2020 Northwest Ice Yacht Racing Association Information
March 13-15,2020
Lake Waconia, Minnesota
Ghost on the Horizon
The GoPro camera era has been a boon to ice sailing and has exposed it to a wider audience because the sport expresses well visually. Now here’s something new brought to you by Canada’s SESQUI programming, a GoPro on a radio controlled 4 wheeled vehicle traveling side by side with iceboats. This is part of s …”cinematic journey across Canada… Created and captured with advanced 360° technology and presented in full dome and virtual reality platforms…” The ice sailing part was filmed on Ghost Lake in Alberta Canada. See the trailer for the video here. The iceboat bit starts at 1:08.
MADISON SPORTS HALL OF FAME CLUB TO RECOGNIZE BILL MATTISON
On Wednesday evening, June 7, Madison iceboater Bill Mattison will be inducted into the Madison Sports Hall of Fame Club at its annual awards event to be held at Monona Terrace in Madison.
During his 72-year career as an iceboater, Bill has won countless local, national and international championships in what he describes as the most fickle of sports. You’ll also find Bill’s name engraved on Mendota Yacht Club’s trophies for championships won in class C, E and A Scows. It’s safe to say that no one in the history of MYC has won more trophies in more classes than Bill Mattison.
Bill’s skills as a builder earned him a place as head of the shore crew on three America’s Cup challenges: Heart of America in 1986, America3 in 1992 and Mighty Mary in 1995.
Profiled in Madison Magazine, Isthmus, the Wisconsin State Journal, the Capital Times and on Wisconsin Public Television, Bill is a true sportsman who has gone out of his way to advance the sports of iceboating and sailing, helping others both on and off the racecourse. Whether it was for help splicing a broken mast, repairing a boat, building a fast (aren’t they all?) iceboat or making a new shroud, for more than a half-century Madison iceboaters and summer sailors turned to Bill for help and advice. Even though he’s retired from iceboating, sailors still seek him out for his knowledge on everything iceboat. Perhaps that’s why he was recognized as one of the “Three Kings of Iceboating” at Chicago’s Strictly Sail in 2009.
Bill joins Carl Bernard and Peter Barrett as the third sailor in the 54-year history of the Madison Sports Hall of Fame Club to be inducted.
Tickets for the Madison Sports Hall of Fame Club dinner and induction ceremony on June 7 (5:30 pm social; 7 pm dinner) at Monona Terrace are $50. To reserve your seat, please call Peg Mueller at 608-238-5907. Because we are expecting iceboaters and summer sailors from near and far to show up, call for your tickets right away. Be sure to tell Peg that you want to be seated at the Mattison guest tables. With so many sailors in town, there’s bound to be an after-party, too.
Read more on madison.com.
MARY B Recognized by the Madison Trust for Historic Preservation
Carl Bernard accepts congratulations from Mary B at a regatta(Photo added to certificate by Deb)
OT Havey, the man who commissioned MARY B, on screen at the awards ceremony.
In the grand setting of the reading room of the Wisconsin State Historical Society, the MARY B group was awarded for their efforts to return, restore, and maintain Madison’s most winning stern steerer. Special guest at the event was Marianne Hobbins, who was there to honor the iceboat that her father, OT Havey, dreamed about, commissioned Frank Teztlaff to build, and named after her mother, Mary Bernice Havey. Don Sanford accepted the award on behalf of the group with Bill Bauer, Peter Fauerbach, Jerry Simon, and Steve Holztman there as well. Kudos to the Madison Trust for Historical Preservation for having the vision to recognize that a community’s stories are at the heart of historic preservation. This special award along with Bill Mattison’s upcoming induction into the Madison Sports Hall of Fame, reminds Madisonians that ice sailing has always been an important part of what makes this area a special place.
4LIYC Banquet Photos
The club had another successful banquet last April at Springer’s to close out the season. Thanks to Jori Lenon for the photos and captions!
DN Sailor Selected for Sweden’s America’s Cup Youth Racing Team
Photo: Gretchen Dorian
Sweden’s Eddie Klemets has become the first ice sailor to make inroads in the America’s Cup program. He has been selected for the Artemis Youth Racing Team. Eddie’s most recent DN titles include winning the 2017 DN Junior Worlds and European championship. America’s Cup Youth Racing’s mission is “to provide an unprecedented career path by identifying the world’s top young sailors and helping to prepare them for the challenge of America’s Cup racing.” Racing begins in June. Learn more on the America’s Cup Youth Sailing website.
4LIYC Ice Optimist sailor, Thor Rosten, and Eddie Klemets at the 2017 DN & Ice Optimist Worlds in Poland.
