2020 Northwest Ice Yacht Racing Association Information
March 13-15,2020
Lake Waconia, Minnesota
February 28, 2026: B Skeeter in WI
1992 Bob Pegel-built B Skeeter
Clean Boat
Sitka spruce
Great Runners
New Vermont Sailmakers Sail (2025)
Excellent race boat
Road worthy trailer
Southern Wisconsin
$13,500.00
tim@heineconstruction.com
February 28, 2026: DN Components, Covers, and Masts in WI
DN Components and Covers
The finest DN parts in the world are now in-stock and available for immediate shipment in North America. Made by top-level Gold Fleet racers in Estonia. LINK
Contact madmountssales@gmail.com for US pricing. US webstore in the works.
Hamrak Full Carbon DN Masts
End of season closeout of remaining Hamrak IceWise masts in stock in Madison, WI. Models available–one Hamrak 50 and two Hamrak 60s.
Price $3,600 including shipping, VAT and padded travel bag. Hounds also available at additional cost.
Contact madmountssales@gmail.com
SOLD! February 27, 2026: Runner Sharpener in WI
SOLD! Original Tool Craft runner sharpener. Won many regattas for the red and white Skeeter fleet. Own a piece of history. Heavy duty bench included.
$100
Madison, WI
No 4LIYC Racing for Feb 28 – March 1
Unseasonably warm weather across southern Wisconsin has taken a toll on the ice. Many lakes, including Lake Mendota, are now candled with shoreline loss and unsafe for racing. (Some of our members have had firsthand experience with candling on Mendota recently.) As a result, there will be no 4LIYC ice sailing on February 28 or March 1.
Candling occurs when solid ice breaks down into vertical columns and loses strength, even if the surface still appears intact. Learn more about candled ice here: LINK
In the meantime, here is an ice sailing sighting from an unexpected place.
This video captures the Range Rover campaign featuring Daniel Hearn’s C Skeeter running inside the Oculus at the World Trade Center in New York City. The Oculus serves as the main transportation hub for Lower Manhattan, with thousands of commuters passing through each day.
LINK TO VIDEO
SOLD! February 2, 2026: Recreational DN in MI
SOLD! 1970 (estimated) DN
Stainless hardware. Wood mast & boom.
Coldwater, MI
$950 (cash only)
Regatta Watch: WSSA Postponed to March 8-9
Twin-masted stern-steerer with the DEUCE in the background. Oil painting by Harry Whitehorse.
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to March 7 and 8, 2026. The next update will be Sunday, March 1. Check back here at that time. The Northwest Ice Yacht Association regatta takes precedence.
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasurer
Regatta Watch: Northwest Postponed to March 6-8
We Sure Do!
The Race Committee was unable to locate a suitable racing area that had ice surface conditions and launch access for the Annual Regatta for February 27th. The search continues for March 6th. Next update is March 1, 2026.
Steve Schalk
Secretary/Treasurer
NIYA
Little Brother at the Pickle Factory
Via Pat Heppert from Lake Pepin’s Pickle Factory on the 4LIYC Facebook page:
“If it’s less than 75 sq. ft. and less than a 28-foot mast, they’re all Skeeters.”
Parked next to his C Skeeter DRIFTER, this little blue homemade (aren’t they all? – Ed.) iceboat looks like the kid brother tagging along. With enough wind, who knows.
February 21, 2026: Nite in WI
Nite – complete set up with nice trailer
Hull has been completely restored by S&R, brand new steering, and new wheel, new cushion, new bulkedheads. Harley Davison screaming eagle orange/black wrap on hull and springboard
Custom trailer with new tires
Includes everything…..
Blades/box
Refinished mast in black (aluminum track), black boom, great plank
All New hardware including racing stays, sheet,
Harken Full deck cover in great shape
Quantum Sail (owned by Jimmy Gluek) has a few races, outstanding shape, race battens, new window. Like new #84
Southern Wisconsin
$5950
Jim Tews – (262) 290-0391
Or
Brian Jones 262-239-0961
Battle of the Brands
Both commercials have already made the rounds in the ice sailing world. The Range Rover spot filmed in Minnesota last March with Daniel Hearn at the helm. The Škoda commercial shot in Finland in May with Lukas Zakrzewski driving.
This was simply a good excuse to get the two of them in one photo at registration for the 2026 DN World Championship in Sweden.
