NIYA

Northwest Ice Yachting Association An iceboat regatta first sailed in 1913 in Menominee, Michigan.

Stern Steerers

The NIYA was originally a stern-steerer regatta organized to determine ice yacht supremacy in the Midwest. A,B,C,& D stern-steerers continue to compete in the NIYA.

Skeeters

Class E Skeeters first raced the NIYA in 1936 when Lake Geneva sailor Harry Melges won in MICKEY FINN.

DN Class

Skip Boston of Detroit was the first winner of the NIYA in the DN class in 1954.

Renegade

First sailed as a seperate class in 1958 and won by “Mr. Iceboat”, Elmer Millenbach.

NIYA Centennial

The NIYA celebrated 100 years of iceboat racing in 2013 on Green Lake in Wisconsin.

2020 Northwest Ice Yacht Racing Association Information

March 13-15,2020
Lake Waconia, Minnesota

4LIYC Jan 19 Meeting News: Join Us or Zoom Us, You Choose

Doug Kolner left, and Daniel Hearn, right, waiting for the go signal to push off their Renegade iceboats on Lake Monona. Photo by Joe Berger

Join Us or Zoom Us, You Choose

We’re planning for our next hybrid meeting format this week Wednesday, January 19. We’ll have local ice sailing tales and regatta updates to share.

WHAT TO KNOW:
Date: Wednesday, January 19, 2022
IN-PERSON MEETING
Food will be delivered at 6 PM
Meeting begins at 6:30 PM
At Daniel Hearn’s Office–S/B Strategic Marketing, 1352 E. Wilson St
Menu for Dinner Deliver: Ha Long Bay Restaurant  Link to Menu

For those who’d like to meet in-person and enjoy a good meal together, we’ll be ordering takeout from a different restaurant each meeting. This week, we are warming up with Ha Long Bay, traditional south east Asian eatery. Please review the menu and use the form below to let us know your food choices. Here’s a link to their menu. 

Once you know what you want, submit your order using the form below. Please place your order no later than 3:00 p.m. day of meeting. Food will deliver at 6:00 p.m. Bring cash to pay Deb for food and delivery driver tip. Word has it that club members are bringing beer, otherwise BYOB.

ZOOM MEETING
4LIYC members will receive the Zoom link via email as usual. Not getting the emails? Please contact Deb.

For those who are out of town or feel more comfortable plugging in electronically, we’ll look forward to seeing your smiling face on the big screen in the conference room.

4LIYC Weekend Recap Jan 15-16, 2022

Nite sailor Maureen Bohleber lifts a runner on the race course. Photo: Ethan Brodsky

Iceboating racing champion Jane Pegel always said the best way to attract people to our sport is club racing. During the two-day Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club racing series on Lake Monona, a high level of interest from Midwest ice sailors, photographers, and the Madison community proved her point.

The wind cooperated, allowing the race committee to bang off 30 races in four fleets (Skeeters, Renegades, DNs, and Nites) Saturday and Sunday. Our scoring chair, Tim McCormick, will tabulate those results soon.

One of the biggest thanks goes to Ken Whitehorse, who set the whole weekend in motion. We wouldn’t have been able to get on the lake without him. On Wednesday, he removed the snow blocking the landing with his Bobcat. Ken and Tom Hyslop enjoyed two days sailing their Class A Skeeters before their Wisconsin Skeeter Association support equipment, Ken’s Mule, broke down.

Thanks to Scott Goetz for trailering the club’s ATV from Mendota, Commodore Daniel Hearn for setting courses and taking care of everything that needed doing. Thanks to Pat Heppert for the use of the marks and also for keeping the course organized, and Jerry Simon for starting, calling, and flag duties.

Thanks to our out-of-town guests who gave our club racing weekend a regatta-like feel. We appreciate your enthusiasm and were happy to have you join us on the race course.

In all the years I’ve been involved in ice sailing, I don’t remember seeing so many Madisonians braving the cold to watch us, curious about iceboating. Sunday’s west wind placed the start line within easy walking distance of the shore, and residents flocked to check us out.

There’s nothing more photogenic in a Madison winter than iceboats against the city skyline. It’s been that way since 1878 when Harper’s Bazaar Magazine ran an illustration of ice sailing on Lake Monona. We were thrilled to have several excellent photographers and videographers on the ice with us. They have generously shared their pictures on Facebook, and I’ll be linking to them during the week. The first photographer, Ethan Brodsky, uploaded his photos to Google for those not on Facebook. See them here.

 

Regatta Watch: 2022 WSSA Postponed


Via Wisconsin Stern Steerers Association Secretary Andy Gratton

The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to January 29 and 30. The next update will be Sunday, January 23. Check back here at that time. The Northwest Ice Yacht Association regatta takes precedence.

Winnebago has over 12″ of older ice, 10″ on newer, but too much snow and rough seams on the black ice. Mendota doesn’t have the 12″ thickness and is not likely to grow enough by the weekend.

