Helena-area ice-boat sailors hosting weeklong event at Canyon Ferry

Unseasonably warm weather in many parts of the country is proving to be good news for Helena-area ice-boat sailors -- and anyone else in the area interested in seeing the sport in action.

Canyon Ferry Reservoir is hosting an ice-boat sailing regatta starting this Sunday and running until the following Sunday, Feb. 11.

Boats are expected in from all over the country, including the world's largest ice boat, the Deuce, from Racine, Wis.

Other boats are expected from Michigan, Minnesota, Arizona, California, Nevada, Colorado and New Jersey.

John Cassidy and the rest of the Helena area's ice-boating enthusiasts have known for years that Canyon Ferry is a prime place to pursue their sport.

And for years, the sailors, who spend most of their winter weekends waiting for wind at the lake, have been trying to lure an ice-boat-sailing regatta.

The lake's large size and the fact that there's almost always good ice and a relative lack of snow make it a perfect spot for ice boating.

Add in the reliability of of the lake's wind, and you've got a world-class ice-boat-sailing destination.

"It's really one of the best places in the world from what we've been told," said Cassidy, a regatta organizer who has recruited many of the out-of-state sailors to make the trek to Helena.

Now that most of the lakes in the Midwest -- the hotbed of ice sailing -- are still in the liquid state, the Midwestern sailors have finally taken them up on it.

"We have fantastic ice (this year) and it all kind of came together," said John Cassidy, one of the local ice sailors and an organizer of the event.

One of the boats coming in is the Deuce. Built in 1930 and at almost 55 feet long, it is the world's largest ice boat. The Deuce dwarfs the largest boat on Canyon Ferry, which measures in at 32 feet.

The Deuce's owner, Rick Hennig, said it was his idea to finally take up the Canyon Ferry sailors on having a regatta there.

He said that two years ago, during a regatta in Osh Kosh, Wis., the Deuce, which once held the world land-speed record, developed a 20-foot crack and needed to be completely rebuilt.

Hennig and Bill Mattison, one of the leaders in the sport and a 12-time world champion, selected a 600-year-old Sitka spruce from Vancouver, British Columbia, and spent a month and a half working feverishly to get the boat ready for last season.

The season never came, because last winter was as warm as this year.

"We were all dressed up and no place to go," Hennig said. "This will be our second season with no ice. We're champing at the bit."

Canyon Ferry has long been recognized for by ice boaters for its good ice and favorable wind. In January of 2004, Daniel Kampo brought his boat, the Miss Wisconsin, to the reservoir to attempt a world speed record on ice.

Hennig said that he's heard from friends who have come here

"It might be the best place in the world," he said. Something is going on out there, whether it's the weather or the geography, that is something unique there. we don't know what it is. We're going to go out there and try to find out."

Cassidy said there will be a variety of classes of boats competing.

The largest boats -- including the Deuce, the Michigander and the Taku -- are in the stern-steerer class. They were all built in the early part of the 20th century.

Cassidy will be competing in the E-Skeeter class, which is for experimental boats, with the only requirement being a 75-square-foot sail area.

The B-Skeeter class boats are two-person, large, front-steeering boats, identical in size.

Also, some higher-tech land boats will be coming in for the regatta. Cassidy said the landboats, which typically have wingmasts, like fixed wings on a plane, instead of sails.

He said the boats will replace their wheels with runners and probably race in the E-Skeeter class.

There will be several other smaller classes of boats.

Cassidy said that because the races are dependent on wind, there will be no set schedule.

Boats from out of town are expected in by Saturday, with racing to start on Sunday and run all week. The regatta will end the following Sunday, Feb. 11.

Cassidy said that generally, the wind -- and the races -- will start up mid-to-late morning and run through the evening. He said 10 a.m. would probably be the earliest racing would start.

"You set dates and times and they're more like a target because they're so wind-dependent," he said. "The wind determines the schedule, unfortunately."

Races are scored one point for first place, two points for second, and so on. At the end of the week, total points are added, and the lowest score wins.

If you go

Where: Racing will take place on the south side of Canyon Ferry Reservoir in the Silos area.

When: Sunday, Feb. 4, through Sunday, Feb. 11, all day.

Details: Races are wind-dependent, but generally, the wind starts picking up around 10 a.m. and blows through evening. Race organizers will try to get as many races in as they can while the wind blows. Bring along your ice skates and a picnic lunch. If there isn't enough wind, there won't be any racing, but the skating is great.