Vixen Under Sail
It is cold here on the west bank of the Hudson River. Really cold. For most sailors that means bundling up and waiting for spring. For a special breed of hearty yachtsmen and women, the weather is perfect for sailing on the ice in iceboats, or ice yachts, as some prefer to call them.
In North America, iceboating as a sport dates back to at least 1790, with the first iceboats sailing on the upper Hudson River. By the mid-19th century, wealthy boat owners sailed large stern-steerer iceboats with up to seven crew members. Boats were as long as 69 feet (21 m) and sailed as fast as 107 miles per hour (172 km/h), a record exceeding any other conveyance in 1885, set by the Icicle.
Remarkably, some of the classic iceboats have survived and are still sailing. Last weekend Vixen and four other vintage stern steerer iceboats were sailing on the ice at Murderers Creek, in Athens, NY.
Originally named Eugene, the ice yacht Vixen was built in 1886 and was the first successful lateen-rigged ice boat. The new rigging style allowed for even greater speed. Purchased by John A. Roosevelt (FDR’s uncle) and renamed Vixen, she is still sailing.
Here are two videos of Vixen, the first of drone footage by Glen Wheeler from last weekend, and the second, close-up video of Vixen under sail from 2010.
Hudson River Ice Yachts from fusionlab on Vimeo.
Thanks to W. H. Bunting for contributing to this post.