UPCOMING:
SOUTHERN WISCONSIN SWAP MEET, MADISON, WI: Fall 2024
4LIYC Meeting : November 2024
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 21, 2024
Olin Park landing on Friday, January 19, 2024.
Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club racing has been called on for January 20 – 21, 2024 on Lake Monona. We are postponing Saturday’s racing because temperatures will be below 10 degrees F for most of the day. Racing begins on Sunday, January 21. The first race is at 10 AM.
Ice checkers looked at Lakes Monona and Kegonsa. Kegonsa had 5″+ of hard, somewhat dimpled ice with about 5/8 inch snow. Lake Monona measured in at 5-6″ with 1/2 inch of snow. Thank you to all those who checked ice in the past few days.
What to Know:
Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club Racing
Date: Sunday, January 21, 2024
Time: First race at 10 AM
Location: Lake Monona
Launch: Olin Park
Do not drive on the ice!
Permit: You must have a Lake Access Permit. Click here to purchase one or buy a daily permit at the landing.
Ken Whitehorse Nominated for 4LIYC Honor Roll
Photo: Sean R. Heavy
Ken Whitehorse Archives
4LIYC Honor Roll
Ken Whitehorse has been nominated for induction in to the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club Honor Roll by Greg McCormick and Daniel Hearn. Congratulations, Ken, and thank you for contributing so much of your time and effort to this club and the sport of iceboating. The club will vote on the recent Bylaw proposal and Ken’s induction into the Honor Roll at our February 15, 2024 business meeting.
Never in the history of competitive iceboating has the name of a boat more clearly reflected the heart and character of its skipper. This is especially true in the case of Kenny Whitehorse, sailing his A skeeter WARRIOR. Kenny’s tenacious and competitive spirit was never more evident than when he won the 1977 Northwest regatta, claiming victory in an epic battle over the Skeeter Iceboat Club’s Sparky Lundberg. Kenny won the regatta on the last leg of the final race, with the lead changing right up to the finish. Those in attendance witnessed one of the sport’s most epic battles. Kenny’s cousin, Greg Whitehorse, reflected on his many years of racing Ken and stated, “I could never manage to beat him in the close ones.”
Kenny’s indomitable spirit could also be observed off the ice, squaring up with Buddy himself in one of Fontana’s favorite haunts: “Chucks.”
Details can get lost over time, but one thing is perfectly clear: somebuddy poked the bear.Remarkably, Kenny’s most lasting contributions to the sport may not be on the ice but in the countless hours of painting, welding, building, tuning, and repairing club equipment and competitors’ boats. Ken has fixed or repaired four-wheelers for both the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club and the DN Western Regional Association. Without skilled sailors like Kenny lending their time and talent, safe and competitive racing would not happen.
Ken Whitehorse has competed and won against the legends of the sport, including Mattison, Melges, and Kruger. One of those legends is Kenny’s trailer and shop partner, Paul Kruger. Their teamwork has enabled them to sail recreationally and competitively into their 7th and 8th decades—a remarkable achievement. Ken has proven to be a fierce competitor and loyal friend and truly deserves to be inducted into the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club’s Honor Roll.
Submitted by Greg McCormick and Daniel Hearn
By Laws Proposal & 4LIYC Zoom Meeting Tonight @ 6:30 PM
Zoom meetings from a Skeeter cockpit are fast.
We will be meeting remotely tonight via Zoom. Club members should have received an email link. If not, please let me know.
WHAT TO KNOW:
Date: Wednesday, January 17, 2024
Time: 6:30 PM CT
ZOOM ONLY!
A By Laws Proposal has been submitted by Daniel Hearn and Lars Barber. The club will take a vote on the proposal at the February 15, 2024 4LIYC Business Meeting.
Proposal to change Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club Bylaws, Article 3, Section 4
Section 4 – Effective 11 /1 /96 dues shall be as follows:
• Senior member – $20.00
• Junior member – $5.00 (3/27/96)Change to
Section 4 – Effective 11/1/2024 dues shall be as follows:
• Senior member – $30.00
• Junior member – $5.00 (3/27/96)Reason: Expenses have increased significantly since 1996.
Submitted by: Daniel Hearn and Lars Barber
Mongolia Marketing with Skimmers
Photo & Video submitted by Ganaa Davaa.
Previous: Think Ice Globally – Sail Mongolia
Mongolian influencers are posing with the latest sensation–Skimmer iceboats. Let’s hope that ice sailing becomes the new trend in the land of horses and yurts. Link to video.
