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UP
COMING:
NEW: Pay Your Dues Online
4LIYC Meeting : Wednesday, December 6, 2023. IN PERSON at the Four Lakes Yacht Club. More information.
Skeeter Summit Zoom Presentation: Wednesday, December 13, 2023 More information
4LIYC Shipstore:Â Order custom iceboat shirts, hats, and gear. More information.
BURGEE:Â Order your 4LIYC Burgee
We Meet Again – 4LIYC Meeting Dec 6 @ 4LYC
We are pleased to announce that our in-person meetings will resume on a limited schedule at the Four Lakes Yacht Club in Monona, WI. We will alternate between meeting at the Four Lakes Yacht Club and on Zoom.
The 4LIYC is grateful to the 4LYC for using their facility and recognizing our long-shared history as people who enjoy and treasure our Four Lakes.
Our first in-person meeting is on Wednesday, December 6, 2023 at 6:30 PM at the Four Lakes Yacht Club.
FOUR LAKES YACHT CLUB
6312 Metropolitan Ln, Monona, WI
Parking: There is a public parking ramp across the street from the Yacht Club
FOOD AND BEVERAGE OPTIONS
Pizza & Bev: Pay $20 for pizza and beverages.
We will order pizzas for delivery and purchase beer and soda from the club refrigerator. Please keep track of your purchases by noting them on the beverage list.
Bev Only: $10 for beverages only. Please keep track of your purchases by noting them on the beverage list.
Bottle Bringers: BYOB
Ways to Pay
Please bring cash or write a check to the 4LIYC. Deb can accept credit or debit card payments on-site.
2023 – 2024 4LIYC MEETING SCHEDULE
December 6 – Four Lakes Yacht Club
December 20 – Zoom
January 3 – Four Lakes Yacht Club – Honor Roll Nominations
January 17 – Zoom – Deadline for By-Law or Racing Rules Amendment Submission
January 31 – Four Lakes Yacht Club
February 15 – Zoom – Business Meeting
February 28 – Four Lakes Yacht Club
March 13 – Zoom
Wisconsin Stern Steerer Association Newsletter
WSSA Newsletter
The Stern-Steerer class is planning for the upcoming season. Wisconsin Stern Steerer Association Secretary Andy Gratton has shared the WSSA annual newsletter, providing a perfect reason to hang on tight and watch Dave Elsmo’s epic Deuce video.
Iceboating 101
4LIYC Junior Sailing Page
IDNIYRA Junior Sailing Page
This slide presentation, created by Sam Bartel, the IDNIYRA Junior Sailing Director, is cross-posted on DN North America. However, it is too valuable not to share with the entire ice sailing community. Keeping the pipeline full is crucial for DN Junior Sailing, and Sam’s presentation helps maintain and improve momentum.
2023 DN Western Challenge Called ON for MN Dec 1 – 3
The informal first regatta of the season, the DN Western Challenge, has been called on for December 1 – 3, 2023. Primary site is Lake Christina in Ashby, MN. Final confirmation for regatta and site will be made on Wednesday, November 29, 2023. The DN Western Challenge is a fun regatta with no formal racing or scoring.
Next update will be Wednesday, November 29, 2023 by noon CT.Â
Happy Thanksgiving from the 4LIYC
First!
Staying true to our tradition of recognizing the first boat on the ice, we present Canadian DN sailor Paul Chamberland. Yesterday, he powered two DNs through the woods to get to Owlseye Lake near his hometown in Alberta, Canada. Paul reported that the lake is 5.5″ maximum depth, making it the perfect early season lake.
4LIYC Meeting Tonight – 22 November – Zoom Only
The Mark Setters
Join us tonight as we conduct our bi-weekly Four Lakes Ice Club meeting on Zoom. We’ll be on Zoom only tonight because many of you are getting ready for the Thanksgiving holiday. Club members will have received the Zoom link in your email. See you tonight at 6:30!
WHAT TO KNOW:
Date: Wednesday, November 22, 2023
Time: 6:30 PM CT
ZOOM ONLY!
