by Deb Whitehorse | Jan 16, 2021 | Home Page
Mendota TodayWould you like to scout ice from your comfortable chair? Remember to check in with the Mendota Today webcam for live views of Lake Mendota. The time lapses from the previous days are worth your time as well.
A slow-moving low-pressure system has enveloped much of Wisconsin the past day. What little snow the Four Lakes area received has melted in the ice on Mendota, as evidenced by this morning’s webcam view. However, there were reports of heavy slush on Mendota Friday. Lake Monona was a different story because its early freeze invited more snow cover. Monona has more thickness but more snow and slush. The ice is changing daily, and we are all holding our breath, hoping that sailable ice comes out of it all.
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by Deb Whitehorse | Jan 15, 2021 | Home Page
Photo: Lori Conner
There will be no Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club racing for the weekend of January 16-17, 2021. Club members are keeping close watch on the state of the lakes and they are not quite yet in club racing condition. Colder weather moves in Sunday evening which should help us for next weekend. The next update will be on Friday, January 22, 2021.
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by Deb Whitehorse | Jan 14, 2021 | 2020-2021, Home Page
Here’s a look at England’s frigid winter of 1963, which looks quite normal to Midwestern eyes. The dramatic melancholy soundtrack, more suited to an alien-invasion movie, shows how much England was not well equipped for cold weather. Of course, others saw a great opportunity in the freeze, and iceboats came down from the rafters. Go to the 30:00 minute mark to see ice yachting in England in 1963. Unfortunately, the documentary doesn’t give a location where the ice sailing took place. Perhaps it’s in Norfolk, which does have a history of ice sailing. Tip of the Helmet: Rick Thompson
Update January 15, 2021: UK DNer Chris Williams who served for many years at the IDNIYRA European Secretary recalls: “Thank you so much for that great film of the 1963 winter. We remember it well and were living in Edinburgh at that time – I was second in command of a Royal Navy Minehunter! The picture at the start showing a large expanse of ice and several different types of ice yachts is not in the UK. At the 30 minute point in the film with several basic – home made ice yachts in in Lincolnshire ( east England). I introduced my DN when I returned from 3 years in Canada in 1969. I had built my DN as part of a project at the Nova Ice Yacht Club where I am a Founder
Member! We built 11 DNS !
Think ICE
CHRIS
K-1”
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by Deb Whitehorse | Jan 14, 2021 | 2020-2021, Home Page, Ice Optimist
Fritz Simon explaining runner technology.
Many thanks to Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club DN sailor Tim Sugar for sharing this good-news story.
In the Season of Giving, the Sugar families were greeted with not one, but two exceptional surprises.
DNer Mark Isabell was selling his DN trailer to Tim and Hugh and “threw in” two, hand-crafted, Ice Optimist hull’s built by Mark. The only ask was to outfit the hulls and get them on the ice. You’ll see one of these beautiful hulls in the picture of the Sugar kids practicing their Opti skills in the front yard! Thanks so much Mark!
The second surprise came two weeks later, when Renegade sailor Greg Simon, emailed Tim offering two complete ice Optimist programs to the Sugar clan! These hulls were built by Jerry Simon for his grandkids Meta & Fritz. Greg Simon completed the programs by hand sewing Optti sails! Meta & Fritz have outgrown the Optis and the Sugar kids are the proud new stewards of these beautiful boats!
At delivery, the Simon’s rolled out the red carpet. Cheese, sausage, beers, and personalized rigging instructions from the Simon kids were the order of the day. It was an amazing evening of fun! Thank you Simon family, we’re beyond grateful for your generosity.
If there are any families that are interested in trying the Optis, please give Hugh or Tim a call. We are happy to continue the Season of Giving with any interested kiddos.
The Sugar kids have been waiting for this since first being on the ice in 2013 with dad Tim at the Western Challenge.
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by Deb Whitehorse | Jan 13, 2021 | Home Page, Regattas, Renegade
Via International Renegade Ice Yacht Association Regatta Chairman Don Anderson:
The 2021 Renegade Championship has been postponed until January 22-24, 2021. Lake Mendota’s ice needs more days of cold weather. The next update will be Sunday PM, January 17, 2021.
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by Deb Whitehorse | Jan 12, 2021 | 2020-2021, Home Page
Chauncy Griggs, left talking with Dave Lallier at Burly & Donna Brellinthin’s cocktail party in Lake Geneva at the 2005 ISA. Photo: Jeff Smith
The ice sailing community extends condolences to friends and family of Minnesota ice sailor Chauncy Griggs who passed on January 7, 2021. Chauncy was an innovator well known for developing a wing-mast. He won a Challenge Pennant race in the 1990s on Lake Mendota with his sold wing mast. Those who were present still remember it as the fastest anyone had ever seen an iceboat move. His Class A Skeeter SHAZAM is pictured below.
Obituary
Griggs III, Chauncey Wright Age 84 of Mahtomedi died at home on January 7, 2021. He was recently preceded in death by his life-long love, soulmate, and wife of 59 years, Ethel W. Griggs. Chauncey is survived by his sons Chauncey (Eileen), and Bill (Heather), his grandchildren Lydia, Oliver, Liesel, Bennett, and Julia, sisters Ginny Magnuson, and Gian Hartner, and Ethel’s sisters Ariel Dickerman, Barbara (Mike) Bliss, Sally (Mark) Foster and Cynthia Mills (David). He leaves behind many nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and dear friends. Chauncey graduated from Saint Paul Academy and the University of Minnesota in mechanical engineering. He owned and operated Griggs Contracting for over 40 years, but his life revolved around his hobbies. He loved to work in the garage customizing cars, boats, and airplanes. He was an early adopter of the fixed wing sails in ice boating and land-sailing, constructing his own boat and wings. Chauncey was also a private pilot (venturing into acrobatic flying in his 7o’s), catamaran racer, windsurfer, water skier, and inventor. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to one of Chauncey and Ethel’s favorite causes in his memory: Planned Parenthood, the Girl Scouts, or Habitat for Humanity. A virtual service will be held on January 23, 2021 at 11:00. For viewing information, visit unityunitarian.org
Published on January 10, 2021
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