Classic Ice Sailing #1 is a photograph by Christopher James which was uploaded on January 4th, 2024.
Classic Ice Sailing #1
Sailing on ice began as a utilitarian mode of transportation for the Dutch, who attached metal and wood runners to the bottoms of hulled working... more
Title
Classic Ice Sailing #1
Artist
Christopher James
Medium
Photograph - Photography, Digital
Description
Sailing on ice began as a utilitarian mode of transportation for the Dutch, who attached metal and wood runners to the bottoms of hulled working boats. Imported to the Dutch settlements of the New World, there are accounts of cargo in the form of sheep and people being transported on the Hudson River by ice boat from Athens to Albany in the early 1800’s. Robert Livingston even tried to explode a British warship frozen in Lake Champlain with an incendiary-loaded ice boat.
The recreational potential for sailing on ice quickly took over the imagination of Hudson River Valley residents. Ice boats were redesigned as light frame craft without traditional hulls, but utilizing the traditional gaff-rigged sail pattern of Hudson River Valley sloops for propulsion, and cast iron ice skates (or runners) as media. These became in fact the fastest vehicles on earth at the time, regularly beating the trains racing up and down the shores of the Hudson. Even in modest breeze, these boats could reach speeds of 75 miles per hour.
Wealthy property owners along the Hudson River had the resources to acquire ice boats, construct buildings to house them, and hire crews to maintain them. It did not take long for the landed gentry of the Valley to compete against one another for the biggest, fastest, most beautiful of ice yachts, commissioned by special builders. The Roosevelts were one such family, and competed with their club the Hudson River Ice Yacht Club against members from New York clubs in Chelsea, New Hamburg, Orange Lake, and Athens. John Aspinwall Roosevelt and his Hyde Park neighbor Archibald Rogers were two of the most competitive and successful Captains, successively building many boats, two of which, the ICICLE and the JACK FROST, went on to win again and again, the most significant prize in ice yacht racing—the Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant of America. John Roosevelt's ICICLE, built by Jacob E. Buckhout, was the largest of the classic yachts. At 70 feet long, it carried over one thousand square feet of canvas and had to be transported on a railroad flatcar.
The Hudson River Ice Yacht Club grew out of the Poughkeepsie Ice Yacht Club founded in 1861 as the first ice yacht club in the country. A dispute in 1885 surrounding the Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant of America resulted in the resignation of members who formed the Hudson River club, electing FDR’s uncle John A. Roosevelt as the first Commodore. The Hudson River Ice Yacht Club was known to have the finest-built and fastest ice yachts in the country. The club book of 1908 lists 52 ice yachts in its roster, including John Roosevelt’s ICICLE, VIXEN and KRISS, as well as FDR’s HAWK. FDR served a term as Vice-Commodore for the club.
Info courtesy of the National Park Service and FDR Mansion in Hyde Park, NY
Uploaded
January 4th, 2024
Comments (35)
Luther Fine Art 2 Days Ago
Congratulations! Your wonderful art has been featured in ABC Group from our "O is for OBSOLETE" themed week, JANUARY 2, 2024 - JANUARY 8, 2024.
Christopher James 15 Days Ago
Thank you very much Michael for the feature in the Boats and Marinas group....it is greatly appreciated
Steve Rich 17 Days Ago
Your work deserves to be featured in our group "The Meandering Photographer" Please consider adding this work to the "Feature History, The Meandering Photographer (March-April 2024)" active discussion thread. (l/f on 4-10-2024)
Luther Fine Art 21 Days Ago
Congratulations! Your camera art has been nominated as a Special Feature by a fellow artist Camera Art member for your superb art in Camera Art Group!! Please share the love by nominating a fellow artist whose work is in Camera Art You can find that in the "Artist Special Feature Nomination" discussion in the Camera Art Group.
Christopher James replied:
Thank you very much Pamela for the Special Feature....it is greatly appreciated
Christopher James 23 Days Ago
Thank you very much Marine for the feature in the Intent of the Artist group....it is greatly appreciated
Christopher James 29 Days Ago
Thank you very much Bob for the feature in the New FAA uploads group.....it is greatly appreciated
Diana Mary Sharpton
Fabulous capture and write up! Nominating for special feature on the camera art group.., fav/x
Constance Lowery
wonderful photo of these strange looking vessels. L/F
Christopher James replied:
Thank you Constance....in the water they would be a hobieycat, also very fast!!!
CAROLE SPANDAU
Your artwork has been featured on the homepage of FAA Gallery Home For All Artists Who Create. Please post your amazing artwork in our` Archive your March Features` discussion.
Christopher James
Thank you very much Stefano for the feature in the 10 Plus group...it is greatly appreciated
Christopher James
Thank you very much Jessica for the feature in the Life is not so BLack and WhiTe or is it group.....it is greatly appreciated
Sharon W
Ice yachts!!? Wow, what an incredible invention! Fascinating info and wonderful capture and image! Well I am learning something new here every day, who knew!! Thank you.
Christopher James replied:
I never knew they sailed on the Hudson river!! thought it was more common to lakes....Thanks for the visit