2020 Northwest Ice Yacht Racing Association Information
March 13-15,2020
Lake Waconia, Minnesota
4LIYC Picnic Report
Family photo. Photo by Bob Borkowski.
Thank you to everyone who attended this special 4LIYC picnic on a postcard-perfect fall day and to our fantastic host, Tom Kretschman. We had a clear view of the runway, where we watched planes landing and taking off. Historic airplanes, equipment, and vehicles provided the backdrop for one of the most memorable picnics in club history. Commodore Don Anderson officially inducted Greg Whitehorse into the 4LIYC Honor Roll. Several people shared stories about the tremendous impact Greg has had on our club. We were honored to have Bill and Mauretta Mattison and Dave and Nancy Nelson in attendance. Our host, Tom, gave a tour of the various outbuildings that housed a collection of historic vehicles. Several club members took to the air for a ride in a WW2 French training airplane. What way to kick off the upcoming iceboating season! Next up, the Swap Meet on Sunday, October 31, 2021.
The 4LIYC picnic was a fly-in event that Renegader Jeff Russell took to heart.
4LIYC Picnic News – New Location & Time
Run what you brung!
ATTENTION x 3!
The 4LIYC’s annual fall picnic, when we will also honor the contributions of Greg Whitehorse to our club, has moved from Burrows Park to a private airport and museum in Verona. We’ll be picnicking in a large hanger surrounded by wonderfully restored cars, planes, tractors, horse-drawn buggies; basically, the whole timeline of mechanically driven speed from the late 19th century on up. You won’t want to miss this opportunity to catch up with club members while looking over the collection of vehicles. The photos below are a small sampling of the collection.
Fly or drive to Sugar Ridge Airport on Sunday, September 26. The party starts at noon..
Date: Sunday, September 26, 2021
Time: 12 Noon
New Location: Sugar Ridge Airport
7550 Sugar Ridge, Verona, WI 53593
What to Bring: Bring your own beverages and a dish to pass.
We’ll have a ham for sandwiches, a tradition started by Jim Payton and carried on by Peter Lundt.
4LIYC Meeting News for 21-22 Season
A good day on Lake Kegonsa. Photo: Jeff Russell
NOTICE OF DUES
The Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club will decide on October 8, 2021 whether to continue the Zoom meeting format for November and December or to meet in person. Dane County is under a mask mandate which they will update on October 8.
Watch for Notice of Dues postcards in your mailbox or click on this link to download and send your dues to our Treasurer, Jerry Simon.
4LIYC Sailors Take Off at Loring
Photo Gallery
A substantial crew of Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club sailors made the trip to Limestone Maine to compete at the 2021 Eastern Land Sailing Championship at Loring Airforce Base on September 10-12, 2021. You’ll recognize many Eastern and Midwestern ice sailors in the competitor’s list. With 19 races in both the Blokart and Unlimited divisions, they’ll be tuned for the ice sailing season. Loring Airforce Base “was one of the largest bases of the U.S. Air Force’s Strategic Air Command during its existence… Loring was a heavy bomber, aerial refueling, and interception facility for military aircraft, equipment, and supplies.” It was closed in 1994. The B52 bomber runways make for an excellent land-sailing track.
UPDATE: Just back from Maine and wanted to add to the original post that I wrote at 5 AM this morning before heading to the airport. A big thank you to the guy who had the vision to see this through, Bill Buchholz of the Chickawaukee Iceboat Club. Be sure to read Bill’s write up on the Chickawaukee website.
Blokart Lightweight: 4th Milo Fleming (Chickawaukee Ice Yacht Club), 3rd Aiden Schmeidlin (4LIYC), 2nd Daniel Hearn (4LIYC), and 1st Steve Madden (NEIYA).
Blokart Medium Division: 4th Wayne Schmeidlin (4LIYC), 3rd Lars Barber (4LIYC), 2nd BB Hedrock (not pictured), and 1st Mike Dinning.
Blokart Heavy Division: 4th Dan Clapp (NSIYC) (not pictured), 3rd Geoff Sobering (4LIYC) (not pictured), 2nd Jim Nordhaus (4LIYC), 1st Dave Lussier.
Unlimited Division: From left 3rd John Stanton (NEIYA), 4th Dave Fortier (CIBC), 4th Pete Johns (IDNIYRA, SIBC), 2nd Bill Bucholz (CIBC), 1st Chad Atkins (4LIYC) with PRO Henry Capotosto (NEIYA) .
