UPCOMING:
It’s Building Season!
4LIYC Meeting : November 2025
4LIYC Shipstore: Order custom iceboat shirts, hats, and gear. More information.
BURGEE: Order your 4LIYC Burgee
Pay Your Dues Online
DN Senior Shuffle Postponed
Via 4LIYC Commodore Daniel Hearn
Due to the fact that one of our hosts will be in Florida this weekend racing with 110 other M15s, the Senior Shuffle will not take place following the 2025 DN Western Regional Championship, if it happens this weekend of January 4 – 5. FYI, he’s planning to port tack the fleet at the first start. He’s just old…not smart!
Regatta Watch: WSSA Regatta Called ON for Jan 4 – 5
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta for 2025 has been tentatively called on for January 4 and 5. The site selected is Lake Noquebay east of Crivitz. Final confirmation will be made by 1 PM Thursday, January 2. Check back here after that time.
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasurer
Regatta Watch: 2025 Renegade Championship Postponed to Jan 10 – 12
Via Renegade Regatta Chair Don Anderson
The Renegade Championship has been postponed until January 10, 11, 12, 2025. The next update is on Sunday, January 5, 2025.
Roll Out the Barrel: A Historic Ice Sailing Throwback
Here’s a fascinating vintage photo shared from Mike Peter’s collection, which will be part of our presentation at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum on January 2. This early 20th-century image captures stern steerers racing on Lake Winnebago and shows a very different approach to racecourse marks.
In the photo, you’ll notice the mark (aka buoy) in use—a tall wooden pole mounted on a platform, with a flag waving from the top and a wooden barrel suspended below. This setup starkly contrasts the lightweight, triangular fluorescent fabric marks we use today. It’s hard not to imagine the chaos (and potential splinters!) if one of those massive stern steerers collided with such a substantial obstacle.
This photo likely predates the introduction of bow-steering boats, offering a window into a bygone era of ice sailing. It’s a reminder of how much the sport has evolved.
We’ve had several requests for the special Skeeter Vodka cocktail recipe featured at our event with the Wisconsin Maritime Museum. I’m working on getting that recipe so everyone can mix up their Skeeter cocktail and join us from home via Zoom. Stay tuned—I’ll share it soon so you can toast along with us!
Think & Drink: Iceboating History Presentation @ Wisconsin Maritime Museum
Does it get any more Wisconsin than this? Ice sailing, maritime history, a Green Bay Packers connection, and a cocktail named in honor of the Skeeter class?
Mike Peters and I will be presenting a program for their Think & Drink series on ice sailing at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum on Thursday, January 2nd at 6:30 pm. I’ll be joining via Zoom, and Mike will be there in person at the museum to share the history of ice sailing in Wisconsin.
The event is free and will be available both in-person and virtually. The featured drink of the night will be a Skeeter, a vodka cocktail named after the fastest iceboat in the world. Doors and the bar open at 6:00 pm, and the program begins at 6:30 pm.
This presentation is part of the Ice Boating: A Wisconsin Tradition exhibit at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, which is on display from December 2024 through September 2025. The exhibit traces the history of ice boating in Wisconsin, spanning over 100 years, and showcases the evolution of iceboats and the culture surrounding the sport.
To join virtually, please register here: Event Registration Link.
This program is made possible in part by a grant from the Green Bay Packers Foundation. For more info, check out the museum’s website.
Hope to see you there, whether in person or online!
WHAT TO KNOW
Date & Time: Thursday, January 2nd, 6:30 pm (doors and bar open at 6:00 pm)
Location: Wisconsin Maritime Museum, 75 Maritime Dr., Manitowoc, WI
Cost: Free (both in-person and virtual)
Virtual Access: Register here to attend via Zoom: Event Registration Link
UPDATE: The Wisconsin Maritime Museum has unveiled a signature drink for their Think and Drink presentation—a twist on the classic Sidecar, featuring vodka and blue curaçao.
The Skeeter
2 oz vodka
1 oz blue curaçao
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup (optional, for a hint of sweetness)
Lemon twist or orange slice for garnish
Instructions:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
Add vodka, blue curaçao, lemon juice, and simple syrup (if desired).
Shake well until chilled.
Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist or orange slice.
2025 DN Senior Shuffle Update
DN Senior Shuffle Home Page
The 2025 DN Senior Shuffle is scheduled to take place after the 2025 DN Western Region Championship, from January 6-8, 2025. We are actively 
searching for suitable ice conditions in the DN Western Region, and updates will be provided as soon as we have more information.
If you paid for last year’s event, you won’t need to pay again. If you’d like to register for this year, here’s the link to sign up.
