UPCOMING:
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4LIYC Meeting : November 2025
4LIYC Shipstore: Order custom iceboat shirts, hats, and gear. More information.
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Renegade Recap
Joe Norton waits as the Renegades line up to race.
On Sunday morning, the Nites sailed one race as the Renegades waited, but the wind shifted, and the course had to be changed. The Renegade fleet decided to call their regatta complete because they weren’t sure if there was enough time to move and scout the new course for hazards before the snow came. The snow held off, the Nites banged off five more races and had a spectacular day.
Don Anderson 5th, Daniel Hearn 4th, Andy Gratton 3rd, Jim Gluek 1st, and Ron Sherry 2nd.
Fly By Nite
Nite iceboats on Lake Puckaway, December 26, 2020. Photos: Jim Stevenson.
As the saying goes, it’s who you know. Ice sailors have become accustomed to seeing 4LIYC Renegader Jeff Russell pull up on the ice in his bright yellow Piper Cub. Jeff opted for blades on the ice at this weekend’s Renegade Championship and Nite regatta. Luckily, his fellow flyer Jim Stevenson arrived and took these spectacular aerial shots of the Nite Class on Saturday.
The Nites sailed 6 more races on Sunday. Results here.
Renegade Nationals – Nite Holiday Series Update
Arrowheads: The Nite fleet readies to race on Lake Puckaway, Saturday, December 26, 2020. Photo by Jim Stevenson. Instagram: js170b.
I have time for a quick update before heading back to Lake Puckaway for day 2 of the 2020 Renegade Championship and Nite Holiday Series.
One of the highlights for me was scoring the third Renegade race when two familiar boats rounded first and second on the first lap and continued to battle for the remaining four laps. Ron Sherry was sailing Mike Ripp’s blue Renegade, and Mike was sailing his father, Jack’s red Renegade. Mike said that “Jack was sailing the boat” in that race. I will have more video and photos on Monday.
2020 Nite Holiday Series Called ON
Via Nite Class Commodore John Hayashi:
The Nite class will be sailing out of Apuckwaka Park on the North shore of Lake Puckaway. The event starts on Saturday 12/26 with the flag dropping at 9 AM. You must be a Nite class member to participate. We will be following the Nite class protocols regarding COVID safe events listed on our class website www.niteiceboats.org. Further updates will be posted on our class website and also Facebook page.
The ice has been walked and scouted and will be further scouted and sailed Christmas morning. We are currently recording 4 inches of ice. The conditions look excellent.
Black lines are very small working seams, they have small gaps with thinner ice and possible water gaps. The circle is a very small patch of rougher ice that can be sailed just a little more bumps to it. We will sail right off the landing.
Regatta Watch: 2020 Renegade Championship Called ON
The 2020 Renegade Championship has been Called ON for Puckaway Lake near Princeton, WI for December 26-27, 2020. The Renegade Championship will join with the Nite class for their Holiday Series. This post will be updated with Sailing Instructions and more information as we receive it.
ATTENTION ATTENTION ATTENTION:
Online registration is MANDATORY. You will not be able to pay using cash or check at the sailing site.
Launch:
Apackwaka Park on Puckaway Lake, Montello, WI.
Do not drive on the ice! Please save the landings as well.
Black lines are very small working seams, they have small gaps with thinner ice and possible water gaps. The circle is a very small patch of rougher ice that can be sailed just a little more bumps to it. We will sail right off the landing.
Ice Report: The lake was walked, drilled, and measured by Nite Commodore John Hayashi today December 24, 2020. He found 4″ of ice everywhere with some areas thicker. See the map above for working seams.
SAILING INSTRUCTIONSSchedule of Events:
Saturday, December 26, 2020
8:30 AM: Skippers Meeting
9:00 AM: First Nite Race
10:00 AM First Renegade Race
Renegade By Laws specify 3 races for Saturday.
Sunday, December 27, 2020
9:00 AM First Nite Race
9:30 AM First Renegade Race
Attention Renegaders
Lake Puckaway, Thursday morning, December 24, 2020.
Attention Renegade sailors: Stand by and sharpen your runners.
Previous: 2020 Renegade Championship Called On
Think Christmas Ice!
Faithful Friends on Monotypes
For your listening pleasure, a 1983 Russian music video with Monotype Stern-Steerers and DNs. This video has grown on me since first seeing it on Facebook yesterday. The innocence and goofiness of it seem appropriate now.
The song is VIA ′′ Faithful Friends ′′ – Blue Song (Blue Inay)” and the translation describing it reads, “In the 80s, there is a boom of Sailing in the USSR, the mass construction of sailing yachts, monotype buers, DN, sports clubs at factories buy match, yacht clubs open, popularization is huge.”
Class A Skeeter Fleet News
Minnesota sailors Rob Evans (standing) and Alex Peterson picked up Jim Gluek’s MERLIN Class A Skeeter from Wisconsin yesterday. Welcome to the fleet!
Spaight St. Syndicate Update: Chicks Dig It
Via Daniel Hearn:
Chicks Dig It
Not a PC headline, but what can you expect from a sport dominated by old white dudes with hair growing out of their ears. Long past time to change our demographics.
Meet Erin Bury. She’s the size of a gymnast with a personality as big as the Deuce. Still in her twenties, she calls the Twin Cities home. She showed up on the catamaran racing circuit last summer with another Gopher and thought ice sailing sounded rad, when she heard us talking about it.
Last weekend, she stepped off a plane from Hawaii jet-lagged, took a quick cat nap, and headed to Lake Christina where she knew we were going to be. After checking out the boats big and small, she was convinced this sport was her kind of thing. Erin also brought her boyfriend, Dave. He’s cool. He brought his dirt bike with studded tires. He even let a couple of old dudes ride it, chiding us to lay it down like we mean it. He’s young and invincible. We know better. Sort of.
Also joining us from the Twin Cities for some tiller time was another cat sailor, Gretchen Wilbrandt. Gretchen’s first DN experience was the World Championships two years ago when she casually mentioned that ice sailing sounded like fun. Another first-timer, Renee Fields, also flew in from Arizona for the Worlds. First time…world championships…no big deal. Chicks rock!
Anyway, back to Erin. This weekend, she and Dave met us at Lake Altoona. Erin was itching to give it a go. Wind was light, but so is Erin, so with a little boost from a powered kick sled, she was up and going. (Side note: We discovered that the sleds are great coaching tools, too. My brother Brian sat on the seat, while I drove. He could easily get Erin started with his foot on the stern, and we both were right there for instructions). Next weekend, Erin will be meeting us on Lake Puckaway, if the weather cooperates for that regatta. Who knows…maybe she’ll be an iceboat owner by then.
Thanks to our friends Tim Mower and Bill Ecklund for inviting us to come and sail with them. And it was great to meet other locals, Dan, Dan and Rolf. Hope to sail with you again sometime.
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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
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TO ROUND THE MARK SINCE NOVEMBER 1999.