The fasted craft at the regatta, Chad Atkins’ modified DN created a lot of interest on social media.
Harry Allen
Brothers Bill and Harry Allen on Lake Minnetonka.
Via Mike Bloom
Harold “Harry” Allen (DN 2452) died Tuesday night, September 2, 2021, after a courageous battle with cancer.
Harry was a talented helmsman who raced multiple classes of iceboats in the winter and raced E and A scows in the summer. And, if Harry ever needed a crew, more often than not, one of his three daughters was on board sailing with him.
As much as anything, Harry loved to iceboat. Harry raced Nites, DNs and his Stern Steerer. Harry was as popular as he was generous. If iceboaters were setting up on Minnetonka, 99% of the time the boats were in front of Harry’s house. There was not a more welcoming or friendly sailor on the ice.
Harry’s passing leaves a huge hole in the Minnetonka sailing community. The DN fleet sends condolences to his wife LeeAnne, daughters Emily, Katie and Mary, and to the rest of the Allen Family.
May Harry’s memory sail on.
SOLD! January 21, 2021: Nite in WI
SOLD! Nite 160
“Poon”
Stored indoors, 3 barely used sails (Jim Gluek custom sail, and Charlie Miller CL1), custom made trailer, jack, 2 covers, one to haul and a winter cover. Extra battens, custom seat, S&R slider on boom, tapered main sheet, 2 sets of Harken ratcheting blocks on boom and deck. Excellent condition.
Marinette, WI.
Willing to deliver within a reasonable distance.
$6500
Iceboat Swap Meet: Save the Date – Oct 31
Photo: Joe Stanton
The Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club is pleased to announce that we will be holding the Iceboat Swap Meet on Sunday, October 31, 2021, in Madison, WI, from 9 AM-Noon. Lake Geneva’s Skeeter Iceboat Club, the originators of the swap meet, has decided to forego hosting the famous meet again this year and support the 4LIYC having a turn. We’ll have more on location and other details soon. From the SIBC’s description, the swap meet is “the day to swap, buy, or sell new and used iceboats and misc. equipment. Boat builders & hardware manufacturers will display new products.”
Iceboat Swap Meet
Date: Sunday, October 31, 2021
Time: 9 AM – Noon
Location: TBA
Info: debwhitehorse@iceboat.org
Jane Pegel Honored at LGYC
National Sailing Hall of Fame members and ice sailors- from Left: Peter Harken, Jane Pegel, and Buddy Melges “All kings and queens are not born of royal bloodlines. Some become royal because of what they do once they realize who they are.” Pharrell Williams
Previous: Jane Pegel To Be Inducted into the NSHOF
A celebration to commemorate Jane Pegel’s induction into the National Sailing Hall of Fame was held at the Lake Geneva Yacht Club on Sunday, August 27th.
Susie Pegel reports:
Those in attendance at Jane’s party August 29th at the Lake Geneva Yacht Club included folks from Lake Geneva, Delavan, Madison, Pewaukee and Green Lake. And there was a surprise guest appearance from former DN world champion Mike O’Brien who flew in from New Jersey to say “hi.” Flowers had previously been sent to Jane from former DN world champion Henry Bossett. Mauretta Mattison sent regrets that she and Bill would be unable to attend the party. Many thanks to all the iceboaters who sent messages to Jane wishing her well and congratulations.
Excerpt from email sent to Jane from Dan Heaney:
“I am honored to be invited to the celebration of Jane’s selection to the Sailing Hall of Fame. I will miss the opportunity to hear the wisdom expressed by Jane regarding sailing, both hard water and soft water. Jane’s comments, especially those directed to my attention were always welcome and a positive contribution to my efforts as a race manager for the IDNIYRA. I look forward to the opportunity to see Jane in the future and will make it a priority to contact her and yourself on the occasion I have to be in Lake Geneva….we raise a toast to Jane in congratulations for being recognized for all the contributions made to the sport of sailing and the influence she has had on the sailors who have been lucky enough to meet her.”
Dan Heaney, Neenah, WI
Canadian Ice Force
Canadian Ice Force Newsletters
Ice sailors around here still talk about the Canadian Ice Force, a group of legendary dedicated iceboaters from Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. The Force is still around and getting ready for the season.. Mike Druiven has uploaded several copies of historic Canadian Ice Force newsletter to Google Drive.
