Welcome to iceboat.org

The Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club is one of the most active iceboat clubs in North America. We’ve been building and racing iceboats for over 100 years in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Ice Is Never 100% Safe.

Our ice reports are strictly for iceboat racers. Recreational iceboaters, kite boarders, cross country skiers, and ice fishermen should not rely on our ice reports. We have safety equipment. Do you?

Buy or Sell Your Iceboat

One of the best pages in North America to buy or sell iceboats and their parts. There’s also a complete list of vendors who will supply iceboats, sails, and their components.

Common Questions:

How can I get started? How fast can they go? How much do they cost? Is it safe?

Regatta Watch

Information about the ISA, NIYA, WSSA, Nite, and DN regattas.

Iceboat Classes

Learn about Skeeters, DNs, Stern Steerers, Renegades, Nites, and Ice Optimists.

The Rules.

The purpose of iceboat racing rules is to prevent collisions.

Ice Yacht Clubs

The best way to learn about iceboating and make life long friendships is to join a local club.

Why We Sail.

“If all our ice were glass, slightly wet, and all our air reasonably steady with lifters just where needed, sailing would be perfect. Sometimes we do find this, and it is worth waiting years to have. Meanwhile we must accept the more ordinary ice conditions, ordinary weather and wind, and gracefully accept snow, sometimes for weeks. Our ideal comes from time to time, the Great Maker gives only so much of the very best.” Charles H. Johnson.

Iceboating for Kids

Ice Optimists were created specifically as a youth trainer, designed to be easily built using commonly available materials, and to keep costs to a minimum.

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

Regatta Watch: Nite National Called ON Feb 3-4 on Mendota

Photo: George Gerhardt                                Ready position!

This weekend, Lake Mendota will be the place to be if you embrace winter. The 2018 Nite National Regatta will be sailed on Lake Mendota February 3-4, 2018. All official information is posted on the Nite Class website.
The MARY B will be on display at the Clean Lake Alliance premier event, Frozen Assets Festival at the Edgewater Hotel. If that isn’t enough fun, UW Madison’s Hoofers Winter Carnival is also taking place. The 4LIYC will likely be club racing this weekend as well. We’ll have an announcement about 4LIYC racing by 5 PM on Friday.

 

Weather Watching

https://www.instagram.com/p/BdMIu8TjSdo/?hl=en&taken-by=verticalgranite

“A change in the weather is sufficient to recreate the world and ourselves.” Marcel Proust
Weather forecasting is part of the sport of ice yachting. Here are three weather websites that have been recommended and proved useful during this winter of the Zamboni:

    • SpotWX: “…designed as a spot weather forecasting tool. There’s no shortage of sites out there, both government and private, which display weather maps from various models. However getting the actual numbers required for a spot forecast remains a difficult task without specialized desktop software. SpotWx was created to fill that void.”
    • Tropical Tibits Forecast Models: Supplies graphical forecasts from numerical weather models.
    • Windy: “Weather radar, wind and waves forecast for kiters, surfers, paragliders, pilots, sailors and anyone else.”

 

YOU Can Help Build a Fleet!


4LIYC DN/Skeeter sailor and UW Sailing Coach, Dave Elsmo, has been getting college age sailors into iceboats this winter but he needs your help! If you have an old DN hulls, chocks, or masts, please get in touch with Dave so he can put together some boats for these enthusiastic new ice sailors.. You can email to me debwhitehorse@iceboat.org  if you don’t have Dave’s contact information.

 We had 12 new sailors on the loaners boats between Saturday and Sunday. I have three students that are really interested in racing more and possibly building their own programs. I have two planks without chocks, an extra set of stays, 1 spare mast and three spare sails. Can the group find some old DN hulls,chocks, and a masts? Fun fact, Ben Witman was competitively racing on Sunday with an old fiberglass Sherry mast. Get your old parts on the ice!
Dave Elsmo

4LIYC Racing Scores Updated

Photo from the Yahara Project Instagram page, A documentary project on the Yahara Watershed.

After waiting out a snow flurry, the club was able to race on Sunday, January 28 on Lake Mendota and Tim McCormick has tabulated the standings.4LIYC Scores, Jan 30, 2018
A highlight of that day on Mendota was several college-age soft water sailors being introduced to our sport. Daniel Hearn put it best in his Facebook post:

Tip of the helmet to Dave Elsmo, who seemingly had the entire UW Sailing Team out taking turns and racing with us. Great exposure for our sport, due to Dave’s tireless ambassadorship!

 

2018 DN North American Championship

Photo: Gretchen Dorian

After a 5 day delay because of weather, the 2018 DN North American championship was sailed on Lake Charlevoix in Petoskey, Michigan January 24 -27. Congratulations to defending champion Ron Sherry for winning his 13th title in the Gold fleet and Steve Madden for winning the Silver fleet. Below is some drone footage from Jeff Kent.
You will find links to photos, videos, and news stories over at idniyra.org. 
Results
Gretchen Dorian Photos
Sailing Scuttlebutt Report

Regatta Watch: ISA Postponed

JD hikes out in a Class A Skeeter iceboat

Via Jay Yaeso:

The International Skeeter Association championship has been postponed. There are multiple lakes with club racing venues but ramps are all questionable at this time. Tune up and be set for a great championship!

Next update, February 4, 2018.

 

Regatta Watch: Northwest Postponed

Photo: Jeff Russell Dan Clapp sails his Class A Skeeter, INSANITY on Green Lake at the 2014 Northwest Regatta.

The Northwest Regatta has been postponed. Next update is Sunday, February 4, 2018.

 

Wisconsin Skeeter Racers Update

Class A Skeeter pilots Tom Hyslop & Ken Whitehorse

Wisconsin Skeeter Race results from Green Bay, Suamico, WI.
1st Ken Whitehorse
2nd Tom Hyslop
3rd Jay Yaeso

Short track racing, 7 races completed.
Nice day to sail, if you like to sail..
Jay

Online Ship’s Store

Regatta Dates 2025

Subscribe

Enter your email address to subscribe to iceboat.org and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 283 other subscribers

National Iceboat Authority Web Page



Click for 4LIYC Meeting Dates

2024-2025

  • 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

Web Analytics

TO ROUND THE MARK SINCE NOVEMBER 1999.



Lake Access Permits

A year-round permit required for designated launch sites in the City of Madison and Dane County Parks. Locations include:

    • Lake Mendota Warner Park Mendota County Park
    • Lake Monona Tonyawatha Tr. Olin Park
    • Lake Waubesa Goodland Park

Purchase Lake Access Permit Online.

Search