Don Anderson and Damien Luyet.

It was a beautiful evening yesterday at the 4LIYC trophy banquet at the Mariner’s Inn on Lake Mendota. With the lake just steps away and the venue decorated in a nautical theme, it couldn’t have been a more suitable setting for an ice sailing gathering. We’re going to miss that restaurant — and after last night, we’re even more grateful for the many years the von Rutenberg family has supported the sailing community.

Renegader Don Anderson served as the evening’s master of ceremonies. He reminded us of the von Rutenbergs’ long history with sailing and the famous Edgewater to Mariner’s race that used to take place in softwater days on Lake Mendota. It was a casual race where simply not falling in was considered a win.

The von Rutenberg family’s generosity didn’t stop at hosting us — they also donated a raffle prize: a spot on their famous Betty Lou Cruise. Barb Sanford won the raffle, which was especially fun because her husband, Nite sailor Don Sanford, was a longtime captain of the Betty Lou Cruise boats!

Before dinner, we gathered in the bar to mingle and catch up. It was amazing to see so many out-of-town guests, including IDNIYRA Commodore (and stern steerer owner) David Frost, who made the trip from Michigan via Thunder Bay, Ontario where he had hoped to get one last DN ride in. Andy Gratton came down from Fond du Lac, and George Gerhardt joined us from Oshkosh — strong stern steerer representation all around. Pete Johns also made the trip from Illinois, combining the banquet with picking up a brand-new Ron Sherry DN hull. We were also happy to see Maureen Bohleber from Green Lake and long-time club member Gary Sternberg in the crowd.

Even though we sat for dinner a bit earlier than planned, it worked out perfectly. Ken Whitehorse kicked off the awards by presenting trophies to Paul Krueger from the Skeeter fleet. Ken shared the story of how a “magic sail” rediscovered in their inventory made PK’s boat fly this season. He also talked about a memorable day on Lake Monona when they weren’t planning to sail — but seeing German DNers Anja Fiedler and Holger Petzke (here on a year-long U.S. sabbatical) inspired them to rig up and head out.

Don Anderson took a moment to update everyone on the MARY B’s success this winter. He reflected on how much the boat has sailed since coming under the Foundation’s care. Several people in the room raised their hands when Don asked who had a chance to ride the B this year. Don also gave a shoutout to Andy Gratton for jumping in at Frozen Assets Festival to help with the MARY B, making important improvements to her steering and rigging. Andy even hopes to bring his famous red stern steerer WISCONSIN down to Frozen Assets next year.

After a hearty dinner and dessert, it was time for the main event: handing out the trophies. A big thank you to our Trophy Chair, Damien Luyet, for the countless hours he put into organizing, polishing, and preparing the trophies — even making new bases where needed — to ensure everything looked perfect for the banquet.

On display was a pencil sketch of Tim McCormick sailing his Renegade AIM against the Lake Monona skyline, drawn by Greg Whitehorse and brought by Greg McCormick — a meaningful reminder of Tim’s contributions to the sport we all love.

Among the specialty awards, the “Pin Clipper” prize — given for notable mark mishaps — was awarded to Renegader Doug Kolner this year for an incident on Lake Monona where he gave a cone a ride for a few laps.

Ron Sherry was the evening’s highlight, captivating the room with his stories about ice sailing, boat setup, and racing tactics. Ron talked about advice he received from Buddy Melges on setting up a Renegade, and shared memories of sailing Renegades with his dad, Lorne Sherry, on Lakes Geneva and Mendota. He was in his element as he delved into the subtleties of setup and tactics with an audience that valued every detail. I strongly recommend that all yacht clubs invite Ron as a speaker — he is an outstanding storyteller. He closed with one of my favorite stories: the time he won the Northwest Free-For-All Trophy on Lake Geneva, made even more special because so many of the people involved were right there in the room, including my brother, Ron Rosten.

We did miss our Commodore Daniel Hearn, who was on vacation with his family — but he was with us in spirit. It was a night full of  storytelling and memories — the very best of what iceboating is all about.