“The newsletters featured articles on sailing, stories, regatta results, land sailing, photos and articles detailing iceboat design, engineering and construction. Thanks to Bob Intini for making these available to share. Some great summer reading to get us off our feet and start preparing for the coming ice! ” Mike Druiven
4LIYC’s Steve Arnold’s Skeeter made for a perfect bench on which to socialize during a regatta postponement at the ISA in Hamilton Bay, Ontario, CA. From left, Lorne Sherry, Charlie Miller, Elmer Millenbach, Bill Mattison. Note the freighter in the background.
Northwest Free For All Trophy History
Read: Oshkosh Ice Boat Club History & 1939 Northwest History by Harry Lund
All-around iceboater Andy Gratton let me borrow a rich archive of iceboat ephemera, photos, and records from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. As anyone who researches history can tell you, the information in libraries like this is filled with rabbit holes that lead you to unforeseen places, always different than what you originally intended.
1930 Oshkosh Ice Yacht Club Letterhead Logo
A report written in 1939 by Harry Lund about the history of the Oshkosh Ice Yacht Club led me to the 1940 Northwest regatta. The regatta was sailed on Geneva Lake in Lake Geneva, WI. It was the first time a Class A Skeeter, Jack Vilas in SUSIE Q, won the ten-lap Northwest “Free For All” race, where the winner is awarded one of the most beautiful trophies in our sport.
1940 Oshkosh Newspaper Northwest Report
The Northwest began in 1913, and the Free For All was the last race of the regatta to compare the speeds of the different classes of stern-steerers. The top two finishers in Class A, B, C, and D stern-steerers were eligible to race for the trophy. 1933 marked the first time the Skeeter class competed in the Northwest, and it only took them seven years to take the Free For All trophy from the stern-steerer class. The Skeeter class has continued their dominance of that race to the present day; Minnesota’s John Dennis is the current titleholder. Thinking about that day in 1940 when Jack Vilas in SUSIE Q became the first bow-steering boat to take home the big cup reminded me of National Sailing Hall of Fame member Jan Gougeon.
Back on Lake Geneva in 1981, Jan gamely lined up his DN with the Class A Skeeters of Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club’s Paul Krueger and Bill Mattison for the ten-lap finale. “It was a scary situation for Bill and me,” Paul recalled. “Jan didn’t realize how fast Bill and I were making the mark. To avoid him, I had to hit the mark, and Bill went to the outside.” From then on, DN sailors who qualified and wanted to compete in the race were allowed to borrow a Class A Skeeter. Jan’s good friend, Ron Sherry, won the 1997 race in a Class A Skeeter he borrowed from 4LIYC’s Bob Kau. (Interesting how Lake Geneva is where Northwest Free-For-All History has been made in 1940, 1981, and 1997!) Ron’s account of that race is a classic story, worthy of another good future post.
The trophies of the Northwest Regatta in 1913. Note the biggest of them all, the Free-For-All trophy
“Tool Porn”
“To Bodge (v), to make or repair hastily, to MacGyver”
Spaight St. Syndicate
The Spaight Street Syndicate expands its footprint. Via Daniel Hearn:
A sure sign that you’re a major dork is when certain tools tickle your loins. Guilty. But come on, check out this bad girl! If you’re like me, you’ve been lusting after the perfect re-saw machine since you skinnied your first board. Miss August, Tilly Tannewitz, boasts a 5 horsepower motor that will rip your hardwood quicker than a sailor draining a bottle of rum. She insists that Sitka is for sissy saws, but she doesn’t judge, so she’ll still entertain wuss wood. Touch her button and she slowly winds up until she’s a screaming mad woman just daring you to test her metal. With a 1″ carbide-toothed blade, she’s not slowin’ down for nobody. And if you think you need a rounded fence to keep her tracking down the center, forget about it! Set your thickness, and she’s as straight and true as they come.
