UPCOMING:
It’s Swap Meet Season!
4LIYC Meeting : November 5, 2025 via Zoom More information.
Midwest Hardwater Sailors Swap Meet: November 8, 2025 @ Delavan Yacht Club More Information
4LIYC Shipstore: Order custom iceboat shirts, hats, and gear. More information.
BURGEE: Order your 4LIYC Burgee
Pay Your Dues Online
First, Eh!
Thunder Bay, Ontario DN sailor, Mike Madge is once again the first to ice sail in North America (as far as we know). Last year, he was sailing on November 9. Another box ticked!
Just back from Whitefish Lake
4″ of Black ice with maybe 1/4″ covering of Snow.Wind 15 gusting to 20 made for a fast ride
Meanwhile in Minnesota, lakes are coming online in the usual places near Alexandria and with tonight’s low at 10F, it will only get better! Stay tuned to the Minnesota ice boating website for the latest.
Steve Arnold
Steve Arnold
Some sad news to share, Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club member Steve Arnold passed on over the weekend. Steve served as 4LIYC Commodore for several terms from the late 1980s to early ’90s. He started racing in the DN class, then moved onto Nites and Skeeters, and was very competitive in club races. Steve also helped run our club races and regattas. He was an avid pilot and in the last 20 years, we’d see him circling above us in his plane while we raced and often landing on the ice for a visit.
2018 SIBC Swap Meet: November 4, 2018
Get them fresh and hot!
Another milestone that brings us closet to the season! If you are looking to buy an iceboat, don’t miss this important event.
Via Jane Pegel:
Skeeter Ice Boat Club: 33rd Annual Swap Meet
Date: Sunday, November 4, 2018
Time: 9:00 to noon
With a free raffle at 11:30 a.m.There is no charge for participating.
Location: Lucke’s Cantina
220 N. Elkhorn Rd. (WI Hwy 67), Williams Bay, WI.
Map
For more info, email sailing19@charter.net
This is the day to swap, buy, and sell new and used iceboats and equipment. Boat builders & hardware manufacturers will display new products. Breakfast and/or lunch will be available at Lucke’s.
Display area:
Items for sale can be set up on the black top parking area at Lucke’s
and in the vacant lot to the south of the old Sailing Specialists building.
Please do not park your cars in the display area.
Please do not park or set up your displays adjacent to neighboring businesses. A short distance to the north there is a municipal parking lot located at the intersection of Elkhorn Rd. and Stark St. (on the north side of Stark St., opposite Burrough’s Floor Coverings).
Først/First!
Photo: Kai Linde – posted on Isseiling Salten Facebook Page
The iceboating season began in Norway today!
Are your runners sharp? Ice is just around the corner for all of us here in North America. Get ready for the season by attending an iceboat swap meet in your area this coming weekend. The Skeeter Iceboat Club is holding theirs in Williams Bay, WI on Sunday morning, November 4. More information.
Here’s a list of swap meets across the country taking place this weekend.
From the Norwegian ice sailing Facebook page Isseiling Salten
Then ice sailing season is open! Beautiful “Black ice” About 7 cm on kosmovatn. It blew fresh breeze lake on rognan, but almost too small to sail on kosmovatn. Further out on the lake, the wind came from all sides and very uneven….. I’m glad I took the day off and took the chance to try valnesfjord the ice for thaw set in now tonight.
A Winning View From Above
Craig Wilson and his kite at the 2009 Renegade Championship on Green Lake, Green Lake, Wisconsin.
Long before drones became prevalent, Kite photographer Craig Wilson recognized the beauty of boats on ice. He recently won an award from the country and museum where kite photography all began. Craig’s submission of a vintage stern-steerer photo hangs in a museum in France!
Tip of the Helmet: Jeff Russell
From Craig’s Facebook Page, Kite Aerial Photography by Craig Wilson:
Using a kite to lift a camera has been a thing for 130 years. Frenchman Arthur Batut is most generally accepted as the first person to accomplish that feat in 1888. This past summer a worldwide aerial photo competition was hosted in Labruguiere France with selected images shown at the Aurther Batut Museum.
At the end of the show I was one of the prize winners. Quite an honor to have some of my artwork selected to be included in the show and really amazing to be a prize winner in the birthplace of Kite Aerial Photography.
Craig Wilson
NASA Ice Check
From yesterday’s #IceBridge flight: A tabular iceberg can be seen on the right, floating among sea ice just off of the Larsen C ice shelf. The iceberg’s sharp angles and flat surface indicate that it probably recently calved from the ice shelf. pic.twitter.com/XhgTrf642Z
— NASA ICE (@NASA_ICE) October 17, 2018
Here’s a nice flat piece of ice estimated to be over a mile wide to get us in the mood for upcoming ice checks. Learn more about how tabular icebergs are formed on Live Science.
