to hear about your experiences with other boats. That would be nice. I might sail a dozen lakes a season and see one old DN. The reaction I get most in these parts is surprise that there's such a thing as sailing on ice. Racing here isn't much of an option, so I opt for cruizing fun. And I find dancing with the wind more fun than controlling it. I may be maxxed out with the 12 meter sail, but the next rear beam will be a 6 footer.
Was talking to a land sailor (DS) about his $40,000 carbon fiber craft with a quiver of 5 color coordinated custom sails. It may have been the most beautiful thing I've ever seen. When he told me it gets put away when the wind approaches 20 MPH I thought he was joking. I mean you sit in your lawn chair for days waiting for a puff of air and then quit when the wind actually starts to blow? Of course, if I could fly over the playa like he did in light beezes, I'm sure I'd have a different opinion.

The iceboating is too short to limit the days you sail when there is good ice. We do not get many days where there is too much wind, but when the wind gets heavy, I have the option of sailing my Super DN with a storm sail or the Ice Flyer. As I found out this weekend, the Ice Flyer is the better choice. But when the wind is light to moderate, I feel the DN is a better choice for me. That doesn't mean I'm giving up on the Ice Flyer as a boat for all conditions.

When I started building DN's back in 1959 (boy I'm getting old), the boat didn't have near the performance of todays design. But the DN design has had 60 plus years to mature. I think the Ice Flyer can evolve also. For many of you the current design works and future changes may not help you. But there are many of us who like to tinker with iceboats to make them better. We will deffinitely see changes in the Ice Flyer down the road.

If you are thinking of building an Ice Flyer, don't hesitate. The boat is less expensive to build than a DN, a lot safer to sail in different conditions and much more comfortable. Plus it can easily be converted for land sailing.

Roger Livingston