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
4LIYC Meeting & Election Update
Zoom meetings from a Class A Skeeter iceboat are fast.
Join the 4LIYC
We made history last night as the 4LIYC held its first virtual club meeting. When this club was first organized in the late 1800s, the primary means of communication was the telegraph while telephones were a dream of the future. Vice Commodore Tim McCormick moderated the meeting and it was marvelous seeing new faces and reconnecting with former members who are dusting off their iceboats for the upcoming season. The meeting went so well that the club is upgrading to a plan that will allow for longer meetings.
The club held elections. Following the recommendations of several members who suggested stability under these circumstances, the previous officers agreed to serve another year. Your 2020-2021 Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club officers are Commodore Don Anderson, Vice Commodore Tim McCormick, Treasurer Jerry Simon, and Secretary Deb Whitehorse. Our next club meeting will be on Wednesday, December 2, 2020, at 6:30 PM. Club members will receive an email with the link to the meeting on December 1.
4LIYC Zoom Meeting Tonight
Photo: Jeff Russell
4LIYC Meeting Schedule & Info
Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club members have been emailed a link to join our first club meeting on Zoom tonight at 6:30. If you are a member and did not receive the email, please email to me debwhitehorse@iceboat.org.
2021 Northwestern Regatta Cancelled
Notice from the Northwestern Ice Yachting Association Board of Directors:
Northwestern Regatta Page.
NORTHWESTERN ICE YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2021 REGATTA NOTICE
All participating members of the NIYA Board of Directors have been polled and the unanimous decision is to cancel the 2021 event.
The worsening pandemic makes travel, lodging and inside food service for a large group not viable.
It was felt that local club sailing will be possible to conduct safely with protocols in place for face covering, separation and only outdoor activity.
We encourage everyone to get out and sail locally, and look forward to the 2022 NIYA in the third week in January 2022.
Steve Schalk
Secretary/Treasurer
Northwestern Ice Yachting Association
Book Club
Some of the ice sailing community may be spending more time at home this winter than on the ice – depending upon local conditions. If sailing is impossible this season, let the internet help you explore more about the sport and its history in the form of online books. This is the first in a series of posts about ice sailing books.
I stumbled across a new-to-me resource, the HathiTrust digital library. What a surprise to find a complete digital version of Frederic Gardiner’s Wings On The Ice. Published in 1938, Wings On The Ice has been one of the most sought after ice-sailing books in North America for many years. My copy was an eBay purchase that cost the equivalent of a gallon of epoxy and hardener.
I learn something new or relearn something forgotten each time I open Wings On The Ice. For instance, Harry Melges Sr. is listed along with Walter Beauvais -Beauvais is credited with originating the Skeeter class – as a designer of the Four Runner Iceboat. (See Iceboating Tech That Never Caught On.)
Wings On The Ice is loaded with such a great wealth of information that I could devote a whole year of website posts to it. Speaking of relearning things forgotten, the book also references some of the earliest plans for ice yachts from Fredrik Henrik af Chapman’s book, ArchitecturNavalis Mercatoria published in 1768. (See Chapman’s Iceboat Plans of 1768.)
If ice sailing building, racing, and history interest you, pull up a chair to the virtual fire, turn on the e-reader, and immerse yourself in the details of this sport.
Lake Pepin’s Latest Skeeter
Ed Newcomb thinks ice!
Ken Whitehorse’s Class A rear-seater Skeeter WARRIOR headed off into the Wisconsin sunset on Friday on Lake Pepin iceboater Ed Newcomb’s Skeeter trailer. Ed is looking forward to sailing WARRIOR and is keeping the livery because “all Pepin boats are red.”
Previous: West Coast Doubles Skeeter Fleet
The Rear Seat Skeeter Era
Important News for Class A Skeeter Owners
Check Out the Ice Checkers
You know you want one.
These are a game-changer for iceboat regatta management. Need to quickly pick up the starting blocks, drag a starting line, head up to weather to change a mark, check out a seam? Jump on one of these and GO! However, they need a cool name.
Via the Corporate Office of RASSS:
Check Out the Ice Checkers
The much hyped collaboration between the Spaight Street Syndicate and Russell Aviation has finally resulted in some product output. After completion of just three powered kick sleds, a company spokesperson announced that the entity was selling out to a private equity firm intending to take the company public. When asked what drove the decision, Russell’s attorney suggested that his client brought all of the intellectual property to the relationship, while the other brought, well, nothing. When asked to comment about the statement Hearn said, “Oh, that Jeff, he’s such a kidder.
One time I even brought snacks to our work session. And picking out pretty paint colors is a remarkably difficult job.”
2021 ISA Regatta Cancelled
Jay Yaeso hikes in his Class A Skeeter iceboat on Lake Winnebago. Photo by Gretchen Dorian. gretchendorian.com
Notice from the International Skeeter Association Executive Committee.
ISA Page
2021 CHAMPIONSHIP REGATTA NOTICE
November 12, 2020The ISA Executive Committee and International Race Committee met on November 11, 2020 to discuss the status of the 2021 ISA Championship Regatta currently scheduled for the second weekend of January 2021.
After careful consideration of the possible impacts of gathering our members from across the nation to meet in either the Western or Eastern Regions of the ISA, our consensus was to cancel the 2021 Regatta.
We feel that local club sailing will be possible with safety protocols in place for face covering, separation and only outdoor activity.
We encourage everyone to get out and sail locally. Mark your calendars for the 2022 ISA on the second weekend in January 2022.
See you on the ice.
Don Sanford, President
Nite 384
Steve Schalk, Secretary/Treasurer
I564
Wisconsin Skeeter Association Awards
The top 3 finishers in the Wisconsin Skeeter Association belatedly held their 2020 spring awards banquet this week at the KW Skeeter Shop. Ken Whitehorse won the Bottle Trophy, Tom Hyslop was second, and Paul Krueger third. They also took the opportunity make a final check of the rear-seat Skeeter which is heading west tomorrow with Ed Newcomb.
Previous: West Coast Doubles Skeeter Fleet
The Rear Seat Skeeter Era
Important News for Class A Skeeter Owners
What Made Milwaukee Famous
Can there be any better way to introduce the new Nite YouTube channel than by starting off with this Schlitz commercial that ran in 1979? Not only that, Nite Treasurer Maureen Bohleber collected the back story on the making of the commercial. Be sure to go over to the Nite YouTube page to read it all.
Starring: Dick Slates, Will Perrigo, Tom Sweitzer and Mike Sangor
In 1979 the Schiltz Brewing Co. decided to make a series of commercials for the upcoming 1980 Winter Olympics featuring several sports that were winter related but definitely not in the mainstream of the official events. Iceboating turned out to be one of them. I’m not sure how they ended up with Nites and Pewaukee Lake but I’m guessing it had something to do with their corporate HQs being in Milwaukee at the time and Pewaukee Lake sailors’ reputation for enjoying their product. Kind of a win-win situation. Continue reading.
While We Wait: Here’s a Russian Stern-Steerer With Interesting Runners
Photo from “konstantin_k_n” Instagram account
November is the toughest month, when ice sailors patiently conceal their impatience for that first ice report. While we wait, here’s a photo of a lovely gaff-rigged Russian stern-steerer that I ran across on Instagram. The unusual runners are what attracted my attention. Wonder how they worked in snow?
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.
