4LIYC Gathers at the Fast Champions Iceboat Shop
Ken Whitehorse with Daniel’s grandsons, Dash and Enzo. Kenny swears they kicked the tires and asked about the top end.
Last night the club gathered at the Fast Champion Iceboat Shop of Ken Whitehorse and Paul Krueger, for a combined meeting and celebration of many years of iceboat and auto racing shop excellence. The building, which has been a business, auto racing and iceboat shop, is soon to be demolished for redevelopment, so this night felt especially meaningful.
We had an excellent turnout of members and friends. After mingling and taking in the displays, we held club elections. Outgoing Commodore Daniel Hearn deserves our thanks. He set the record for longest consecutive term and served four years. Moving into the role of Commodore is Ron Rosten, formerly Vice Commodore. Elected Vice Commodore is Greg McCormick. We also thank Rhonda Arries who will continue as Treasurer, and I, your Secretary, will remain in that role.
Ken worked unbelievably hard to create what I think is the perfect representation of what an iceboat hall of fame should look like, not in a formal museum but right here in a shop. Paul’s Class A Skeeter RAMBLN was set up as part of the display; oil paintings by Harry Whitehorse, historic trophies, many photos and the most prestigious trophy of all, the Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant, were all present. It was good to see so many faces. People sat in chairs or, when chairs ran out, on the springboard of Paul’s Skeeter. It was classic.
We shared stories. How the Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant started around 1881 on the Hudson River for stern steerers, how the Roosevelt family were involved, how in 1951 Ed Rollberg from the Fox Lake Ice Yacht Club in Illinois went out and brought it to the Midwest, and how our own 4LIYC sailors including Bill Mattison, Dave Rosten, AJ Whitehorse, Ken Whitehorse and Paul Krueger have competed for it. We talked about the team race nature of the pennant and how the rivalry developed between the Lake Geneva Skeeter Iceboat Club and the Pewaukee Ice Yacht Club for it. Ken explained why 4LIYC boats are red and white and, to my surprise, it does not go back to matching Budweiser cans.
A giant thank you to Daniel Hearn for arranging the food and beverages, and most of all to Ken for all his hard work in assembling the evening and the display. It truly was a magical evening.
Here is to the next chapter. The shop may go away, but our club’s commitment to racing and our shared history remain strong.
LEARN MORE:
Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant Archives
White Wings & Black Ice Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant of America
Roosevelt’s Icicles
Photos by Maureen Bohleber
Iceboating has seen its share of firsts, and this may be another one. In the 1930s the stern-steerer DEBUTANTE showed up with the first aluminum runners, and Chuck Kotovic Jr. won the 1954 ISA with one of the first Dacron sails.
