All Over Albany

Yachts on ice

Farther afield, and following up on modes of frozen Hudson transportation: This weekend people will be ice yachting on the Hudson River near Kingston. Yes, ice yachting.

From an AP story this week by Michael Hill:

Sharp winds lashed up the Hudson River as sailors launched boats onto the ice. Sails whipped furiously as the long blades slid across a white sheet that spread for miles.

Finally, a frigid winter has created excellent conditions for ice sailing on the river.

"In the blink of an eye you can get up to 30 miles an hour ... you can just feel the power of the wind filling the sails," Michael Soldati said after a bracing run across the ice. "It's just awesome. It's just you and the wind."

That YouTube clip embedded above has some good video from this past weekend (and a brass band). And here are some good photos from the Daily News.

Here's a website dedicated to the ice yachting on the Hudson -- it includes a bunch of photos, a details about activities this weekend:

The forecast for sailing has changed for the weekend -- Sunday is looking better with more wind and cooler temperatures than Saturday. Saturday should be warm with little wind -- the soft "snow ice" surface may soften to the point where even with good wind we could not sail. We will be on the ice none the less with sails hoisted and holding court to answer your questions and hopefully provide an enjoyable day on the ice. There is an ongoing potluck of gourmet food and fine wine on the ice when the sailing is happening -- visitors are encouraged to participate.

Gourmet food. Fine wine. And yachts on ice.

Bonus bit: The Coast Guard monitors the ice on the Hudson River, including aerial surveys of the conditions. And then it posts those photos online. Here are the collection of photos from this past Thursday -- you can see the long stretch of ice on the Hudson near Kingston.

(Thanks, Jill!)