2020 Northwest Ice Yacht Racing Association Information
March 13-15,2020
Lake Waconia, Minnesota
Regatta Watch: 2021 WSSA Postponed Until Feb 6-7
Andy Gratton and the lovely ROSEMARY on Lake Winnebago Photo: Gretchen Dorian
Via WSSA Secretary Andy Gratton:
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to February 6 and 7, 2021. The next update will be Sunday, January 31. Check back here at that time.
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasurer
Bar Karate Podcast with Steve Orlebeke
Well bugger them, these Aussies are thinking about iceboating as they watch the ongoing America’s Cup. They dialed up Steve Orlebeke for a podcast episode about inland sailing and iceboating. “Bar Karate is a new sailing podcast. You might learn nothing, but you will have fun doing it.” Listen here.
SOLD! January 20, 2021: Arrow in MI
No Go on Mendota
Well you have to figure that since Paul and Ken had their boats set up on Lake Mendota, they’d be obligated to give sailing a try. Paul reports that he “got a little ride, and the snow was too sticky to make it around a racecourse.” Ken said, “The snow was only an inch, yet the razor-sharp quarter-inch runners couldn’t cut through it. Paul got a ride with his draft sail. A special Kau- Bossett design. I pushed back to the pits. Thumbs up to the race committee for canceling racing this weekend; they knew more than the skeeters fleet!”
Big Boats on Geneva Part 2
Here’s the last “missing” installment from this series of videos. In this video, you’ll see how to wrangle a stern-steerer through the open water at the shoreline, typical of spring ice sailing.
Many thanks to 4LIYC Nite sailor Don Sanford for taking the time to find the nuggets in old movie footage and editing them into something worth watching.
Previous: Big Boats on Geneva Part 1.
Big Boats on Geneva Part 3
FOUND! November 30, 2020: Renegade Sail
FOUND! WANTED
Renegade sail.
Wisconsin
4LIYC Racing Update for Jan 23-24, 2021
There is no 4LIYC racing scheduled for January 23-24, 2021. 4LIYC Commodore Don Anderson and Jeff Russell checked ice on Mendota today and found “unpassable” snow drifts on top of 5-6″ of good, hard ice. The next 4LIYC racing update will be Friday, January 29, 2021, by 5 PM.
That Time On Little Bay de Noc
An example of a lateen rigged stern-steerer with an A-frame style mast.
Wisconsin Stern-Steerer Association Secretary Andy Gratton passed along this story from Steve Maniaci of Michigan about Little Bay de Noc and a stern-steerer with an unusual mast.
That capsizing photo (see “Who Did It Better?“) brings back memories on Little Bay de Noc, back in January of ‘69. My girlfriend and I were in my dad’s four-place stern steerer, going east and west along the leeward south shore of Gladstone’s waterfront with a strong north wind. Things were going well until I went beyond the power plant point and caught the full broadside blast of wind coming unimpeded from Rapid River.
We went up and over in a heartbeat. Thankfully, my girlfriend was wearing an insulated snowmobile suit that cushioned the blow. I was never so thankful for my old motorcycle helmet as that day.
I don’t know what the technical name is for that type of mast. We just called it a wishbone mast. The two parts of the wishbone were anchored to a metal bracket on the cross plank and were quite a ways out towards the runners. They came together with a metal bracket that held a large pulley for the mainsail halyard. The masts leaned forward and were held in place by two metal bars anchored to the nose bracket that also anchored the guy cables to the plank to the nose.
My dad bought it in the mid-’60s from Atley Peterson, an old Swede from Escanaba. Atley and his family built it, and he said they had clocked it at 90 mph back in the ’40s. The solid wood beam that makes up the body that everything attaches to has weakened with age and is no longer safe. The last time I sailed, it was on Little Traverse Bay in the late ’80s.
Iceboating is exciting and exhilarating, but it is so loud. I much prefer sailing my Boston Whaler Harpoon 5.
It’s a Set Up
Ken Whitehorse and Paul Krueger took advantage of the sunny day and set up their Class A Skeeters on the west end of Lake Mendota today, January 21, 2021. The boats stayed close to shore because there’s not quite enough ice thickness for them to sail. Stand by for Friday’s ice report.
Hey Joe
An update from Daniel Hearn’s Spaight Street Syndicate:
Nameless No Longer
According to maritime lore, it’s unlucky to rename a boat. Guess it makes sense, since all boats are women, and it’s generally frowned upon to show interest in another. Particularly by the original. What’s the expression, “Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned?” No doubt penned by some sad sack who found out the hard way.
I’m not really sure what the deal is if the previous owner never named the little hussy. After all, she voluntarily surrendered her virginity without any expectations from the short little man she entertained in her cockpit. As an aside, I’ve always wondered why it’s called a “cockpit”. If you want to speculate, go ahead, but this update will avoid a PARENTAL ADVISORY warning.
The short little man is one of my favorites in the sport. Quick with a smile, a relentless kidder, an amazing craftsman and quite an ice sailor when he was holding a tiller, rather than a bullhorn. These days he spends his time giving back to the sport when he’s not turning gorgeous pieces of wood art or crafting a one-of-a-kind Chris Craft bar for a customer of Norton Boat Works.
I’m honored to own one of his boats now–Nite 595. Of course he built all of the components, and they are beautiful. And innuendo aside, he treated the nameless little lady like a queen. The same way he treats the true love of his life, wife Lauren. I imagine the two have been married for decades, and I know from Joe’s Facebook posts that he still adores her.
So, the next time you see me on the ice, keep your wandering eyes off of “JoJoe.” She’s spoken for and has no interest in entertaining your sorry a$$!