Stay tuned for the next update on Monday, December 30, 2024, for the latest news on the status of the DN Western Region Championship and Senior Shuffle. We look forward to another exciting event and hope to see you on the ice!
WHAT TO KNOW
2025 DN Senior Shuffle
NOTICE OF RACE
SAILING INSTRUCTIONS
Dates: Tentatively January 6 – 8, 2025 (the 3 days after the 2025 Western Region Championship)
Location: TBA, same location at 2025 Western Region Championship
Eligibility:
• Open to Seniors (50-59), Masters (60-69) and Grand Masters (70+) who will race under Shuffle Rules with one start.
• Open to “aspiring” Seniors (49 or younger) who will also race under Shuffle Rules possibly with a separate start.
Entries: Click here to see list of entries.
Ice Yachts Return to the FDR Museum & Library
Hudson River Stern Steerer ALLONS will be on display at the FDR Library. Photo Courtesy of White Wings & Black Ice
Hey East Coasters! Looking for something unique to do this holiday season? Don’t miss the chance to see three historic Hyde Park ice yachts on display at the Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Home.
Where: FDR Library & Museum
4079 Albany Post Road
Hyde Park, NY 12538
When:
Monday, December 23, 2024
Friday, January 3, 2025 (A benefit from 4 PM – 6 PM)
Sunday, January 5, 2025
Via Bob Wills President Hudson River Ice Yacht Preservation Trust
SNATCHING VICTORY FROM THE JAWS OF DEFEAT
THE SHOW OF THREE HISTORIC HYDE PARK ICE YACHTS WILL OPEN ON MONDAY 12/23
Upon hearing that the Budget Crisis had been resolved without a Government Shutdown, we sprung into action. An emergency crew of Hudson River Ice Yacht Club (and Trust) members, ten in total with many more on standby, made the rounds to the barns where ALLONS, HOUND, and COMET were stored, loaded them onto our trucks, transported them to the Henry A. Wallace Center at the FDR Presidential Library and Home, and assembled and rigged them. Final touches will be completed today.
https://www.fdrlibrary.org/events-calendar
https://www.facebook.com/fdrlibrary
https://hudsonrivericeyachting.blogspot.com/We hope to see you there between Monday, December 23, 2024 and January 5, 2025. And please add to your calendars our fantastic Benefit, “SOIREE AMONGST THE ICE YACHTS”, Friday, January 3, from 4:00 to 6:00 pm.
We have much to be thankful for during this Holiday Season, and extending our best wishes to you!
Bob
New Video Playlist: Racing Rules of Iceboating
The Skeeter Ice Boat Club (SIBC) of Lake Geneva, WI, has shared a new resource for the ice sailing community: a YouTube playlist breaking down the National Iceboat Authority’s Racing Rules of Iceboating into easy-to-digest sections.
Edited by SIBC member Dave Navin, these videos provide a guide to understanding and applying the racing rules, helping sailors of all experience levels navigate the course safely and confidently. Whether you’re looking to refresh your knowledge or learn the rules for the first time, this playlist is a valuable tool for anyone passionate about iceboating.
Watch the videos here on the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club YouTube channel playlist:
4LIYC Meeting Update for Dec 18
IN PERSON AT THE FOUR LAKES YACHT CLUB, WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 18, 2024
Please join us for our next Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club meeting. We will meet at the Four Lakes Yacht Club on the Yahara River in Monona. We’ll recap the weekend’s DN Western Region Championship and the ISA and Renegade Regattas, along with plenty of great stories to share.
WHAT TO KNOW:
Date: Wednesday, December18, 2024
Time: 6:30 PM CT
Location: The Four Lakes Yacht Club
6312 Metropolitan Ln, Monona, WI
What to Bring: $10 cash if you want to join in for pizza and cash for beverages.
Wisconsin Stern Steerers Association Newsletter Update
WSSA HOME PAGE
Link to video
Remember that kid-sized stern steerer sailing around a skating rink, yelling with pure joy? It serves as a reminder of how fun iceboats can be.
Speaking of Stern Steerers, the Wisconsin Stern Steerers Association latest newsletter is now uploaded! Check it out here.
2025 Wisconsin Stern Steerers Newsletter 
Online Ship’s Store
National Iceboat Authority Web Page
4LIYC Governing Documents
Click for 4LIYC Meeting Dates
- January 2 THURSDAY Honor Roll Nominations
- January 15 Deadline for By-Law or Racing Rules Amendment Submission
- January 29
- February 12 Business Meeting
- February 26
- March 12 Last Meeting of the Season
Location: In person at the Elks Lodge 711 Jenifer St, Madison, WI 53703
Time: 6:30 PM
YOU ARE SKIPPER NUMBER
TO ROUND THE MARK SINCE NOVEMBER 1999.