4LIYC Nites Meet November 7
Photo: aliheinemann20 via Instagram
For the second year in a row, the 4LIYC Nite fleet is meeting for some fun and to make sure all Nite sailors are ready for the season. If you are interested in iceboating or learning about the Nite fleet, please join in.
The Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club Nite fleet is getting together on November 7th for a fleet meeting, dinner and a night of throw down competition. If you have never been there it is a blast. Come witness Grant’s prowess at Wack a Mole, see if Donny has any football chops, perhaps we see Greg S. and his basketball touch,. For our more electronic skilled members, there just maybe an Asteroid, Centipede or Frogger game lurking in the building. If you do not show up you get grill duty the first day on the ice. Congratulations new fleet captain.Date: Wednesday November 7, 2018
Time: 6:30 for dinner, meeting, and games
Location: Dave and Buster’s on the west side in West Town aka (old Sears spot) MapRemember the Nite fleet are the fun people. Hint: That is a friendly challenge Renegade fleet.See you there
John Hayashi.
4LIYC Nite Skipper
Nite Moves
The Nite Class has a new address and website. Adjust your bookmarks and check out their new website here.
Sailing The Union
Dave Elsmo threads his way around the iconic UW Union Terrace sunburst chairs while carrying a DN hull.
Thanks to all who attended and helped with Sunday’s 4LIYC program at the University of Wisconsin Union. We were able to generate some interest with new people trying iceboating and interest some seasoned veterans into considering the journey to Lake Baikal. And now we know how to bring iceboats into the Union – by walking them through the Terrace. Special thanks to Dideric Van Reimsdjik for his presentation and to Dave Elmso for arranging the room.
4LIYC Fall Sailing Event This Sunday, Oct 14
4LIYC members Don Sanford & Ken Kreider to the rescue with an on-the-ice lunch buffet at the 2017 DN North Americans on Lake Monona.
Iceboating: Come For the Speed, Stay for the Friendships
MORE EVENT INFORMATION
Here’s a reminder about a program about Lake Baikal ice sailing and social event and that the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club and Hoofer’s is sponsoring on Sunday, October 14 from noon to 3 PM at the Memorial Union in Madison. It’s your chance to learn about ice sailing, adventure travel, Siberia, the 4LIYC, and meet ice sailors from around the world and Midwest.
4LIYC Commodore Don Anderson called me this morning to talk about something that doesn’t get mentioned enough, how the friendships and camaraderie in iceboating are possible because it is such a unique sport. Bill Mattison’s classic line describing the sport,”nothing’s fickler”, can be a feature, not a bug, of iceboating. There’s an upside to the fickleness.
Don talked about the differences between a soft water and hard water regatta. If conditions aren’t right, ice boaters are freer to get off the lake and explore their regatta destination making it more enjoyable for everyone. “Anytime I set up my iceboat at a regatta, getting to sail is a bonus. What makes it fun for me is renewing friendships with others who have this sport in common. The first iceboat ride you take of the season is worth the price of admission (i.e. owning an iceboat) because it is such a thrilling ride. Even if you don’t get another ride, it’s still a good investment.” Sharing morning donuts on the ice before a day of sailing, grilled brats at lunch, and a few beers at the end of the day with Tom Hyslop’s giant bag of peanuts- in-the shell makes iceboating festive sport.
As these photos below show, iceboaters enjoy the social aspects of sharing a meal on the ice whether it’s on Lake Baikal or Lake Monona. If you are curious about the sport, we hope to see you there on Sunday so you can learn more about us. If you are a 4LIYC member or member of another club, we hope to see you there to begin the process of renewing old friendships.
UPDATE: DN Champion Ron Sherry To Attend 4LIYC Baikal Sailing Program Oct 14
Multiple DN World, North American, and Baikal champion Ron Sherry is making the drive from Detroit, Michigan to attend this event and catch up with iceboating friends. Ron has been to Lake Baikal twice and has won 3 titles there and will be on hand to share his experiences.
Free Program & Iceboat Exhibit Sponsored by the 4LIYC and Hoofer’s Sailing Club
Date: Sunday, October 14, 2018
Time: Noon to 3 PM Program at 1 PM
Location: University of Wisconsin Memorial Union, Tripp Commons, 2nd Floor of the Union
800 Langdon St, Madison, WI MAPDETAILS
Parking: Helen C. White Parking Garage MAP
State Street Campus Parking Garage MAP
Food: Your favorite Wisconsin beverages and food will be available for purchase at Der Rathskeller and other restaurants located in the Memorial Union.
Questions? Please email us: debwhitehorse@iceboat.org
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.
