UPCOMING:
It’s Building Season!
Wisconsin Iceboat Swap Meet: Oct 19, 2025 @ Lake Geneva Yacht Club More information
Midwest Hardwater Sailors Swap Meet: November 8, 2025 @ Delavan Yacht Club More Information
4LIYC Meeting : November 2025
4LIYC Shipstore: Order custom iceboat shirts, hats, and gear. More information.
BURGEE: Order your 4LIYC Burgee
Pay Your Dues Online
Snow Means Shop
Perfect conditions this weekend for building at the Spaight Street Syndicate. Junior sailor, Soren Hughes, glued up the sideboards of his new DN with assistance from friend Seth.
Regatta Watch: WSSA Postponed
Photo: Gretchen Dorian
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
Tropical Party Feb 23 @ Breakwater
Invitation to a Tropical Party via Eric Kerlow:
Tropical Party
By 4LYC, MYC, LMSC, 4LIYC, Madison Kiteboard, MadisonRCsailing.orgSat. Feb. 23rd, 6pm Drinks, 7pm Buffet Dinner
Breakwater Restaurant, 6308 Metropolitan Lane, Monona$20 & Cash Bar (Advanced Purchase Required)
To help the cook shop, please RSVP by Feb. 16thWe’re turning up the thermostat to 80°F.
Wear shorts, Hawaiian Ts, and sandals.
Enjoy blender drinks and Jimmy Buffet
Skeeter Swap Meet
Some big developments at the Krueger/Whitehorse Boatbarn-
The Krueger/Whitehorse Boatbarn hosted a sort of swap meet on Saturday, January 26. Recent NIYA and ISA Class A Skeeter regatta champ, John Dennis, made the 5 hour drive from the Minneapolis area to pick up Ken’s Class A Skeeter, WARRIOR 5. This will double the size of the Class A fleet in Minnesota!
That frees up space on the trailer for Ken’s latest acquisition, a very fast modern Class A skeeter originally owned by Bob Kau and built in the attic of a Suamico Skeeter builder. Everyone has had their eye on Kau’s blue Class A Skeeter since its been for sale and the 4LIYC is glad that Ken decided to make the boat part of our Skeeter fleet. The paint schemes will switch up with JD putting WARRIOR 5 in blue and Ken changing the blue Kau Skeeter to the traditional 4LIYC red and white livery.
JD and PK talked at length about runner technology. JD shared his vast knowledge of the numbers on crown and flat. Much thanks and credit to Jay for coordinating the sale. All participants are very pleased with the exchange. The Skeeter fleet is growing!
DN European Championship Complete
Chris Berger US5166 and Rafal Sielicki P254 on Lake Śniardwy in Poland Photo: Gwidon Libera
The DN European Championship was completed today in Poland. Congratulations to Chris Berger US5166 for his 7th place finish in the A fleet, not an easy thing to accomplish in Poland.
Head over to the DN class website to see more about this regatta including some incredible photography.
Results
Geneva Lake Ice Cam
Geneva before the snow deluge.
Mary Jane Schalk alerts us to a live web cam set up at the Lake Geneva Yacht Club. What’s really cool about this one is that by clicking on the left of the image, a menu slides out with links to time-lapse images from previous days. Above is a screen shot from Monday, January 21, where you can see the beautiful sheet of ice now covered by snow.
LGYC Ice Cam
Northwest C Stern Steerer Trophy Request
ACE OF SPADES, Mike Peter’s C Class Stern Steerer at the 2019 Northwest on Lake Pepin. Photo: Pat Heppert
Mike Peters (with crew Terry Reynolds) won the C Stern Steerer division at last weekend’s Northwest regatta. Mike is asking if those who attended could check to see if they mistakenly took the C Stern Steerer keeper trophy last Sunday. He saw it on the trailer before the awards ceremony but then it was gone. Please get in touch with Mike or myself.
UPDATE: 2 4LIYC Racing Rules Proposals
Daniel Hearn and Pete Orlebeke line up to race their DNs on Lake Pepin at the 2019 Northwest. Photo: Pat Hepper
Angelo’s Italian Restaurant is open tonight so come on out to help us celebrate our 4LIYC sailors who brought home some “pots and pans” at the Northwest. Of special note are Tim McCormick who placed first in Renegades and Daniel Hearn who placed first in DNs and second in Renegades. See you all at 6:30!
Tonight is the deadline for By-Law or Racing Rules Amendment Submission. Submissions will be voted upon at the February 20 Annual Business Meeting.
UPDATE 1-24-2019: 2 proposals were submitted at the meeting of January 23, 2019
PROPOSAL #1
Racing Rules
Part III Race Management
C. Special Races
Add :
3. A Weekday Series may be sailed and scored for the DN, Renegade, Nite, and Skeeter fleets for races sailed on Lake Kegonsa, Lake Wingra, Lake Monona, or Lake Mendota for races taking place on Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, or Friday. Weekday Series scores will not be included with weekend or holiday series scores.
Submitted by Deb Whitehorse
PROPOSAL #2
Racing Rules
Part III. Race Management
B Racing
Currently reads:
3. The club will sail a maximum of 8 races per fleet, per weekend, with 4 races per fleet on both Saturday and Sunday. Start time is 10:00 AM. Minimum of 3 boats per race. A lunch break should take place after the 2nd set of races on each day, but is at the discretion of the Race Committee. If a break is taken, the starting time for the next race shall be set and announced by the Race Committee prior to the break. (2/20/2002)
Change to:
3. The club will sail a maximum of 8 races per fleet, per weekend, with 4 races per fleet on both Saturday and Sunday. Start time is 10:00 AM. Minimum of 2 boats per race. A lunch break should take place after the 2nd set of races on each day, but is at the discretion of the Race Committee. If a break is taken, the starting time for the next race shall be set and announced by the Race Committee prior to the break.
Submitted by Ken Whitehorse
Northwest Photos from Gretchen Dorian
Iceboat photographer specialist Gretchen Dorian made the 9 hour drive from northern Michigan to photograph the Northwest, one of her favorite regattas. She set up camp at the weather mark in brutally cold conditions on Saturday and somehow managed to keep the batteries and cameras working. Her first set of photos have been posted on her website. Take a look and stay tuned for more.
Northwest Notes
Jim Gluek among the ATV tracks with his Skeeter, MERLIN. Photo by Jonathon Ringdahl. See the rest of his photos here.
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?
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.
