These “ice sailors” were enjoying the blue skies this past weekend on Niles Pond. I’m not sure I’ve ever seen ice sailing in action but it’s fun to watch!
Apparently the Dutch were some of the first to experiment with ice sailing, not to break speed records, but to transport goods across frozen lakes and rivers. They modified their traditional vessels by strapping blades or runners to the hull so that their shipping businesses would continue to be profitable during the long winter months. In the 1930s and 40s it was quite the sport in the US before the automobile took the speed spotlight. See link for more info.