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:
4LIYC Awards Banquet:
Saturday, April 26, 2025 at Mariner’s Inn. Sign up here.
4LIYC Meeting : November 2025
4LIYC Shipstore: Order custom iceboat shirts, hats, and gear. More information.
BURGEE:
 Order your 4LIYC Burgee
Pay Your Dues Online

4LIYC Racing Called On for Jan 22-23 on Lake Monona

Photo: Joe Berger

Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club racing has been called on for Saturday and Sunday, January 22 – 23, 2022 on Lake Monona in Monona, WI. Launch out of the Tonyawatha landing. For Saturday, January 22, we are moving the start of the first race to 11 AM in order to let the temperatures warm. 

4LIYC Ice Check for Friday Jan 21

Lake Monona, January 15, 2022            Photo: Ethan Brodsky

Club members are invited to meet at the Olin Park landing on Friday, January 21, 2022, at noon for an ice check in anticipation of club racing. The next update for club racing is Friday, January 21, by 5 PM CT.

Regatta Watch: 2022 ISA & Renegade Championship Postponed Until Jan 28 – 30

Rob Evans sails his A Class Skeeter on Lake Monona, January 15, 2022. Photo: Joe Berger

Via ISA Secretary Steve Schalk

The International Skeeter Association Regatta has been postponed until January 28-30, 2022. Lake Mendota in Madison was checked this morning. Snow drifts that weren’t a problem on Tuesday have frozen and become a problem today. Next update is Sunday, January 23, 2022.

Hard Water Summit Update


Via Daniel Hearn:

The last couple weeks many of us have gotten our first ice time for the season. There was an epic weekend in Madison, so check out the 4LIYC Facebook page for amazing visuals from a number of photographers/videographers who showed up to capture the excitement. Our friends in Michigan and Ohio also got a bunch of sailing in. And our friends in the northeast were looking to pull off the Doc Fellows Regatta. Haven’t heard if that happened, or not.

 

The upcoming weekend looks to be exciting, too, with the International Skeeter Association Regatta tentatively called on for Lake Mendota, in Madison Friday through Sunday. And starting on Sunday, January 23, the DN National Championships, likely somewhere in the Central Region, are slated to kick off.

 

As long as we’re in the groove, check out our playpen for the Hard Water Summit in Glasgow, Montana this March. This footage was also shot over last weekend. That’s miles and miles of hard water, ice junkies! And 25 below zero last week had to have built some major thickness. Video link here.

 

You’re not going to want to miss this one! If you’re interested, visit the event website and fill out our short survey. 80 sailors have already done so. How about you?

Hard Water Summit Event Website

Photo: Sean R. Heavey

Joe Berger Lake Monona Sailing Gallery

Nite and DN class iceboats on Lake Monona, January 15, 2022. Photo by Joe Berger.

Hoofer soft water sailing instructor Joe Berger came over to the chilly side and brought his photography skills to Lake Monona over the weekend. He has shared his photos on our Facebook group and to Google pictures. See them here.

4LIYC Jan 19 Meeting News: Join Us or Zoom Us, You Choose

Doug Kolner left, and Daniel Hearn, right, waiting for the go signal to push off their Renegade iceboats on Lake Monona. Photo by Joe Berger

Join Us or Zoom Us, You Choose

We’re planning for our next hybrid meeting format this week Wednesday, January 19. We’ll have local ice sailing tales and regatta updates to share.

WHAT TO KNOW:
Date: Wednesday, January 19, 2022
IN-PERSON MEETING
Food will be delivered at 6 PM
Meeting begins at 6:30 PM
At Daniel Hearn’s Office–S/B Strategic Marketing, 1352 E. Wilson St
Menu for Dinner Deliver: Ha Long Bay Restaurant  Link to Menu

For those who’d like to meet in-person and enjoy a good meal together, we’ll be ordering takeout from a different restaurant each meeting. This week, we are warming up with Ha Long Bay, traditional south east Asian eatery. Please review the menu and use the form below to let us know your food choices. Here’s a link to their menu. 

Once you know what you want, submit your order using the form below. Please place your order no later than 3:00 p.m. day of meeting. Food will deliver at 6:00 p.m. Bring cash to pay Deb for food and delivery driver tip. Word has it that club members are bringing beer, otherwise BYOB.

ZOOM MEETING
4LIYC members will receive the Zoom link via email as usual. Not getting the emails? Please contact Deb.

For those who are out of town or feel more comfortable plugging in electronically, we’ll look forward to seeing your smiling face on the big screen in the conference room.

Online Ship’s Store

Regatta Dates 2025

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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

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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.

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