What We Do On Our Summer Vacations: Transpac

by | Jul 3, 2017 | 2017-2018, Home Page

Renegader Don Anderson and EASY RIDER.

July’s iceboating calendar usually features the ice sailors who are competing in the historic Chicago to Mackinac sail boat race. That post is on the horizon and if you are competing in it, let me know the details so that I can add you to the list.

Don Anderson, a Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club Renegader and also responsible for bringing the MARY B Stern Steerer back to Madison, is competing in the Long Beach to Honolulu ocean race, Transpac. The Transpac ocean race is  “the longest of the two oldest ocean races in the world…. first sailed in 1906.”

Don is a grinder on MR. BILL, an Andrews 68. MR BILL is in Division 2 and will leave Long Beach for Hawaii on Thursday, July 6, 2017. You can track Donny and MR. BILL on the Transpac website.

Way Back Wednesday: Jack & Jerry

by | Jun 28, 2017 | 2017-2018, Home Page

Simon Paradise
An 18 year old Jerry Simon with his first Skeeter.
Ripp Simon
Jack Ripp’s Skeeter at the 1952 Northwest on Lake Monona in Madison.

Sailing builds long lasting friendships. 4LIYC Renegaders Jack Ripp and Jerry Simon have known each other for over 60 years. Jerry bought his first Skeeter from Jack back in 1957. Jerry’s first Skeeter was the second Skeeter that Jack built. Jerry explains:

[The] picture is me in my first Skeeter I purchased from Jack. It was Jack’s second skeeter as the first had a deck mounted tiller for steering as seen in the picture [from the 1952 Northwest]. Mine only had a steering wheel mounted under the deck. My first modification was to put in foot peddles, which didn’t work very well.

What is interesting is the sail number on my purchased boat was M8, which is the rig on Jack’s first tillered Skeeter photo [from the 1952 Northwest]. The picture of me standing next to my Par-a-dice boat with the sail number
M14 is off of Jack’s third Skeeter. I purchased it later and took off the number 9 from is famous M149 number.
During this time period skeeters changed every year so lots of cheap used gear available.

It’s Apparent

by | Jun 21, 2017 | 2017-2018, Home Page

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=voczYSeq9bI&ab_channel=America%27sCup

As we watch the America’s Cup in Bermuda,  ice and land sailors instinctively understand the forces that allow the AC boats to reach speeds of over 40 knots because apparent wind is also what makes ice and land yachts sail much faster than a  “traditional” sailboat. This video is the best visual explanation of apparent wind I’ve ever seen.

Artemis Racing Team Manager and tactician Iain Percy explains the concept of apparent wind, and how it allows America’s Cup Class yachts to travel at 3 times the wind speed. In basic terms, speed = more speed. Watch and learn

Iceboater Bill Bentsen Inducted in to NSHOF

by | Jun 20, 2017 | 2017-2018, Home Page

Bill Bentsen, Bill Allen, Buddy Melges – Soling gold medalists at Kiel, Germany

UPDATE 7-3-2017: Read about Bill on the National Sailing Hall of Fame’s inductee webpage here.
A big congratulations are in order for Bill Bentsen who sails with the Skeeter Ice Boat Club..  Jane Pegel writes:

I learned this morning (June 19)  that in September Bill Bentsen will be inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame.

  • Bill is a member of the Skeeter Ice Boat Club and the Lake Geneva Yacht Club.
  • Bill is a former Northwest champion in the DN class.
  • Bill served as DN class secretary in the 1960’s.
  • Bill owned and sailed the class A stern steerer, TAKU and subsequently transferred ownership to Erich Schloemer.
  • He won an Olympic gold medal in the Soling class and a bronze medal in the Flying Dutchman class.
    He previously was awarded the Beppie Croce Trophy for his service to what is now called World Sailing. (previously IYRU and ISAF)
  • Bill successfully raced C, E, and A class scows at the Lake Geneva Yacht Club.
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Bill Bentsen on trapeze, Buddy at helm, training on Geneva Lake in the Flying Dutchman class boat. They won a bronze medal in Japan.
Taku 2007 Northwest[1]
TAKU at 2007 Northwest with Erich Schloemer at the helm.
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Bill Bentsen steering the A scow.

Every Picture Tells a Story

by | Jun 19, 2017 | 2017-2018, Home Page

From the Herb Krogman collection

This photo was published in the Wisconsin State Journal on January 18, 1952 as part of the Northwest Regatta coverage. The WSJ caption read, “Among the Madison entrants in the regatta is John Bluel in his Class E boat, the ‘Shadow’. The picture shows Bluel about to be pushed by his crewmen, left to right, Vic Hustad, Peter Barrett, Phil Town, and Herb Krogman. Bluel is in the cockpit.”

What makes this picture worth delving into is the presence of Peter Barrett who would go on to win national sailing championships, medal in the Olympics, design sailboats, and achieve a dizzying array of other accomplishments . He was inducted in to the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2012.

Peter Barrett was well known for “his willingness to share his go-fast secrets with his nearest competitors, even during the Olympic trials,” a trait he had in common with 4LIYC Skeeter sailor, Bill Mattison. In the book she wrote about her father, Lynn Mattison Raley shared a story involving Peter and Bill.

Bill was quick to help or teach a fellow sailor as well. In the early 1960s, his good friend, Peter Barrett, was preparing for his Olympic campaign in the Finn class sailboat. At the Olympics, competitors received a rought-cut wood mast that they had to custom shape for their individual weight. Using skills gained form the years of building iceboat masts, Bill showed Peter how to shape his mast so that it would be just right. Barrett competed in the 1962 games and earned the silver medal in the 1964 games. [In 1968, Peter won Olympic Gold in the Star Class crewing with Lowell North-Deb.]