Ice Wing beats large ice boats in the USA. Wins One-of-a-Kind Race.

Ice Wing beats large ice boats in the USA

Mentioned in The New York Times

and

Wins two different One-of-a-Kind Races

Races kite sailors, plus slide show

This is an incredible performance for its size, simplicity and price.

Ice Wing beats ice boats

Reprint from Yachting Magazine USA

Ansar stupefied ice sailors in the New York-New Jersey area when he raced a fleet of DN-class boats* at Peach Lake, N.Y., in moderate winds and easily beat them. This was quite a feat, since Ice-Wing has less than half the sail area of a DN. Says George Blair, of Red Bank, N.J., who is the first buyer in the U.S.:

"I am absolutely enthralled at the beauty and simplicity of this thing. We should ask ourself why we didn't think of this before Ansar did.* It's very forward, basic and simple."

* My note. I was not the first to think about this way of sailing. It was suggested to me by Sven-Olof Ridder, professor in aerodynamics, at The Royal Institute of Technology in Sweden, when I studied there for my Master of Science, Physics, degree. People I met on the ice have suggested that they know somebody who tried this before me. My question: How did it work? It didn't.

Ice Wing beat large USA ice boats

On this occasion, Reprint above, after I beat the DN**, it was suggested I should race the present Skeeter ice boats. I did, and beat them too. The sailor of the fastest Skeeter, an E Skeeter, then wanted a two lap race because he felt he needed some time to get his heavy boat going. We sailed a two lap race and I won again.

The Skeeter is a quite large ice boat: length 9 m, (30 ft), width 6 m (20 ft) and height 7 m (23 ft). The wing skate sail is a dwarf in comparison. David beats Goliath!

The sail I used on this occasion is much slower than today's best wing sails, which are made with a larger stiff forward part. The sail I had was made with emphasis on portability - not speed - as I took it in parts as checked luggage on the trans Atlantic flight and put it together in New York City.

It was Basil Kamener, then commodore of the American Skate Sailing Ass., who took me to the lake.

** My note. I actually only raced one DN, the one which placed second in their race, the winner had already left the racing area. When I asked him to race he sort of indicated that it was an unnecessary test as it was clear who would win.

Ice Wing wins two One of a Kind Races

From the left: Ice Wing, traditional skate sail and a DN-Class ice boat. Click for larger picture.

1. Photo. Before the start of a One Of A Kind race in Stockholm, Sweden, in light winds. Each sailor being national top class in his class. Left: Wing Sail. Middle: Traditional skate sail. Right: DN Class Ice Boat.

Wind speed some 8 knots, 4 m/s. The distance to the wind ward mark is around 0.7 miles, 1 km. The course is sailed two laps.

They finished in this order: The wing skate sail. The DN iceboat, some 300 m thereafter, some 10 percent slower. The traditional skate sail, some 900 m after the winner, some 20 percent slower.

The winners time is 10 minutes and 45 seconds.

2. After the Swedish Skate Sailing Championships 2017 a One of a Kind Race was sailed (actually a Two of a Kind Race). Winner was Dick Tillberg, Stockholm, in Wing number 80. It is an old wing, from 1980, (I built it) current wings are faster. Dick Tillberg was around 78 here. A younger sailor might have sailed faster. Video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gmJc8m3XICI&t=8s

This photo is from US N.Y. State Peach Lake, 1979, where I demonstrated my Wing Skate Sail - and beat the present E-Skeeters!

Photo Basil Kamener, then Commodore of the American Skate Sail Association. Basil: The Ice Wing, he went on, is deceiving: “It doesn't seem as if you are going fast, but then you realize that you're beating everything else on the ice.” From The New York Times