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
In The News: One Day on Mendota
The recent warm weather melted the snow on Lake Mendota this week. 4LIYC members Jim Nordhaus, Don Sanford, and Grant Frautschi took advantage of the marginal conditions before the slush became too deep and the landings deteriorated. See more photos here.
Regatta Watch: 2021 WSSA Called ON for March 6-7
Jay Yaeso and Eric Sawyer
Via WSSA Secretary Andy Gratton:
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Regatta has been called on for Oconto City Park which is about 2 miles south of Oconto, Wisconsin on the bay shore. The intersection to Hwy 41 is at Frog Pond Road.
LAUNCH
Ice access is from a 400′ beach with the ice close to shore frozen to the bottom. It is not recommended to drive more than a few truck lengths onto the ice. A four wheeler will be available to pull trailers onto the ice. Heavy trailers can park on the ice next to shore to off-load. The wind forecast is not great but this may be the last chance for WSSA this season. First race is scheduled for Saturday, March 6 at noon.
LODGING
There is an EconoLodge in Oconto with rooms at $70 with pool, hot tub, and continental breakfast.
600 Brazeau Ave, Oconto, WI 54153 Phone: (920) 834-5559
Green Lake Renegade & Nite Drone Photos by Rob Resnick
Renegade fleet on Green Lake in Wisconsin Photo: Rob Resnick
The ice sailing community is glad that photographer Reb Resnick keeps an eye on our doings. He was on Green Lake over the weekend during the Renegade Championship and Nite Commodore’s Cup with his drone. Check out his gallery of Wisconsin ice sailing images here.
2021 Renegade Championship – Nite Commodore’s Cup Day 2
4LIYC members Tim McCormick, left, and Ron Rosten, right, line up in the one and two blocks for the fourth Renegade race.
Results
Sunday’s conditions were a paradox of wind with intermittent fog. The Nites were the first to sail, and Green Lake Ice Yacht Club’s Byron Hill won his first race of the day.
The wind picked up, which made for an exciting and competitive Renegade race won by Tim McCormick. The Nites were able to sail one more, again won by Byron Hill.
The Renegades lined up for race four which was a four-lapper. After two laps, a competitor pulled in and informed the Race Committee that the weather mark had fallen because he had hit it. Chief Judge and Nite Commodore John Hayashi, assisted by Pat Heppert, immediately decided that sailors fishing around for the weather mark in the ever-lower visibility was a lousy situation and black-flagged the race.
Congratulations to Jim Gluek for his second Renegade Championship and Byron Hill for his victory in the Nite Class. Thanks to John Hayashi, the Green Lake Ice Yacht Club, and Pat Heppert for all his help.
The celebratory braunschweiger and onion sandwiches provided by Green Lake Ice Yacht Club’s Debbie Biermann at the trophy presentation were much appreciated. Her husband, Dan’s, birthday is coming up, and he asked her to make them rather than a birthday cake. We all hope it’s a new tradition.
Class A Skeeter sailors Ken White Horse and Paul Krueger haven’t had the conditions to sail this season. Mike Ripp made sure Ken kept his racing skills tuned up and lent him his Renegade to race in the regatta. Paul Krueger joined Ken as a coach, pit crew, and ATV driver.
Thanks, Peter Sarelis, for traveling to the regatta from Michigan and representing the Gull Lake Ice Yacht Club.
Regatta Watch: 2021 WSSA Called On for March 6-7
Andy Gratton’s fleet. Photo: Mike Kroll
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association Regatta for 2021 has been tentatively called on for March 6 and 7. The site selected is Oconto, WI with a secondary site at Escanaba, MI. Final confirmation will be made by 1 PM Thursday, March 4. Check back here after that time. It is very probable that trailers will need to be pulled on at either site using a 4-wheeler.