May Runner Tracks Newsletter Online
The DN Class newsletter’s big end of season issue now online. Read all about it here.
2017 North American Championship Ice Optimist Notice of Race
2017 North American Ice Optimist Championship
Friday, January 20, 2017 – Practice Day
Saturday, January 21 and Sunday, January 22, 2017 – Racing Days
The Regatta will be held at the site of the DN Worlds in the North American Western Region and will take place at the location and will take place at the location with the best ice conditions in the region. (Minnesota, Wisconsin, Upper Peninsula of Michigan, Illinois, Indiana, or Iowa.)
This will be a fun oriented event with no prior racing experience required.
Awards shall be given to the yachts placing first through fifth.
Entry fee is $20 per yacht.
Contact Ron Rosten at ron.rosten AT gmail.com
How To Race a Stern Steerer Iceboat
Here’s another video from the Wisconsin Stern Steerer regatta by Joe Terry where he provides a running commentary during race four. This one is definitely worth your while!
2015 WSSA Regatta Video – With Bonus Footage
George Gerhardt shot some leeward mark rounding videos at the recent Wisconsin Stern Steerers Association regatta. This is the compilation with added bonus footage of Rosemary from the 1992 Northwest regatta. I needed another clip to fill out the soundtrack and it dropped in the timeline perfectly. Andy Gratton is sailing Rosemary in both videos. Read his story about the day in 1992 when Rosemary tipped over here.
2015 WSSA Regatta Photos from George Gerhardt
2015 WSSA Regatta Photos from Jeff Russell
The DEUCE: “Nothing But Power”
Video shot and edited by Dave Elsmo that’s gone viral and been featured on the major sailing websites.
The Mighty DEUCE
DEUCE Rounds Leeward
Feel the power! Here’s a quick clip of the DEUCE rounding the leeward mark.
SAIL RACING Photo Gallery
All photos credit Sail Racing/Jan Söderström
As we prepare for the ISA regatta called on for Lake Champlain this coming weekend, it’s a reminder to share these photos from Sweden’s Sail Racing. Their photographer, Jan Söderström shot thousands of photos at the 2013 ISA regatta sailed on Lake Kegonsa for an ad campaign that was to have been released in the fall of 2013. But due to a very warm autumn and winter in Europe, Sail Racing has decided to wait with the Skeeter story until next season, autumn 2014. They also filmed video which will be released next season as well.
EISA Drone
Photographer Jeff Smith shot some photos at the Eastern ISA with his new drone helicopter. See them here.
Counting Stars
Well edited video from New Jersey Skeeter sailor Dan Clapp. Great to see the orange Skeeter having fun on the ice at the Eastern ISA.
Fancy Machines
A 30 mile gale added thrills to the Northwestern Ice Yachting Association regatta on Lake Mendota at Madison, Wisc. January 30, 1938. Here two machines are “hiking”, which is like “heeling” in a sailboat as H.V. Fitzcharles of Chicago, left, sailing High Voltage, and Harry Melges of Williams Bay, Wisc. at the helm of Fancy Flight put up a heated fight to head each other.”
I came across this photo on ebay from a company that specializes in original press photos and snapped it up. NIYA records show Harry Nye as the winner of the 1938 Northwest Skeeter class. Skeeters first competed in the NIYA in 1936. Skeeters didn’t have springboards at that time which must have made for quite an exciting ride in a 30 mph gale.
1957 News & Views
We’ve started a project to scan all the International Skeeter Association News and Views. Here’s a the 1957 November ISA News And Views which was edited by Jane Pegel. Interesting to note that discussions about Skeeter development from 57 years ago haven’t changed all that much. 1957 November ISA News And Views
1957 News & Views
Bill Perrigo on THUNDERJET
Here’s the April edition of the 1957 ISA News & Views, edited by Jane Pegel. Topics include an ISA regatta report, organization of a committee on boat development, Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant report, more opinions on boat development, reports to Jane from the clubs, and a Bargain Counter, where you’l find the “cheapest advertising in the world for the world’s greatest cheapSKATES”. I have no photos from the 1957 ISA but have posted some Skeeter pictures taken by Carl Bernard from around that time.
Cab Forward C Skeeter Build in Minnesota
This is MN based Pat Heppert’s new C Skeeter. It’s an attempt at a lower cost, front cockpit Skeeter that is easy to transport in its small lightweight enclosed trailer, and easy to set up by one person. Will it be fast? Will it be the slowest anchor-like contraption in existence? Will the C Skeeter fleet start to build? Or will it remain the under-represented Skeeter class? More construction pictures are on the Minnesota web site under the “How To” section, www.iceboating.net. Pat says that full size CAD drawn frame patterns are available.”
New! ISA News & Views Newsletter Archive