Tilly is a relatively new addition to the Bodgery, a community shop that I joined just before COVID. Until now, I’ve never found an economical resource for re-sawing lumber. By the time I would pay a set-up fee and then the hourly rate for cutting at a professional shop, it would still be cheaper to waste a lot of wood in the planer. At $12 per board foot, I just couldn’t do it. So, on my current projects, I ripped the boards to 4″ width, then re-sawed, then planned, then glued the boards back together to get the widths I needed. Material efficient, but labor intensive. Tilly can resaw up to 13″ of hardwood, barely breaking a sweat. I’ve completed my Tilly training, so if you need something re-sawn for your next iceboat build, feel free to hit me up.
A few weeks ago, fellow C Skeeter builder Pat Heppert came to Madison to pick up some high-tech foam to build C Class Skeeter masts. The day started in the original compact basement workshop of the Spaight Street Syndicate, then over to the Bodgery to cut the foam, and then finished at the SSS Launchpad shop.
Ice Sailors On The Hook
SHAZAM crew: Erik Sawyer, Andy Gratton, George Gerhardt,4LIYC Commodore Don Anderson, Jay Yaeso, Mike Waldo, Rich Sawyer, and Tony Abts,
Previous: Tales To Tell, the 2020 Hook Race
2021 Hook Race Results
Jay Yaeso assembled another crew of ice sailors for the July 24th, 2021 Hook Race, a challenging 189 nautical mile race on Lake Michigan from Racine, Wisconsin, to Menominee, Michigan. (Thankfully, their rig stayed up this year.) Between them, I count about ten stern-steerers, 5 Renegades, an A-Class Skeeter, and some vintage Skeeters. Other ice sailors who competed include Fred Stritt in HASTEN and Rick Hennig in THUNDERSTRUCK. Rick broke his time record from last year, completing the race in 20:20:46.
SHAZAM
SAVE THE DATE: Return of the 4LIYC Picnic – Honoring Greg Whitehorse
Greg Whitehorse sailing his Renegade BLADE RUNNER on Lake Monona
Let’s kick off the 21-22 ice sailing season in a big way. Please save the date for a special Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club picnic where we will celebrate Greg Whitehorse’s induction into the Honor Roll and our return to club social events. If that isn’t enough, the Packers play at San Francisco that evening, making it a quasi-tailgate event. More details to follow!
What: 4LIYC Picnic & Greg Whitehorse Honor Roll Induction
When: Sunday, September 26, 2021
Time: 12 Noon
Where: Burrows Park, Maple Bluff, WI
UPDATE: AUGUST 30, 2021: Location has changed to Sugar Ridge Airport
7550 Sugar Ridge, Verona, WI 53593
1913 Northwest Regatta Photos
Marcy Grunert recently sent a couple of vintage images that I had never seen from the first Northwest regatta, shot by photographer Arthur M. Conant of Menominee, MI. Arthur Conant most likely shot these pictures using a Kodak Folding Brownie 3a, which created a 3.25 x 5.5 inch postcard image. (The first Northwest was sailed on Lake Michigan at Menominee in 1913. The Northwest was a competition to decide boat supremacy among the ice yacht clubs of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota. Stern-Steerers ruled the ice back then before the bow-steering boats prevailed in the 1930s. Stern-Steerers and bow-steering boats still compete for the trophies of the Northwest.)
Marcy’s photos brought back memories of the late Bill Korsgard, a Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club member and postcard collector. Around 2000, Bill acquired a group of Arthur Conant 1913 Northwest postcards on eBay. The postcards offered a fascinating glimpse into the regatta through the eyes of a young Menominee man named Finn, who had written detailed explanations about the boats to a friend in Chicago. I have posted a few of these in years past, but Marcy’s photos motivated me to post the entire collection along with Finn’s notes.
Click on the red icons to reveal Finn’s notes.
SIRIUS
SIRIUS
“No need of telling you what boat this is. I don’t know what’s the matter with her this year. She can’t do a thing. I think it’s because Ed., working at the shoe factory now, can’t get out and give her his attention. Quimby ran it in the races. Parker pulled a corker off on Quimby at the minstrel. He told Harmon, who was interlockter (?) that an awful accident happened at the race that afternoon. Harmon asked him about it and he said they had to get out a searching party. Harmon asked him what for and he said to go out and find Jimmy Quimby.”
FLYAWAY
“Of course you don’t know this boat, but I’ll bet you’ll guess. This will answer your questions about the guys. It sure helped. She don’t raise anything like she did last year. The plank is a lot better now too, having some give. The trestle supporting the martingale broke and you can see how I wired it together.”
