Kai Linde, the first iceboating sailing in the world in Sweden and Dash’s first iceboat trailer rescue.

Ice sailors from Wisconsin, Minnesota, Illinois, Iowa, and New York gathered at the Wisconsin Iceboat Swap Meet in Green Lake, WI, on Sunday, October 22, 2023. Meanwhile, 4,000 miles away in Sweden, Norwegian DN sailor Kai Linde had the 2023-2024 season’s first iceboat ride in the world. Who will be first in North America? New York DNer Paul Chamberland, who came for the Swap Meet, will try for that milestone when he visits family in Alberta, Canada, in a few weeks. Paul is optimistic about the upcoming week of ice-making temperatures and hopes to find some sailable ice.

The Green Lake Ice Yacht Club delivered perfect fall weather for the event and organized the raffle, a tradition started by the Skeeter Iceboat Club’s Jane Pegel.

Of course, this being iceboating, a trailer situation presented some problem-solving opportunities right off the bat for new DN Junior Sailing Secretary Sam Bartel. Speaking of Jane Pegel, she generously donated her trailer to the DN Junior program a few years ago. Sam collected the trailer from Madison on Saturday night, but unfortunately, the axle broke on his way to Green Lake near Beaver Dam. As we know, trailers can always be unpredictable. Daniel Hearn, Dale Gordon, Dash, and I swung by Don Anderson’s to borrow a flatbed trailer and rescued the DN trailer on the way home from the Swap Meet with an assist from trailer specialist DNer Matt Meyer.

Thanks to the Green Lake Ice Yacht Club for a fantastic Swap Meet with perfect conditions.