Andy Gratton

WSSA Secretary/Treasurer

Regatta Watch: 2022 ISA & Renegade Championship Tentatively Called ON for Jan 21-23 @ Lake Mendota

Mark Isabell in a Class A Skeeter HELLSBELLS on Lake Monona, January 15, 2022. Photo: Ethan Brodsky

Via International Skeeter Association Secretary Steve Schalk and International Renegade Ice Yacht Racing Association Secretary Ron Rosten:

The ISA Championship and Renegade Championship have been tentatively called on for January 21-23, 2022 on Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin. Final confirmation will be made on Wednesday, January 19, 2022 by 1 PM CT.

“Iceboats & Failsafes”

Good Sunday morning. A quick update from Saturday’s Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club racing, which is an excellent excuse to post this entertaining drone video from Trevor Benford. It was a full day of ice-cold fun. The Renegades, Nites, and DNs sailed four races each, and the A and C Skeeters sailed 2. Check back in later for more photos and results.

 

SOLD! January 1, 2022: DN in IL

SOLD 2014 Sherry built DN for sale including original hull, plank with custom chocks, Quill mast, custom hardware, 2-sails, insert 440 runners, bull nose runners, padded covers/bags for hull, plank, mast, boom all in like new condition. Entire program minimally used. Located in Springfield, IL.
Delivery optional.
Price is $5,000 obo

4LIYC Racing Called On for Jan 15-16, 2022

DN class iceboats on Lake Monona, January 2022. About 40 years separates the red boat US2412 and the two modern DNs. Photo: Kenton Fowler

Racers: Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club racing has been called on for January 15-16, 2022. Skeeters, Renegades, DNs, and Nites will race on the east end of Lake Monona out of Tonyawatha Landing. The first race is at 10 AM. Please pay annual club dues ($20) to Jerry Simon, Daniel Hearn or Deb Whitehorse.

Cruisers: For your best experience, we recommend that non-racing boats launch at Olin Park (launching fee required.) Please review our Safety Page and keep in mind that ice is never safe.

Spectators:
Monona Terrace provides a perfect warm perch for optimal viewing.

In The News: Wisconsin Iceboat Life

Deb and Joe Norton on Green Lake in Green Lake, WI at the Nite Nationals, March 2020.

Via 4LIYC Commodore Daniel Hearn

Oh, Baby, It’s Cold Outside

Time to bundle up and sit by the fire? Not a chance, it’s iceboating season! Wisconsin Public Television wanted to know what this crazy sport was all about. So, they reached out to an authority on the subject, Deb Whitehorse, who holds more offices in the ice sailing community than anyone. She is the longtime Secretary of the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club based in Madison, Wisconsin and a member of the club’s prestigious Honor Roll. The club is likely the most active in the world, with adrenaline junkies racing in a number of classes on Madison’s chain of lakes whenever conditions allow. Whitehorse is also the Secretary and Treasurer of the International DN Ice Yacht Racing Association, which is the largest ice sailing class in the world. Whitehorse has traveled to cold places around the globe to help manage races in the sport that has been in her DNA since birth. Her father and husband were both legendary ice sailors, and every once in a while, she drops her scoring pad and jumps in a boat for some hot laps. She is the webmaster of the most trafficked website on the internet, creates and manages multiple ice sailing class websites, and receives frequent inquiries for comments related to the sport. If it’s anything ice sailing, Deb Whitehorse is “in the know.” You’ll definitely want to check it out!
You can see it online at this link.

Upcoming air times are on Wisconsin PBS as follows–
Thursday, January 13, 7 PM
Saturday, January 15, 2 PM
Monday, January 17, 11:30 PM

Wisconsin Skeeter Association Season Opener

Via Ken Whitehorse of the Wisconsin Skeeter Association:

Wisconsin Skeeter Racers Season Opener
Date: Thursday, January 13, 2022
Lake Monona, Tonyawatha Launch
First race at noon
For Skeeter Classes A, B, and C
P.S. I just found out about this myself! See you there. We must unite and win those trophies back from those Minnesota Skeeter racers!

4LIYC Club Racing Update for Jan 15-16


The Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club plans to hold club races from January 15-16, 2022. We expect some of our out-of-town friends will want to join us. The Clarion Hotel in Madison will honor the iceboater rate for the “ISA Weekend Warmup.”  The next update for club racing information will be on Friday, January 14, by 5 PM.

Hotel Information:

Clarion Suites at The Alliant Energy Center
2110 Rimrock Road
Madison, WI 53713
(608) 284-1234
Single $94
Double $114
Ask for the ISA rate.

 

 

Regatta Watch: ISA Tentatively Called on for Lake Monona in Madison, WI

Dan Clapp at the 2010 Northwest Regatta on Lake Winnebago in Oshkosh, WI. Photo: gretchendorian.com

Via ISA Secretary Steve Schalk:

The International Skeeter Association Championship and Renegade Championship have been tentatively called on for Lake Monona in Madison, WI.
Final confirmation will be made on Wednesday, January 12 by noon central time.