4LIYC Racing Update for Jan 23-24, 2021
4LIYC Commodore Don Anderson and Jeff Russell checked ice on Mendota today. They will recheck Friday morning in the hopes of calling on club racing for the weekend. As reported in the Renegade regatta post, there was 4-5″ of ice covered in 1″ of snow. The snow was never above the runner of the motorized kicksled. The lake holds promise for weekend club racing but the wind forecast is for very light air as of today. We will learn on Friday how today and Thursday’s warm temperatures affected the snow. The next 4LIYC racing update will be Friday, January 22, 2021, by 5 PM.
Regatta Watch: 2021 Renegade Championship Postponed to Jan 29-31
Via Renegade Regatta Chair Don Anderson:
The 2021 Renegade Championship has been postponed until January 29-31. Lake Mendota has 4-5″ of ice with 1″ of snow on top. We are waiting for more ice thickness and are concerned about the possibility that warmer temperatures will cause the snow to become sticky.
SOLD! October 21, 2020: Skeeter in IL
SOLD! “Lady Les: – Cockpit forward A-Skeeter and custom trailer. Yellow paint.
Fuselage with carbon-fiber over wooden frame originally built by Bill Madsen for Peter Harken; spars from Ken Kreider’s rumble seat Skeeter.
Sitka spruce spars: Mast 26′; Runner plank 22-23′; Long spring board 154″; short spring board with mechanical spring shock 103″
4 Side runners: 5′ x 7/32″; 6′ x 7/32″; 51″ x 7/32″; 54″ x 3/8″
4 Steering runners: 34″ x 7/32; 35″ x 7/32 36″ x 7/32; 35.5 x 7/32”
2 Sails: one heavy air 75 sq ft; one regular main 74 sq ft.
Complete rigging with 3 horses; and one lifter.
2 new integrated trailer gear storage boxes 3′ x 8′
Blade sharpening jig for long blades with integrated belt sander.
Stored last 12 years and will need some clean up, adjusting, and TLC.
$4,000.00 Firm
Big Boats on Geneva Part 3
More thrills and spins from the Class A Johnson Stern-Steerers on Geneva Lake. On Facebook, Fond du Lac sailor, Dave Lallier, commented that “According to what both Chauncey Griggs and Sid Morgan told me, there were several new Johnson Class A boats delivered to Lake Geneva by train. They were a gift for Christmas. These could be from that batch.”
Many thanks to 4LIYC Nite sailor Don Sanford for taking the time to find the nuggets in old movie footage and editing them into something worth watching.
Previous: Big Boats on Geneva Part 1.
Regatta Watch: 2021 WSSA Postponed to January 30-31
Toledo Ice Yacht Club’s Jim Stribrny tests the limits of his Class A Stern-Steerer at the 2013 Northwest Regatta. For the record, WILD GOOSE landed back on the ice just fine.
Via WSSA Secretary Andy Gratton:
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to January 30 and 31, 2021. The next update will be Sunday, January 24. Check back here at that time.
Thanks for leaving the freezer doors open, the cold air is arriving. If you capsize, try to do better than both Don Ward and American Magic (see iceboat.org for more details).
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasurer
Regatta Watch: 2021 Renegade Championship Called ON for Jan 22-24
Via International Renegade Ice Yacht Association Regatta Chairman Don Anderson:
The 2021 Renegade Championship has been tentatively called on for January 22-24, 2021. The primary site is Lake Mendota for this three-day event. Don reports that there is a good surface layer of ice over slush and water on Lake Mendota. Colder temperatures this week are expected to firm it all up. Final confirmation will be made on Wednesday, January 20, 2021, by 1 PM CT.
Who Did It Better?
The iceboating community has been paying attention to the America’s Cup racing in New Zealand. We know that this year’s crop of foiling AC boats sometimes behaves like Stern-Steerers, and yesterday’s dramatic capsize is fodder for the commentariat around the planet. 4LIYC Commodore Don Anderson called me this morning. He suggested a comparison graphic between AMERICAN MAGIC and a Stern-Steerer, both about to capsize, which brought to mind the famous video and story about “The Day the Rosemary Tipped Over.” Thankfully, AMERICAN MAGIC’S crew safely survived the capsize though the boat sustained damage. (Maybe they ought to think about a front-steering AC boat?)
Here’s the video embedded below, along with a link to Andy Gratton’s story. It’s also an excellent time to revisit when the Baker company tested foiling boats on Lake Mendota in the 1950s. Reread Foiled Again, initially posted in 2017.
Read Andy Gratton’s story, The Day The ROSEMARY Tipped Over.” Somewhere, Don Ward must be smiling.
Big Boats on Geneva Part 1
Many thanks to 4LIYC Nite sailor Don Sanford for taking the time to find the nuggets in old movie footage and editing them into something worth watching. It’s Sunday morning, let’s go hiking on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin! I’ll upload the second part tomorrow.
Scout Mendota from Home
Mendota Today: North Cam Snap at 8:45 AM
Would you like to scout ice from your comfortable chair? Remember to check in with the Mendota Today webcam for live views of Lake Mendota. The time lapses from the previous days are worth your time as well.
A slow-moving low-pressure system has enveloped much of Wisconsin the past day. What little snow the Four Lakes area received has melted in the ice on Mendota, as evidenced by this morning’s webcam view. However, there were reports of heavy slush on Mendota Friday. Lake Monona was a different story because its early freeze invited more snow cover. Monona has more thickness but more snow and slush. The ice is changing daily, and we are all holding our breath, hoping that sailable ice comes out of it all.
4LIYC Club Racing Update for Jan 16-17, 2021
Photo: Lori Conner
There will be no Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club racing for the weekend of January 16-17, 2021. Club members are keeping close watch on the state of the lakes and they are not quite yet in club racing condition. Colder weather moves in Sunday evening which should help us for next weekend. The next update will be on Friday, January 22, 2021.
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