Regatta Watch: WSSA Postponed to Feb 28 – March 1
Photo: Maureen Bohleber
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to February 28 and March 1, 2026. The next update will be Sunday, Feb 22. Check back here at that time. The Northwest Ice Yacht Association regatta takes precedence.
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasurer
Regatta Watch: Northwest Update – Starting From Scratch
Green Lake, WI. Photo Jim Stevenson
The wind did not cooperate or obey the computer wind models this weekend (February 13 – 15.) Nobody got chilly, but the DNs and A skeeters got only two races in, and the Renegades, Stern Steerers and B/C Skeeters only got one. The races sailed are discarded, and we start from scratch starting Friday February 27th.
The locations possible range from somewhere on Green Bay, through Madison and out to Lake Pepin.
Steve Schalk
Secretary/Treasurer
Northwestern Ice Yachting Association
Gallery From Jim Stevenson
2026 NIYA News for Sunday Feb 15
Sunday’s NIYA races will start at 8:30. Renegades up first followed by Stern Steerers, then resume the normal rotation. Via Steve Schalk NIYA Secretary Treasurer
February 10, 2026: DN Runners in MI
DN Runners
Very nice set of 440 c stainless steel
Hard maple bodies 1/4 x 36 inch ready to go
$700
Southeast Michigan
419 410-4326
dn5053@yahoo.com
February 12, 2026: Junior Iceboat in NY
Small iceboat perfect for kids! I purchased this when my kids were 8 and my daughter sailed in it last winter at 15. It has a small flat cut sail that keeps the power down and a hand brake to boost everybody’s confidence! Aluminum mast, Sarns style alligator plate runners, cockpit cover included. I am selling this for what I bought it for to move it on to the next upcoming skippers – at $850 this is about the cost of the runners! If you are thinking about buying it for just the runners – please don’t make an offer – this is for the kids.
Boat is in great shape and located in Hammondsport, NY (Finger Lakes). We could possibly arrange transportation between iceboaters travelling to regattas.
Pictures of the boat close up and by my kids (for sizing) available.
$850 US
dux4us@hotmail.com
607 329 8429
Regatta Watch: 2026 Northwest Regatta Called ON for Feb 13-15 @ Green Lake, WI
Regatta Watch: 2026 WSSA Postponed
Stern-Steerers on Lake Monona at the 2016 Northwest. Photo: Joe Stanton
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to February 21 and 22, 2026. The next update will be Sunday, Feb 15. Check back here at that time. The Northwest Ice Yacht Association regatta takes precedence and has been scheduled for this coming weekend, Feb 13-15.
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasurer
SOLD! June 9, 2025: C Skeeter Frame Kit in MN
SOLD! C-skeeter wood frame kit, 1/4” 5-ply Baltic birch, complete with 29 pages of 11×17 CAD drawn fully detailed plans and 6 page building guide. It’s skeeter season, start building now and be ready by winter!
$50 plus shipping (cheaper than the cost of the plywood).
In The News – AFTER 135 YEARS, RED BANK ICE BOATERS RELINQUISH CUP
Photo: Brian Donahue for Red Bank Green
ice sailors never forget! Talk about patience, this is next level. Congratulations to the Hudson River crew on winning back the Van Nostrand Cup after 135 years and for keeping this remarkable piece of ice sailing history alive. And thank you to Red Bank Green, the independent local news outlet, for giving this regatta practically play by play and for their continuing coverage of ice sailing at Red Banks.
As the boat built by 19th-century architect Archibald Rogers came to a stop after their second straight win in the best of three, skipper Luke Lawrence and sheet tender Max Lopez exchanged hugs and gloved high fives with friends and family. One of several drones filming the action crashed into the sail and fell to the ice.
Then, Lawrence paused for a quiet emotional moment, kneeling silently in the basket amid the hoots and hubbub.
“I did this one for pop pop,” he said a few moments later, referring to his grandfather, Bob Lawrence, a boat builder and sailor. “He won a lot of stuff, but never this one. So this one is for him. Read more
Regatta Watch: WSSA Tentatively Called ON for Feb 14-15 @ Green Lake, WI
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta for 2026 has been tentatively called on for February 14 and 15. The site selected is Green Lake. Final confirmation will be made by 1 PM Thursday, February 12. Check back here after that time. The Northwest Ice Yacht Association has scheduled their regatta for the same weekend and place, that regatta takes precedence. There is some snow on the ice that needs to melt down, or at least remain soft for the regatta.
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasure
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