Brad Reynolds is standing just off the point of Pier 4 park, well beyond the docks at Leander Boat Club, with a one piece snow suit over a well used faded orange life jacket Sunday.
No one told Mother Nature this was the second day of spring. But as far as ice boating goes, Reynolds says, "this is about as good a weather as we get."
With the afternoon wind gusting to 26 km/h, Reynolds spent the afternoon just inches above the ice on a wooden sailboat that has replaced its rudder and keel with skis.
'The sensation of speed is fantastic.'- Brad Reynolds
It's not a ride built for comfort. And as a "closed class" vessel, the design of the boat hasn't changed since 1938. It's called a "DN" for the Detroit News, which ran a competition to design an ice boat. This was the winner. In regatta rules, although the original design can't change, the materials can. Reynolds' boat, taking full advantage of that, sports a hockey stick to control the front ski like a rudder.
On black ice, the DN can reach speeds of up to 65 km/h, Reynolds says. On the rough chop that was left on the harbour Sunday, one of the last days of the season, it's slightly less. The general rule is the boats can reach speeds five times that of the wind, capping at 65 km/h where the 16-foot mast begins to bend and give up power.
There isn't much room for padding — the life jacket Reynolds wears serves a dual purpose of flotation and his only back rest against a wooden hull.
Reynolds wears javelin shoes, the only metal-spiked shoes with a high heel. During a regatta, the snowsuit is subbed out for thermal cycling gear, but Sunday's ride was one for leisure, and believe it or not on a day where it felt like -15 C, the weather was perfect.
Despite the water under the docks and around the shores, the middle of the harbour was still 40 centimetres (16 inches) thick, Reynolds said. He couldn't test for certain, as his power drill battery froze in the cold and refused to spin.
It's no matter for the Burlington native. He wasn't going to miss this day on the ice.
"You're only a few inches off the ice lying on your back," Reynolds said, "and the sensation of speed is fantastic."
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