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Regatta Watch: NIYA & ISA Postponed
Photo: Gretchen Dorian
UPDATE:ISA postponed as well. Next ISA update is February 25, 2018.
Via NIYA Regatta Chair Tim McCormick:
The Northwest Regatta is postponed until March 2-4. We have a number of potential sites which are close to racing conditions. Madison lakes have smoothed out nicely but they have shell ice; ¾” ice above 1-3” of liquid. Geneva has drain holes with skimmed ice over them. Green Lake is similar to Madison plus it has some hard 4” snow drifts. Lake Winnebago and Green Bay are getting smoother but are still too rough for a regatta. Next update is Sunday, February 25th at 7pm CST.
ISA & NIYA: Nines!
Via Tim McCormick
DID YOU KNOW?
The racing format for the NIYA, ISA, and Renegade regattas has changed from five races to nine races. Three races are scheduled for each day (Friday through Sunday) and races may be made up if missed on prior days. For example, if only one race is completed on Friday, then we may sail up to 5 races on Saturday. Here’s hoping for smooth ice, fair winds, and lots of good racing soon!
Kenny Krieder in POON, a classic rear seat Class A Skeeter
State of the Four Lakes
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfbICw8B2W7/?hl=en&taken-by=christophermanzeck
The snow has completely melted from our lakes. The ice will be checked tomorrow here along with other locations with the hopes of having a regatta on Friday through Sunday.
Regatta Watch: ISA Tentatively Called ON for Feb 23-24
Photo: Craig Wilson
Via ISA Regatta Chair, Jay Yaeso:
The International Skeeter Association Regatta is tentatively called ON for February 23-25, 2018. The Northwest has precedence. Currently, conditions do not exist. A weather system early in the week could present an opportunity for an event. The Northwest is also called on and takes precedence over the ISA. Final confirmation will be noon, Wednesday, February 21.
Regatta Watch: NIYA Tentatively Called ON for Feb 23-25
2008 Northwest Photo: Geoff Sobering
Via NIYA Regatta Chair Tim McCormick:
The Northwest Regatta is tentatively called ON for February 23-25, 2018. We don’t currently have racing conditions, but we have a major weather system moving through the area early this week bringing warm temperatures and rain followed by colder temperatures Tuesday night. We’ll inspect ice conditions Wednesday morning and make the final call by Noon CST, Wednesday February 21st. Potential regatta sites include Madison, Green Lake, and Fond du Lac.
4LIYC Racing Update: No Go for Feb 17-18
Not happening. Photo David Travis
There will be no Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club racing for the weekend of February 17-18, 2018. Commodore Don Anderson took a look at Mendota and reported “too rough and slush pits.” Vice Commodore Tim McCormick swung by Monona and reported it to be unsailable as well. Next update Friday, February 23.
Palmer Boat Company of Lake Geneva
Photo of a Palmer iceboat, LINGWES, from Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club website. PS. This boat is still for sale. Contact Bill Bucholz.
Waiting for ice sailing conditions to return gives more time to post the historical items. The invaluable Brian Reid of New York recently shared some history in the form of a letter from the Palmer Boat Company written in 1936 to a New Jersey iceboater. Brian wrote:
I was going through some images on a snow day here and came upon a few things from out your way. These come from a scrapbook that Greg Strand recently acquired on behalf of the North Shrewsbury Iceboat & Yacht Club of New Jersey; Greg is archivist/historian of the Red Bank crew.The scrap book belonged to George Seger – an active NJ ice boater in the 30s and 40s – he’s in Wings on the Ice (p. 59). Greg called me and I took digital images of as much as I could. Great stuff.
As you see in their elegant letter head, the Palmer Boat Company of Fontana, Wisconsin was an early builder of scows and iceboats. Many vintage Palmers have come across the Buy and Sell page of this website over the years. A quick internet search about Palmer boats turned up some interesting facts. Buddy Melges’ father, Harry Sr., worked for Palmer before starting Melges Boatworks. Maine iceboater Bill Bucholz wrote a story about a Palmer, LINGWES, for the Chickawaukee Iceboat Club that referenced the same Richard Moeller as in this letter to Mr. Seger. Thank you, Brian, for sending this out our way.
Previous: Palmer on the Prairie,, December 2, 2016 on iceboat.org.
If you interested in the early history of ice sailing in the United States and efforts to maintain and sail historic Stern Steerers, Brian’s website, White Wings and Black Ice is a must read.
February Runner Tracks Posted
The February issue of the DN class magazine, Runner Tracks, has just been published. Check it out here.
1950s Lake Monona Ice Sailing Photos
Two legends, Bill Perrigo IOU and Elmer Millenbach RENEGADE III
Our club had an unexpected visitor at last week’s meeting who brought us some classic photos. Long time Madisonian Dick Brandt shot these on Lake Monona back in the 1950s. Many thanks to Dick and to Peter Fauerbach for taking the time to scan these important historic photographs. My guess is that many of these were from the 1952 Northwest Regatta which was sailed on Lake Monona.
UPDATE: Skeeter Iceboat Club’s Jane Pegel has helpfully identified some of the boats. The skipper sitting in the MICKEY FINN Skeeter is in question. Jane writes, “I think Mickey Finn may be Buddy because his sail number is I-180 (Harry C. Melges, Jr.) but perhaps his father was sailing the regatta in Mickey Finn.”
Click here to view more photos
The Two Mr. M’s
From left to right is Ivar Steffner, Gustav Lindén, Wilhelm Alness, Axel Steffner, Oskar Svensson, Rasmus Söderman.
From Ron Rosten, just returned from the Junior World Championship:
Parallel Universe. The gentleman standing behind Team Sweden is Uppsala’s Kjell Mattsson. Every DN in Uppsala, Sweden has been built, repaired, or upgraded in Mr. Mattsson’s shop. Does this sound familiar to anyone in Madison with an almost identical last name?
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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.
