by Deb Whitehorse | Dec 13, 2022 | 2022-2023, Home Page
Michigan’s Ron Sherry set up these Skimmers on Lake St. Clair. In his article for the DN class newsletter Runner Tracks, “Be The Guy”, he wrote, “Be the guy that makes sure giving someone their first ice boat ride is a safe, exciting experience that they will tell all of their friends about.” Read the article here.
Last season, several 4LIYC members brought their Skimmer iceboats to the lake for fun and to easily give people their first taste of ice sailing. As of this week, Skimmer manufacturing and sales is now Wisconsin-based.
Via John Hayashi of Windward Boatworks, Princeton, WI
Windward Boatworks is excited to announce the acquisition of the Skimmer 45 Iceboat product line. The past owners, Jon and Nancy Cheris of Wind Power Products, manufactured and sold Skimmers for over forty years.
Windward Boatworks has been focusing on increasing ice sailing participation within the iceboating community and creating opportunities for summer sailors to try the sport. Everything pointed back to an iceboat priced comparable to other outdoor activities and easily shippable. Each time, Skimmer 45 became part of the discussion. That said, adding it to our line of products at Windward Boatworks made sense.
We envision an opportunity to get more iceboaters into the sport. For the more actively involved iceboaters, we are looking forward to re-establishing the Skimmer 45 National Organization and offering even more opportunities.
See You Skimming!
John Hayashi
Windward Boatworks
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by Deb Whitehorse | Dec 8, 2022 | 2022-2023, Home Page, ISA
Bill Mattison and his 75%
The second part of Carol Cronin’s Bill Mattison article in Seahorse Magazine has been published. “Carol Cronin continues her look back at the extraordinary life of a very extraordinary ‘yachtsman’… though such a plain description does not begin to touch the sides.”
The magazine is subscription based and you can purchase the December edition in print or digital format here.
Decades of continuous improvement
An unattributed quote in the book that Bill Mattison’s daughter Lynn produced for him puts the whole sport of iceboating into perspective. ‘It has been rumoured that iceboating is 75 per cent building them, 10 per cent talking about them, 10 per cent waiting around on the ice for the right conditions and five per cent actually sailing them.’ And her father enjoyed all of it. Continue reading.
PREVIOUSLY
In The News: Bill Mattison in Nov Seahorse Magazine
A Life that Dreams Are Made Of
Eight Bells
Home of the Volleyball(?) Champs
Nothing Fickler
Bill’s Circus Life
“The Icing On The Lake”
“Fast Forward Since Birth”
“The Hard-Water Gang” with Bill Mattison at the 2001 ISA
Shooting the Breeze with Bill Mattison
Bill Mattison Inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame
Iceboaters Fingerprints
Willy St. Iceboat Shop Archives
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by Deb Whitehorse | Dec 7, 2022 | 2022-2023, Home Page
Crystal blue persuasion. Pat Heppert’s C Skeeter DRIFTER with Canadian DNer Jack Marzenski at the Great Western Challenge on Lake Minnewaska in Starbuck, MN. PHOTO: KEVIN BARTA
Friendly reminder, we have a 4LIYC meeting tonight, December 7, 2022, at 6:30 PM. We are going ZOOM ONLY tonight which allows for more work in the shop. You should have received an email with the link. Contact me if you haven’t received it.
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by Deb Whitehorse | Dec 5, 2022 | 2022-2023, Home Page, WSSA
Photo: Jim Koepnick
WSSA Newsletter
Wisconsin Stern Steerers Association Home Page
The Stern-Steerer sailors are getting ready for the season. Here’s latest newsletter from the Wisconsin Stern Steerers Association.
In honor of the Stern-Steerers and to kick off a Monday, take 22 seconds to watch this favorite video from 14 years ago, featuring the Stern Steerer Kid.
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by Deb Whitehorse | Nov 26, 2022 | 2022-2023, Home Page
The winter tradition of sail-powered ice boating finds the right combination of ice, wind, and speed-seeking participants in Montana
BIG SKY JOURNAL
in Winter 2022 | Feature Stories | Written by Andrew McKean | Photography by Sean R. Heavey
Just as surfers will spend the balance of their year waiting for just the right wave, and skiers will rearrange their lives in pursuit of fluffy mountain powder, so do ice boaters watch for fresh ice and stiff winds. They’re monitoring long- and short-term weather forecasts for their version of powder days, says Flathead Lake ice-boat builder John Eisenlohr, one of the dozens of Montana winter sailors who travel the West in search of perfect ice. “For us, that’s the first black ice thick enough to play on, plus a certain amount of wind,” Eisenlohr says. “Not too much wind, and no packed snow on the ice. And, if I’m really lucky, the ice will have just a little stippling on it to hold the runners.” Continue reading.
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by Deb Whitehorse | Nov 23, 2022 | 2022-2023, Home Page
Thankful for Ice Sailing
Thanksgiving Edition ZOOM ONLY Meeting.
Join us from the comfort of your own home while you make pumpkin pies for your Thanksgiving feast. Deb has sent the email with log on information. Please contact her if you haven’t received it.
WHAT TO KNOW:
Date: Wednesday, November 23, 2022
Time: 6:30 PM CT
ZOOM MEETING
Didn’t get an email with the Zoom link? Contact Deb debwhitehorse@iceboat.org
DUES
If you haven’t already done so, please pay your dues, only $20! Information here.
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