Ice Sailors Set for the HOOK

From left, Steve Orlebeke, Jay Yaeso, Mike “Wally” Waldo , George Gerhardt, Don Anderson, Erik Sawyer, and behind Erik, Andy Gratton. Behind Wally, Paul Scneeberger and Tony Abts, both from Green Bay.

Race Tracking
Scratch Sheet

UPDATE JULY 19: Andy Gratton checked in with the rest of the crew names that I missed. He also wrote with news that the rig collapsed yesterday during a squall which ended their race. He adds, “All are safe, no holes in the boat. We decided we did not want to do that again.”

Several area ice sailors are gathered this morning at the Racine Yacht Club for the 37th annual long distance Lake Michigan HOOK race from Racine to Death’s Door in Door County, WI. Pretty much every class of ice sailing is represented in this race including the Skeeters, DNs, Renegades, and Stern Steerers. 4LIYC Commodore Don Anderson, Renegader George Gerhardt, Stern-Steerer guys Andy Gratton, Mike “Wally” Waldo. and Erik Sawyer will be sailing with Jay Yaeso on SHAZAM (PHRF2). Skeeter and DN sailor Steve Orlebeke is on PEERLESS (PHRF2). Rick Hennig, who owns the biggest iceboat in the world, DEUCE, is sailing his new Farr 60 THUNDERSTRUCK (PHRF1). Stern-Steerer sailor Fred Stritt is sailing HASTEN (PHRF 4).

 

Renegade Class Tech News

Renegade Class Web Page

 

Download in pdf

 

Via International Renegade Ice Yacht Racing Association Secretary Ron Rosten:

THE RENEGADE TECHNICAL COMMITTEE WAS ASKED THE FOLLOWING 3 QUESTIONS BY DOUG KOLNER. THE COMMITTEE’S ANSWER FOLLOWS EACH QUESTION.

 

  1. WHEN CONSTRUCTING A MAST, CAN THE GOOSENECK TRACK EXTEND CLOSER TO THE BASE OF THE MAST THAN THE 9 INCHES SHOWN ON THE PLANS?
    TECH COMMITTEE ANSWER: NO
  2. WHEN CONSTRUCTING A MAST, CAN THE BOTTOM OF THE LUFF TUBE EXTEND CLOSER TO THE BASE OF THE MAST THAN THE 26 INCHES SHOWN ON THE PLANS?
    TECH COMMITTEE ANSWER: NO
  3. WHEN CONSTRUCTING A MAST, CAN THE BASE BE FORWARD OR AFT OF THE MAST CENTERLINE AS SHOWN ON THE PLANS?
    TECH COMMITTEE ANSWER: NO

Classic Video: Pewaukee Ice Yacht Club c.1960

Bill Mattison points his Graflex camera at Mauretta who was filming him on Lake Mendota. Dave Rosten M160 in the background.

It’s always a good day when a surprise arrives in the mail, particularly when the package contains vintage ice sailing footage shot by Bill & Mauretta Mattison. Don Sanford recently had Kodak transfer the Mattison’s 16, 8, and Super-8 mm into electronic files which he burned to disc and sent off to me.(Speaking of Kodak, the Mattisons owned one of Madison’s premier film processing labs, Star Photo, for many years.)

Let’s begin by traveling back to the late 1950s/early 1960s on Pewaukee Lake. At first I thought this may have been the 1957 International Skeeter Association Regatta which was sailed on Pewaukee (Buddy Melges won) but a couple clues led me to believe that we are watching a Pewaukee Ice Yacht Club race. All of the boats, except for one, carry the Pewaukee designation V on the sail. The biggest clue is that Bill is filming from the weather mark.  Bill finished 8th at the 1957 ISA so therefore, he would not have been filming at that regatta. The 1957 ISA newsletter regatta report and results are posted below the video.  Stay tuned to the end of the video to see the spring ritual of carrying iceboats through a wet and  deteriorating shoreline. Pewaukee friends, if you recognize any of these Skeeters, please let us know!

I’ll be editing and posting two more ice sailing videos from the Mattison archives in the coming weeks.

Bill Perrigo’s THUNDERJET IOU is easy to spot. Some other sail numbers and boat names I picked out were:
SNO USE
V112
MISS PEGGY V50
SNOW GOOSE V4
V20 John Flanagan
TWISTER V71
V83 Al Sternkopf

 

Midsummer Mast Makers


The summer building and dust making season is in full swing over at the Nordhaus Boatworks. 4LIYC Nite sailors Lars Barber and Brad Wagner are almost to the gluing stage on their Nite masts. Jim Nordhaus shared these photos on the 4LIYC Facebook page. 

Who was MARY B?

MARY B draws a crowd on Lake Monona in 1952

The Dane County Historical Society Newsletter has published an article by our own Don Sanford about the historic stern-steerer MARY B.

The Mary B was fast, really fast, but just who or what was she? A racehorse, a track star, or maybe a downhill skier? None of the above, she was an iceboat…She was the dream of one of Madison’s largest electrical contractors and public-spirited citizens, Orvin “OT” Havey.

Read the whole story here.