Nite Skippers
Nite Nationals has been tentatively called ON for February 9 & 10, 2019.
Potential locations are:
Madison area (Mendota, Monona or Kegonsa)
Pewaukee
Southern Wisconsin has experienced thawing conditions during the past 24 hours with another 12 hours of above-freezing temps and rain. Current forecasts call for a hard freeze and below freezing temps beginning on Monday. We expect that this may produce sailable ice on one of these four lakes. Ice scouts will be out the next few days and also Wednesday and after their reports and careful review of the forecasts we will make a final regatta call on Wednesday, February 6, by 9 PM CST.
Please check the class website for more updates. Pre-register for the regatta now on our class website and save the $10.00 late registration fee that will be charged those who register after 12 noon, CST on Friday, February 8.
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to February 9 and 10, 2019. The next update will be Sunday, February 3. Check back here at that time.
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasurer
NIYA Secretary/Treasurer receives key to Lake City from Mayor Mark Nichols
There are a thousand little stories that happen at a Northwest regatta. Watching the magnificent stern-steerers take to the stage brings us back to the roots of this sport. Here are a few random stories from the regatta. And hey, you should plan on going next year!
I’ll post more photos and commentary tomorrow.
Regatta like the Northwest do not happen without the time and work from volunteers like the following:
NIYA Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk
NIYA Regatta Chair Tim McCormick
NIYA Race Committee members Jay Yaeso, Andy Gratton, George Gerhardt, Chip Sawyer, and John Davenport.
PRO Joe Norton
Assistant to the PRO Scott Goetz (who also brought the 4LIYC ATV)
Tabulating from the Fontana Home Office: Mary Jane Schalk
Lake City Mayor Mark Nichols
The Residents of Lake City
PRO Joe Norton receives key to city from Mayor Mark Nichols
The support that iceboaters receive from the entire town of Lake City is phenomenal. Mayor Mark Nichols has made sure that a porta-potty has been at the landing for the last 3 weekends. He attended our banquet. Saturday night and gave out 3 keys to Lake City (Steve Schalk, Joe Norton, and myself) that recognized our efforts as regatta volunteers. Not only that, but he sailed out to the course on Saturday in his DN and raced! Think about that, how many mayors do you know of that sail iceboats?
3 times 3
There are 4 of us who have attended all 3 regattas in Lake City this January (the DN Western Regions, the ISA, and the NIYA) : John Dennis, Jim McDonagh, Steve Orlebeke, and myself. JD & Jim McDonagh have spent more than half of January on Lake Pepin checking ice and sailing.
ACE OF SPADES & LITTLE WIND line up to race. Photo: Pat Heppert
The Davis stern-steerer family never miss a Northwest regatta. John was thrilled to only have a 3 hour drive this year, the closest the regatta has ever been held to his home in Clear Lake, Iowa.
Daniel Hearn gets ready to race Fred Stritt’s D Stern Steerer Photo: Pat Heppert
Daniel Hearn not only raced and did pretty well in the DN (1st) and Renegade (2nd) classes, he took up Fred Stritt’s offer to race Fred’s D Stern Steerer. Daniel was also seen test driving Pat Heppert’s fast C Skeeter earlier in the day.
Mike Kroll and Gretchen Wilbrandt.
Stern Steerer fanatic Mike Kroll gave soft water Minnesota sailor Gretchen Wilibrandt a ride in his D Stern Steerer. He handed the tiller over to Gretchen and she drove it like she owned it. Could there be a new stern-steerer sailor at the next WSSA?
Stern-Steerers racing at the 2019 Northwest Regatta on Lake Pepin at Lake City, Minnesota. Photo: Gretchen Dorian
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to February 2 and 3, 2019. The next update will be Sunday, January 27. Check back here at that time.
Provisional Results Back in from an an extremely cold day with light to moderate breeze, enough too power through the snow. It started out light and built throughout the day. All fleets now have 3 races completed.The Northwest had a first today, the mayor of a town where we are sailing joining in to race. Lake City mayor Mark Nichols races soft water boats and raced his first iceboat race today. Off to the banquet.
Provisional Results
During the regatta, Mary Jane Schalk will be continually uploading Northwest fleet results like she did for the ISA. Check the link often because she tabulates after every race. In the meantime, check out the list of competitors at the Results link.
Notice – Finishing Method Update for the NIYA Regatta Please note that the finishing procedure for the One Design classes (DN and Renegade) and the Skeeter Classes must conform to their respective rules per the NIYA By-Laws. Since all of those Classes currently specify use of the Bart rule, that method will be used for 2019 and future NIYA Regattas. The Bart rule method of finish will not be used for the A, B, C, and D class Stern Steerers sailing in their combined race.
LAUNCH Roschen Park.
SAILING AREA – WHAT TO KNOW There’s a fairly obvious pressure ridge about 1/3 of a mile south of the launch. Do not sail to the Willows because of open water. There’s about a 2 mile x 2 mile sailing area. Don’t go wandering off! MAP LODGING:
THE WILLOWS:
Willows on the River Condominium Resort
100 Central Point Road
Lake City, MN 55041
1-651-345-9900 Website Map
When making reservations you must tell them you are with the ISA regatta.
IMPORTANT: Must call the hotel directly at 651-345-9900 to get discount. No Expedia.
Single condo rooms sleep 1 – 4.
Thursday is $125.00, Friday and Saturday are $87.50.
Double rooms sleep 6 -8.
Thursday is $205.00 with Friday and Sat. $127.50.
AMERICINN Website
1615 N Lakeshore Drive Lake City, Minnesota
651.345.5611.
2 Queen room (no view) 89.90 + tx.
Single queen with a view $89.90 = tx.
2 queen handicap $89.90 + tx.
2 single King $99.90+ tx.
Suite with 1 king and 1 queen separate rooms $109.90 + tx.