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasurer
2021 Renegade Championship – Nite Commodore’s Cup Day 1 Photo Gallery
Mike Ripp and JACK’S FROST on Green Lake in Wisconsin. Photo: Jim Stevenson
Light air and sticky, granular ice were the keywords of Saturday. Patience paid off for the Renegades, and they were able to sail two races. In the first race, light air specialists Greg McCormick, Tim McCormick, and Jim Gluek arrived at the leeward finishing line simultaneously for an exciting finish where Greg inched out the other two. Winds dropped during the second race, and just three sailors, race winner Jim Gluek, Greg McCormick, and Daniel Hearn, were able to make the time limit. The Nite fleet gave it their best try, but the light air brought out the black flag.
Pilot Jim Stevenson flew up for a look at the regatta and shared these photos with us. Thank you, Jim!
Boats should have no trouble getting around the course in today’s winds, forecasted to be 10-15 mph with possible gusts to 30mph.
Fast FROSTY
Jay Yaeso designed and built this Stern-Steerer so that his two boys could enjoy ice sailing together. Glad to see that ice conditions at Oconto County Park near Peshtigo, WI enabled FROSTY and the Yaesos to start that journey. Of course Stern-Steerer sailors Mike Kroll and Andy Gratton were there too but off exploring when Jay took this photo.
Fort Peck Mini Skeeter Fleet
Here are some of Montana’s Mini Skeeter fleet who joined us at Fort Peck including John Eisenlohr, Dave Gluek, and Dave Farmer. Via John Eisenlohr’s Facebook page. Now I’m getting ready to head to Green Lake for the Renegade Championship and Nite Commodore’s Cup.
We joined Deb Whitehorse , Daniel Hearn and Pat Heppert at Fort Peck. Some locals from Glasgow showed up with DN’s. We drove 8 hours east on the high line of Montana to get there. Its been good sailing and fun racing the last 3 days. So far I’ve logged 253 miles of sailing. Thanks for inviting us to the photo shoot.
Regatta Watch: 2021 Renegade Championship Called ON for Green Lake, Wi
The 2021 Renegade Championship has been Called ON for Green Lake in Wisconsin, February 26-28. The first race is on Saturday, February 27 at 10 AM CT. Racing has been cancelled for Friday, February 26. This post will be updated with Sailing Instructions and more information as we receive it.
Sailing Instructions
ATTENTION ATTENTION ATTENTION:
Online registration is MANDATORY. You will not be able to pay using cash or check at the sailing site.
LAUNCH:
ICE REPORT:
SCHEDULE OF EVENTS:
Fort Peck Day 2: AM Report
Photo: Sean R. Heavey
Good morning again from below Fort Peck dam near the Missouri River. We had a long but fun day on the ice. We decided to move base camp from the marina landing to Duck Creek, the 2020 DN North Americans’ launch site. There was a rough ice area between the launch and the black ice that would have been difficult for the C Skeeters to push through. (DNers who used the south launch on Black Lake in Michigan at the U.S. Nationals will understand. It was challenging moving a DN through the minefield; imagine pushing a C Skeeter.)
We had plenty of willing and capable help to figure out the logistics of the move. Sean and his friend Dave carefully towed Daniel and Pat across the rough ice and around a heave. Once on the black ice, the sails remained rolled up on the planks, and they sailed using only their masts to the new launch.
The wind finally subsided enough later in the afternoon for some sailing and photography. A line of snow squalls on the other side of the lake provided an artistic backdrop.
After a dinner at the Gateway, we went back to the ice so that Sean, Dave, and another friend of his, Carlos, could experiment with lighting effects for night photography. Underwater flares were cool to watch, but they didn’t provide enough light for these photographers’ vision.
Sean, Dave, and Carlos brought out a host of specialized lights and rigging. We’ll be on the ice again tonight and hoping for a clear night sky with visible stars.
The winds are conducive for C Skeeter sailing at 12-18 mph with a 30F temperature. Pat is cooking up some eggs, and I’d better get ready to go to the ice. We are also expecting some Montana sailors to arrive this afternoon.
Here’s how Lake Mendota compares to Fort Peck Lake.
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.