TROPHIES
“All the different cups. Menominee, Menekaunee, and N.I.Y.A. The big one in the center is the world championship cup SQUARE PEOPLE put up and won.”
PRINCESS II
PRINCESS II, a Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club boat built by William Bernard for Emil Fauerbach
“There is a brace on the spar on this boat take notice. Hello Lewis, this is the best I could get of the Madison boat but Bob is trying to get some better ones and if he does he will send you some. Notice where they have the runner plank on.”
RED BIRD
REDBIRD
“Redbird Oshkosh. She took the Association Class B Cup. The boat has solid wrought iron runners about 1/4 inch thick. They were just the thing for the snow we have and have yet.”
FLYAWAY
“Note the nose and [?] also the double set of pulleys. They didn’t work very good forward like that, so I moved the lower ones back to the pencil dot [?] but I haven’t been out since to see how they worked. The name I got on her is FLYAWAY. I could think of nothing better but just as soon as I do, I’m going to change it.”
COLD WAVE
“The COLD WAVE came in first in Class B the first of the three days but was beat out by the RED BIRD on Friday and didn’t finish Saturday. It was thought she would have won out if it hadn’t snowed.”
SQUARE PEOPLE
SQUARE PEOPLE, designed and built in New Jersey by Dr. Stanborough for the Petersons of Menominee, MI. SQUARE PEOPLE was the name of their furniture company.
Finn’s note on the postcard conflicts with newspaper accounts that mention the boat was made in NJ along with the Menominee boat AURORA.
“Menominee types. Strictly Menominee designed and Menominee made. This is the boat that is all the noise this year. She goes through snow and everything. The way that PRINCESS II beat her Friday is as follows: Along by the crack the ice was almost clear, the wind having blown the snow way over the crack. Peterson wasn’t wise to this but Fauerbach was. I guess the guy on the YELLOW KID must have told him. It was one tack against the wind and he had to run almost straight into the wind to make it but he made it all right and beat Petie out on that race.”
3 CLASS A
“PRINCESS, YELLOW KID, & SQUARE PEOPLE. Three boats in center with sails up.”
A CLASS START
“Note the plank on the PRINCESS II just above the word wind.”
MERCURY
MERCURY
“She’s a lot like the SIRIUS. The Sunday that they were here there was a hell of a big wind blowing, but the Oshkosh boats wouldn’t race as it was against the rules of their club. They went out though and run around the course a couple of times and it looked as though she was putting it over Peterson [SQUARE PEOPLE] but I couldn’t tell for sure. She went some though. She’s coming back when the PRINCESS comes when the ice is good and is going to race for the big World Champs Cup.”
STORM KING
“STORM KING CLASS A: Oshkosh type. Backbone extends about a yard beyond lower boom. Heavy frame.”
PRINCESS
PRINCESS [Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club boat, Madison, WI. Built by William Bernard for Emil Fauerbach.]
“Madison-style boat built as light as possible, with as little iron, steel and wire on as possible. Runner plank set far back and spar leaning back as far as possible. She’s some boat. Looks as though she might be a light wind boat, but she beat out Peterson [SQUARE PEOPLE] on the stormiest day. On the first day, she bumped into the Egg, I mean Lotha Smith Jr. and smashed her backbone right in two. Next day they got her fixed up just in time for the race with as pretty a backbone as she had when she came. Note how her spar, as well as the YELLOW KID [Class B boat built by Wm. Bernard] and how far back her plank is. She’s built as light as possible. Only one stay on each side. No guards to the back runner. I’m enclosing a rough sketch to show how she’s built. It’s not a very good picture but it will give you an idea of her.”
YELLOW KID
YELLOW KID, a Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club Class B Stern-Steerer built by William Bernard
“She came in third in Class B each of the 2 days. She’s built like the PRINCESS. She looks as though she might be a pretty good light wind boat. She beat out Prescott and Jennings though in the heavy winds. They came in third and fourth Thursday and Friday. The RED BIRD was the only B Boat that finished as the snow was too hard and deep.”
YELLOW KID
YELLOW KID, a Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club boat built by William Bernard.
“These boats it’s at the center of the backbone and these boats can go in some light wind. Then the [?] 2 x 6 connected from the end of the plank to the backbone and the 2 x 6 from the cockpit to the plank on each side. Although you can’t see them, Bob and I were out skiing with a couple of girls, had a great time.