Skeeter Summit – Evolution of the World’s Fastest Iceboats
Reserve your virtual seat and join us for a Zoom session with Henry Bossett, Dan Clapp, and Pat Heppert on the journey of the Skeeter class — how it morphed into the speed demon we know today as the fastest iceboat class in the world. We’ll also explore how the Skeeter class is evolving. Join the conversation and bring your questions.
So, please register for the presentation, mark your calendar, grab a cold one, and let’s get ready to talk iceboats, Skeeters, and the need for speed. It’s like a virtual hangout at the iceboat shop. See you there!
What To Know
SKEETER SUMMIT
Date: Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Time: 6:30 PM CT / 7:30 PM ET
We will send out the link to the Zoom presentation on December 13. Please register to receive the link.
Drake Sparkman & George Ratsey – Stern-Steerer Sailors
A fascinating thread connects renowned figures, iconic boats, and the ice yachts of the glory years. Here’s a look at the interconnected legacies of Lord Admiral Nelson, Ratsey Sailmakers, Sparkman and Stephens, and iceboaters Drake Sparkman and George Ratsey.
INTREPID, DORADE, COLUMBIA, and SHIVER? Soft water sailors will recognize the first three boats designed by America’s most successful yacht designer, Olin Stephens. Dozens of classes and championship yachts emerged from his partnership with Drake Sparkman and their business, Sparkman and Stephens. In 1929, Drake Sparkman was a yacht broker who gave Olin Stephens his first break and hired the novice Stephens to design boats. Drake Sparkman was an iceboater.
Henry Bossett shared a 1950 news clipping about the Alcort (Sunfish) Skeeter on Peach Lake in New York. What caught my attention was a mention that Drake Sparkman had donated his stern-steerer SHIVER to the Larchmont Iceboat Club. Of course, Henry’s extensive archives have a file dedicated to Drake Sparkman, and I couldn’t resist taking a closer look.
The rabbit hole revealed an unexpected link between ice sailing, a famous naval battle, and the America’s Cup. A 1935 article reported that sailmaker George Ratsey “with his FROSTBITE, passed everything in sight” while sailing with Drake Sparkman on Peach Lake in New York. Ratsey’s ancestors were the sail makers of HMS VICTORY, and a piece of sail from the Battle of Trafalgar is on display at the Naval Museum in Portsmouth, England. In 1905, Ratsey & Lapthorn established a loft in New York. Ratsey sails were famous among America’s Cup boats and the majestic stern-steerers of the east coast.
The December 24 edition of Red Bank Register in New Jersey reported about a yacht with “a new Ratsey Rig. The mainsail will be cut on a more advanced plane, reducing the size of the jib in order to hold the combined sail area size within the limit of 350 square feet of canvas.”
Sparkman & Stephens and Ratsey & Lapthorn had a long connection with the America’s Cup. Ratsey & Lapthorn supplied the sails for the 1958 America’s Cup winning boat, COLUMBIA, designed by Olin Stephens.
Drake Sparkman and George Ratsey’s connection went beyond the design table in their shared passion for ice yachting.
Tip of the Helmet: Henry Bossett
The Spirit of ACME
Minnesota mastermind Pat Heppert slapped the ACME seal of approval on his latest build, a Mini-Skeeter, a boat that does double duty for land or ice. Pat has created a new blocking system and is anxious to try it on the ice. I suspect we’ll see MINI DRIFTER the first week of December at the Minnesota Western Challenge.
“[The blocking system ] worked well and didn’t break or bend, so rework is unnecessary. Putting the ratchet block between my feet was definitely a good call. You should be able to keep your arms under the deck at all times without difficulty.”
Previous ACME Lab posts:
Getting Framed
Still Somewhat Confused
Online Ship’s Store
National Iceboat Authority Web Page
4LIYC Governing Documents
Click for 4LIYC Meeting Dates
- November 8 Zoom
- November 22 Elections
- December 6
- December 20
- January 3 Honor Roll Nominations
- January 17 Deadline for By-Law or Racing Rules Amendment Submission
- January 31
- February 15 Business Meeting
- February 28
- March 13
Location: In person at S & B Strategic Marketing or Online using the Zoom App Members please email debwhitehorse@iceboat.org for the link.
Time: 6:30 PM
YOU ARE SKIPPER NUMBER
TO ROUND THE MARK SINCE NOVEMBER 1999.
