On the Bay

While winter sailing is still in season, your reporter has been in touch with Warren Darress. Many of us know Warren and his wife, Dorothy, because of their expertise in catamaran sailing for many years, not long ago.

What follows is based on longer accounts from Warren. He also furnished the photographs.

this winter has not been good for our eastern, or anywhere, iceboaters. The only consistent, good ice has been only 100 miles away, on Bantam Lake, Connecticut for seven weeks. Budd Lake, NJ had a couple of days, while there has been nothing on our island. The last two weekends brought out over 60 iceboats of all descriptions to Bantam Lake from as far as Massachusetts and Pennsylvania, including several Skooters from our Great South Bay. The DN class Nationals and Internationals are now scheduled to Montreal, Canada and the Skeeter Class Nationals rescheduled from Lake Champlain back to Oshkosh, Wisconsin.

Warren Darress, one of three local iceboaters, has been on Bantam ice eight days, while the others were busy with other activities. Warren has actively raced iceboats every year (except for two) since 1936, designing, building and tuning all six of them to be winners, including his present C Class Skeeter, I-C-FUN, which won the International C Class Skeeter Championship in 1984 and numerous area and club regattas since. This year, he has also restored an older DN Class and named it I-C-AGE for relaxful sailing. He did enjoy trouncing his Lake Ronkonkoma Ice Boat and Yacht Club DN buddies in one race on Bantam. They did not let him follow them after that.

The last good iceboating on Manhasset Bay was in 1985. Cars drove across the bay in 1934, 35 and 36. The next good year was 1963, but you cannot count on it. The frostbiters must have their fun too.

On Sunday afternoon, Feb. 21, several friends gathered to watch the ESPN2 program Ultimate Sailing that highlighted the GMC Yachting Key West Race Week. It was fun to see local sailor John Thompson being interviewed by the show's host. Noted also were crew members, among them Stretch Ryder and Gary Knapp sailing Solution.

Only four teams of frostbiters braved the cold weather to compete on Sunday, Feb. 21, as many were still away on vacation during Presidents week holiday. Six races and one crew race were completed. Top sailors: 1) Pedro Lorson and Felicity Ryan (#536), 2) Ted Toombs and Monique Gaylor (#514), and 3) Jonathan Siener and Laura Carrihill (#661). Monique Gaylor won the crew race.