Our condolences to the Boston family on the passing of William “Spike” Boston. Obituary
Spike was part of iceboating’s well-known Boston family of sailmakers, long connected to the sport. In the 1950s, his family built a scaled-down skeeter called PINK PINK. It wasn’t a toy, but a real iceboat, proportioned like the big boats. It wasn’t a full-sized racer, but one of the most memorable Skeeters of its time.
The short clip above shows him as a boy with the boat at the 1952 Northwest regatta sailed on Lake Monona. The photos that follow place it in context. Pink Pink alongside Ferdinand the Bull, the big stern steerer. The boat at the 1952 Northwest Regatta. And Spike standing with the winners, small among them.
BULL & PINK PINK, the Boston family mini-Skeeter on Lake St. Clair in Detroit
Spike Boston’s miniature Skeeter, PINK PINK
1952 Northwest Winners. I believe this may be Spike in the front row.
From Yachting World
By Toby Heppell
April 30, 2026
To understand what happened in Red Bank, New Jersey, in the first 10 days of February this year, you first have to understand the cold.
This wasn’t a regular winter. This was a freeze for the ages. A polar vortex settled over the US North-east like it had nowhere else to be, sending wind chills plunging to 20 below zero and locking waterways in ice that hadn’t been this thick in decades.
The Hudson River froze. The East River froze. New York Harbour froze. NYC Ferry suspended all routes. The Seastreak ferry – a lifeline for Jersey Shore commuters heading to Manhattan – needed a tugboat to crush a path through the ice in front of it just to make its daily run to the city.
Rivers that normally flow became roads. Bays that normally ripple became glass. The Navesink – the wide, tidal river that curls through Red Bank like a signature – became something it hadn’t been in over 20 years: a frozen stage for the oldest trophy race in American ice yachting. Continue reading.
All-around ice sailor Andy Gratton will be giving a Zoom presentation about our sport.
He’s part of a free webinar series hosted by The American Schooner Association and The Great Chesapeake Bay Schooner Race on Thursday, April 16 at 6 PM CT / 7 PM ET
Andy has sailed just about everything and owns nearly every class of iceboat known. If you’ve spent any time around iceboating, you’ve likely seen him giving rides in his vintage WISCONSIN stern steerer.
This is a good introduction to the sport for sailors who’ve never stepped on the ice, and a reminder of why we keep coming back.
A 4LIYC contingent are in the desert at Ivanpah, the cathedral of landsailing, where California meets Nevada. For those of us from the Midwest or anywhere with trees, this place never feels ordinary. It feels closer to the surface of Mars than anything we know. And this year it has been hot, hotter than anyone here can remember.
The North American Landsailing Championships wrapped up yesterday. Landsailing sits in that shoulder season between ice and soft water. Your mileage may vary, but for many of us it bridges the gap.
There was a strong crossover from the ice sailing world. Daniel Hearn placed second in a large Mini Skeeter fleet. The top of that fleet was stacked with ice sailing experience. Dave Gluek and John Eisenlohr, the Mini Skeeter designer, tied for first. DN sailors Bob Cave, Pete Johns, and Ken Smith were also in the mix, sailing Mini Skeeters.
More familiar names were here as well. Lars Barber and Brad Wagner are sailing their blokarts, along with Wayne Schmeidlin and family. His grandson Alex won the blokart fleet. Pat Heppert finished fourth overall in the big boats with his blue C Skeeter and placed fifth in the Mini Skeeter class. From the UK, DN sailor Gareth Rowland made the trip and took second in the Mini 5.6 class. Renegader Doug Kolner is here kicking the tires as well.
Now the focus shifts. The blokart regatta starts this week and competitors are arriving. Geoff Sobering and Jim Nordhaus will be here to compete in the Blokart North American Championship.
Nina Fleming and I have traded in our parkas, gloves, and ice cleats for sandals and sun protection as we take up our roles on the line, flag, horn, timing, and scoring.
We’ll wrap up the season with the 4LIYC Spring Gathering on Saturday, April 25 at Breakwater, 6308 Inland Way, Monona, Wisconsin.
Join us for an evening off the ice, good food, a few stories from the winter that almost was, and a chance to see everyone again.
Social Hour: 6 – 7 PM
Dinner: 7 PM
