
2020 Northwest Ice Yacht Racing Association Information
March 13-15,2020
Lake Waconia, Minnesota
SOLD December 21, 2023: Nite in MI
SOLD! Nite #74
One sail in good condition
2 ea planks – One regulation and one for high winds or two people
2 ea masts
2 set of Sarns runners
One Sarns sharpening jig
2 covers – One brand new
One new set of cables for the mast
Several misc. extra parts
3 ea stands
Trailer with spare tire – newer tires
2 ea helmets
Boat is ready to sail. Previous owner was Bub Rose from Michigan. More pictures available
$5250.00
Asking $4350
4LIYC Racing Called on For Jan 21, 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
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
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
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.
SOLD! January 7, 2024: DN in IL
SOLD! November 18, 2023: DN Runners in WI
Four Lakes Aerial Ice Checking
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
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
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.
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.
In the News: Peter Harken in Seahorse Magazine
Peter Harken Archives
Via Sailing Scuttlebutt:
Carol Cronin on an article she wrote about Peter Harken for Seahorse Magazine:
Just like his name, Peter Harken’s life story is so intertwined with the company he helped to build that I gave up trying to separate the two. And the fifteen-month delay between writing and publication meant I was enchanted all over again when I read through Part I. So many Hall of Famemagaz inductions… yet the humble Peter seemed quite surprised that I (and Seahorse’s readers) might actually be interested in his life story The editor has graciously given me permission to share the PDF with you, but that only covers up to the 1980s. To read Part II, you’ll have to subscribe. Well worth it for all the Rod Davis lessons! Thanks for following along, and let me know what you think of ‘Plodding along dropping white plastic balls‘.
Excerpt from Plodding along dropping white plastic balls by Carol Cronin for Seahorse Magazine:
The most famous of those ideas solved a classic iceboat problem: how to get enough purchase on the mainsheet without adding so much friction that the boom had o be pushed out downwind. ‘Iceboating, your reactions have to be really fast. When you let the sheet out a little bit it has to happen right away – or you’re going over!’ Read here.
Fond Du Lac Ice Yacht Club Readies for the Season
Our friends from Fond du Lac Ice Yacht Club recently shared a photo which features three original founding members – Dave Lallier, his mother Carol Nichols, and Karen Whealon. In 2013, Dave and his late brother Jeff had a fantastic day of sailing on their Johnson A Class Stern-Steerer with their mom, Carol. The Lallier family’s passion for ice sailing started with Dave and Jeff’s parents. “This iceboat thing started for me when I was a baby sitting on Mom’s lap in the back seat of MR. DASS, an old Don Ward D Skeeter still in the family. Jeff and I were lucky to have spent much time sailing with mom and dad when we were young.”
With the forecasted cold temperatures, here’s hoping that Lake Winnebago has a good freeze this season.
Tip of the Helmet: Julie Jankowski
SOLD! January 6, 2024: Skimmer in MI
2024 ISA & Renegade Championship Postponed Until Jan 19-21
Via ISA Regatta Chair John Dennis:
The International Skeeter Association Regatta and Renegade Championship has been postponed until January 19, 20, 21, 2024. Extreme cold temperatures forecasted for next weekend should give us more options for ice. The next update is on Sunday, January 14, 2024
John Dennis
Senior Shuffle Postponed
The first annual Senior Shuffle has been postponed. Light winds and 3″ of powdery snow caused the postponement of the 2024 Western Region Championship on Twin Lake at Phelps, WI. We still plan to hold the Shuffle on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday after the Western Region Championship, whenever that may take place.
2024 DN Senior Shuffle Called ON for Phelps, WI

DN fleet at the 2010 Northwest on Lake Winnebago. Photo: Gretchen Dorian
SENIOR SHUFFLE CHAMPIONSHIP
REGISTER: Click here to register for the regatta.
DATES: January 8 – 10, 2024
LOCATION: North Twin Lake, Phelps Wisconsin
Launch: North Twin Lakes Landing Road, Phelps, WI. Roll trailers on please.
LODGING:
Best Western Derby Inn
US-45, Eagle River, WI 54521
+17154791600
Days Inn by Wyndham
844 N Railroad St North, Eagle River, WI 54521
+17154777025
Coady’s Point of View Resort
3932 Point of View Trail, Phelps, WI 54554
+17152044111
https://povresort.com/
SCHEDULE:
- Saturday: 5 PM CT online registration closes.
- Monday: 9:00 AM CT Skippers Meeting. 10:00 CT First start. Senior Fleet will start first (if multiple fleets).
- Tuesday: 10:00 CT First start.
- Wednesday: 10:00 CT First start. Races can start as late as 1 PM or at the discretion of the Race Committee.
Eight Bells: George S. Hendrie Jr.

George S. Hendrie, Skipper of the BULL. Photo from the Carl Bernard Collection. (This photo is likely George S. Hendrie Sr.)
The opening line of an obituary often sets the tone for a life well-lived, and when it begins with the mention of sailing on the famous stern-steerer FERDINAND THE BULL, you know you’re about to dive into the story of a true sailing legend. George S. Hendrie Jr., an avid iceboater hailing from the Detroit, Michigan, area, passed away on January 1, 2024, at the remarkable age of 96.
Fair winds and following seas, George.
George S. Hendrie Jr., 96, died Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. He was a loving husband and father.
George was president of Color Custom Compounding prior to selling the company in 1984. He also was an avid sailor and iceboater. At age 16, he was the trimmer for his father aboard Ferdinand the Bull, when they won the Stuart Cup in 1943. The Stuart Cup was considered the world championship of iceboating in the unlimited class in that era. George and his father repeated as Stuart Cup victors aboard Ferdinand the Bull in 1944.
His involvement in sailing on Ferdinand the Bull ended in January 1945, when he joined the U.S. Navy to fight in World War II. Upon his return from the war, he continued racing iceboats. He was a past commodore of the Detroit News Ice Yacht Club and Detroit Ice Yacht Club in the late 1940s and early 1950s. On or around 1961, he won the national championship for the Arrow class of iceboats. Continue reading.