Finn”
STORM KING
STORM KING Oshkosh
“She’s built with the cockpit sticking out past the end of the lower boom, as were all the Oshkosh boats. The RED BIRD doesn’t protrude past the back of her sail as much as the others though. They’re heavy weather boats.”
Chicago to Mackinac Race
Ice boating, it’s everywhere!
The ice sailing season moves closer as another box is ticked tomorrow with the 112th Chicago to Mackinac Island race. So far, I can only find one group of ice sailors on the competitor’s list, Rick Hennig and crew on THUNDERSTRUCK. At 60 feet, Rick’s soft water boat is a few inches longer than his winter ride, the world’s largest iceboat DEUCE. Let me know if there are any other ice sailors out there heading to the island tomorrow.
Speaking of Mackinac, here’s a photo that Wisconsin Stern Steerer Association Secretary Andy Gratton shared. It was on display at a business on the island. Andy guesses it dates from the 1880s or earlier “because the masts appear to be on top of the trussed runner planks.”
He also noted that “It looks as if the Grand Hotel is on the left side of the photo, the Fort on the right. I can’t imagine sailing these vessels and having all the sails trimmed correctly, in addition to ensuring the crew stays on the end of the runner plank where he belongs!”
Geneva Lake Skeeters On The Line
Another instance of finding a picture when looking for another one, here’s a big line-up of Skeeters on Geneva Lake at either an ISA or Northwest Regatta, sometimes in the 1980 or 1990s. If this looks familiar, drop me a line.
Jane Pegel To Be Inducted into the Sailing Hall of Fame
The National Sailing Hall of Fame (NSHOF) announced today nine sailors comprising its 11th anniversary class of inductees.
The Class of 2021 includes ice sailor, Jane Pegel of the Skeeter Iceboat Club in Williams Bay, WI. Jane began her ice sailing career in the Skeeter class and eventually switched over to the DN class where she won numerous regatta titles. More to come.
National Sailing Hall of Fame
Jane Pegel has owned a series of ice boats and speedy scows that have all been given colorful names. People notice boats with interesting names especially when the boats are at the front of the fleet. Jane Pegel has been a champion sailor from the Midwest since her earliest days. She has also taught thousands of aspiring young sailors to improve their skills. Her first ice boat was named “Holy Smoke”. Pegel’s C Scow was named “Calamity Jane” and her legendary E Scow was named “Frozen Asset”, a phrase every sailor can appreciate. Pegel started sailing early in life and was the descendant of a line of sailors. Her grandfather, John O. Johnson, started the Johnson Boat Works on White Bear Lake, Minnesota in 1896. He was the original builder of the A Scow, a 38-foot flyer that impressed all the participants racing for the Seawanhaka Cup.
Continue reading Jane’s biography on the National Sailing Hall of Fame website.
Iceboats of Independence Day
JD and his Class A Skeeter on Lake Michigan at Menominee, Michigan in March 2021.
John Dennis’ Class A Skeeter colorful livery has signaled the Fourth of July holiday here for several years. Now, the DN class has its version in the form of Pete John’s latest boat. I’m hoping that next season there will be an opportunity to photograph these boats together. Enjoy the weekend and continue to Think Ice! You have 150 days until December 1 to sharpen those runners.
Pete Johns at the 2021 DN Centrals in Michigan.
TBT: A Beautiful Day in Madison
This photo is another “rabbit hole” find, and hey, it happens to be Throw Back Thursday. I came across this marvelous photo of 4LIYC club members enjoying some spring weather (no gloves!) while searching for something else. It originally appeared in the ISA News and Views in either the late 1950s or early 1960s. The gang is relaxing in PIRATE, my father, Dave Rosten’s, Class A Skeeter.
A Mid Summer’s Nite’s Dream
The Nite fleet from the air on Lake Puckaway, Saturday, December 26, 2020. Photo by Jim Stevenson. Instagram js170b.
We’ve reached Peak Sun today. For those who Think Ice, it’s all uphill from today, the Summer Solstice. The sun will shine 8 seconds less here in Madison tomorrow, on June 22, and continue the march towards the shorter ice-making days. There are only five months before the first weekend in December, the traditional beginning of the Minnesota ice sailing season.
New! ISA News & Views Newsletter Archive