Four Lakes Aerial Ice Checking
Lake Monona froze over in the early morning hours of January 15, 2024. Photo: Ethan Brodsky
On Monday, January 15, Ethan Brodsky, one of our favorite pilots, toured the lakes in Madison. Lake Monona appeared to be completely locked and covered in white frost, which is not snow. We have been blessed with ice due to the brutally cold temperatures. However, we are waiting for the ice to thicken and for the temperatures to be a bit warmer before we start scouting. This is sure to be a topic of discussion during our Wednesday night 4LIYC Zoom meeting. As always, respect the ice and be safe.
There’s still plenty of open water near Middleton, but by the “rowboat” definition, Lake Mendota froze last night. Monona is frozen solid – it was was wide open yesterday (January 14.). Lake Wingra is also frozen solid – it had a small open patch in the middle yesterday. I have to laugh at all the people who were predicting the lakes wouldn’t freeze this year. – Ethan Brodsky
The Art of Ice Formation – Mendota Today
To see our playground start to come to life, check out this time-lapse video of ice formation between the Edgewater and the Memorial Union on Lake Mendota. It’s -13F here this morning, and the middle of Lake Mendota is still steaming, but the ice is coming in. Keep an eye on the Mendota Today webcam for more thrilling ice formation videos!
Video link
Regatta Watch: 2024 Northwest Postponed to Jan 26 – 28
B Skeeter: Fritz Buttons
There are currently no suitable locations for the Northwest Ice Yachting Association Regatta for January 19 – 21, 2024. THE REGATTA IS POSTPONED TO January 26 – 28, 2024. Next update is Sunday, January 21, 2024.
Steve Schalk
Secretary/Treasurer
Northwestern Ice Yachting Association
Regatta Watch: 2024 ISA & Renegade Championship Postponed to January 26 – 28, 2024
Photo: Will Johnston
The 2024 International Skeeter Association Regatta and Renegade Championship has been postponed until January 26 – 28. We are waiting for recently frozen ice to build. Next weekend’s extremely cold forecasted temperatures are also a factor in postponement. Next update is on Sunday, January 21, 2024.
John Dennis, ISA Regatta Chair
Think Ice Globally – Sail Mongolia!
The sport of ice sailing has expanded to Mongolia. From the land of horses, yurts, and vast open spaces, Ganaa Davaa recently contacted Nite Commodore Maureen Bohlebher and me to talk ice sailing. Ganaa related that the conditions in Mongolia, similar to the dry landscapes of Montana, are perfect for our sport, with ice from December to April. Ganaa urgently needed iceboats for a January 12 winter festival, so John Hayashi of Windward Boatworks, got on the road and drove two boxed Lockley Skimmers to a Chicago shipping firm, which ensured their timely arrival. The 4LIYC’s Lars Barber helped out by giving his Skimmer sail to John so that the boats would be complete. Expect to see more iceboats in Mongolia as they continue to build their fleet.
Meanwhile, the first-ever international DN regatta is taking place in Jinzhou, China. Minnesota’s Mike Bloom is there, along with several Europeans and Russians. Follow the regatta in the DN website and Facebook page. It is remarkable how this sport brings together people from around the world.
Scott Goetz Memorial Postponed & Weather Update
View from Lake Mendota Webcam on January 12, 2024. This is a good thing. Watch the live webcam for ice-making starting Monday.
Southern Wisconsin is currently weathering heavy snow and winds. The blizzard has prompted the postponement of Scott Goetz’s celebration of life, initially scheduled for Saturday, January 13, 2024. The family will likely reschedule when the weather is warmer.
Weather Underground temperature forecast.
We expect very cold weather next week and are hopeful for good ice sailing conditions in the coming days. The good news is that all Madison area lakes are open. Maybe we’ll have ice like Lake Vanem in Sweden right now, pictured below! Keep your runners sharp, it’s coming to southern Wisconsin.
Online Ship’s Store
National Iceboat Authority Web Page
4LIYC Governing Documents
Click for 4LIYC Meeting Dates
- November 8 Zoom
- November 22 Elections
- December 6
- December 20
- January 3 Honor Roll Nominations
- January 17 Deadline for By-Law or Racing Rules Amendment Submission
- January 31 – in person, no Zoom
- February 15 Business Meeting – Zoom only
- March 6 – in person, no Zoom. Last meeting of the season.
Location: In person at Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club or Online using the Zoom App Members please email debwhitehorse@iceboat.org for the link.
Time: 6:30 PM
YOU ARE SKIPPER NUMBER
TO ROUND THE MARK SINCE NOVEMBER 1999.
