International Skeeter Association Regatta
The International Skeeter Association (ISA) was organized in the late 1930s and the first ISA regatta was sailed in 1940. Skeeters were developed on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin. They are piloted by a single skipper and steer from the front of the boat as opposed to the original iceboats which were crewed by two or more and steered from the rear.
The Skeeter is the “Formula One” of ice yachting, a wide open development class where state-of-the-art sailing is seen annually. The only restriction on the Skeeter builder is a 75 square foot sail maximum sail area. While the basic configuration for successful E Skeeters has long been established, significant design improvements have been developed within the Four Lakes fleet. Taller rigs and rear seat Skeeters designed and built by 4LIYC members Bill Mattison and Paul Krueger have brought world championship titles to Madison skippers. In 1989, New Jersey’s Dan Clapp took the ice boating world by storm with his first front-seater and dominated the ISA regatta during the 1990s. Skeeter builders are adept with high tech materials like carbon fiber, and Kevlar. The super powerful Skeeters are the fastest boats on the ice. Sufficiently committed skippers find the greatest challenge in these boats, where design, building, and maintenance skills share equal roles with sailing ability
INTERNATIONAL SKEETER ASSOCIATION DUES NOTICE
NEW! Pay your ISA dues online here.
Or pay through the U.S. Mail: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT AN ISA MEMBERSHIP FORM
President Jason Thompson
jsthompsdds@hotmail.com
Vice President Pat Heppert
Pat.T.Heppert@saint-gobain.com
Secretary/Treas. Steve Schalk
W6001 Brick Church Rd
Fontana, WI 53125
262-275-2871
I564@charter.net
The annual dues are $25.00 for the 2023-2023 season, payable to:
International Skeeter Association
Steve Schalk, W6001 Brick Church RD, Fontana, WI 53125
December 1st, 2023 is the deadline for new items to be placed on the 2024 agenda.
January 12, 13, & 14, 2023 (Friday, Saturday, & Sunday) is the first scheduled weekend for the 2024 Regatta.
Regatta Watch: The ISA & Renegade Championships have been Postponed
Doug Kolner sails a Renegade on Lake Monona. Photo: Ethan Brodsky.
Via ISA Secretary Steve Schalk:
The ISA and Renegade Championship have been postponed until February 4-6, 2022. The next update is January 30, 2022. The Northwest takes precedence.
Regatta Watch: NIYA Postponed & ISA/Renegade Championship called ON
JD in a hike.
Via ISA & Secretary Steve Schalk:
The NIYA is postponed to February 4, 5th and 6th 2022.
The ISA & Renegade Championship is on for Green Lake for January 28th, 29th and 30th 2022. Final call by noon on Wednesday January 26th, 2022.
Regatta Watch: 2022 ISA & Renegade Championship Postponed Until Jan 28 – 30
Rob Evans sails his A Class Skeeter on Lake Monona, January 15, 2022. Photo: Joe Berger
Via ISA Secretary Steve Schalk
The International Skeeter Association Regatta has been postponed until January 28-30, 2022. Lake Mendota in Madison was checked this morning. Snow drifts that weren’t a problem on Tuesday have frozen and become a problem today. Next update is Sunday, January 23, 2022.
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.
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!
Regatta Watch: 2022 ISA Postponed to Jan 21-23
Jay Yaeso makin’ wake.
Via International Skeeter Association Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk:
The ISA Championship is postponed until January 21 – 23, 2022. Lake Mendota in Madison is the primary site at present. Next update, Sunday, January 16, 2022.
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.
International Skeeter Association News: Pay Dues Online
Jay Yaeso hiking in his Class A Skeeter iceboat on Lake Winnebago. Photo by Gretchen Dorian.
International Skeeter Association members and want-to-be members now have the option to pay their dues online using Paypal. Use your credit card or your Paypal account to pay your ISA dues. Click here to pay your ISA membership online.
Regatta Watch: 2022 ISA & Renegade Championship Postponed Until Jan 14-16
Skeeter skippers Ken Whitehorse, Paul Krueger, and Tom Hyslop (along with the Stern-Steerer ROSEMARY) on Lake Michigan at Menominee in March 2021. Photo: gretchendorian.com
INTERNATIONAL SKEETER ASSOCIATION
2022 ISA Notice of Race
Via International Skeeter Association (ISA) Race Chair, John Dennis: “The 2022 ISA Championship has been postponed until January 14, 15, 16, 2022. The next update is Sunday, January 9, 2022. The Northwest Regatta takes precedence.”
The ISA Championship races are held for A, B, C Class Skeeters, Nites and Renegades should Renegades choose to hold their national championship regatta in conjunction with the ISA Championship Regatta.
INTERNATIONAL RENEGADE ICE YACHT RACING ASSOCIATION
Renegade Home Page
Via IRIYRA Secretary Ron Rosten: “The Renegade Championship has been postponed until January 14, 15, 16, 2022. The next update is Sunday, January 9, 2022.”
HELLSBELLS
Welcome HELLSBELLS, Mark Isabell’s new Class A Skeeter build which he just painted. Mark named it after his father’s boat. I look forward to energetically saying HELLSBELLS every time Mark round the leeward mark when scoring.
DRIFTER: Now in Stereo
DRIFTER Archives
C Skeeter Archives
Pat Heppert’s seeing double and working like a madman up in MN to get ready for the season.
Best ISA rule ever: “ 5.4 Each yacht shall carry on both sides of her hull a name, of the owner’s selection, in letters not less than 3” high, in a color contrasting to that of the hull side.” It’s an official rule, not a suggestion. But how do you go about picking a name? A proper yacht would bear the name of the owner’s spouse (like the Mary B), but these modern ice missiles are far from proper yachts, I don’t think they even float. Some pick a clever play on words relating to the cold winter (Icicle, Ice Scream, Frozen Asset). Others incorporate the boat design name (Nite Flight, Good Nite, Whizz kid, Wizzard, Cheese Whizz). Some have admitted their personality in their boat name (Instigator, Notorious, Rebel). Still others name it after their favorite things in life (see Ken Kreider).
So what’s with this total lack of creativity to pick a new name for the new boat. It turns out, I don’t have a choice anymore. A while ago, when in high school, I was sailing a DN that was super fun, but when it hit a snow drift, it seemed to either just stop, or hike up, or get kind of airborne. Meanwhile, Dad was right next me in his 700 lb Class E skeeter, and he would go right through the drift which would just absolutely explode into a spectacular white cloud of powder, and keep rumbling down the ice without any loss of speed.
So when we built my Renegade a couple years later, we had to pick a name. I thought “Drifter” because I wanted to blast through snow drifts just like Dad. Fast forward a few decades and the name kind of stuck. Every winter it seems like I am approached by multiple people who don’t really know my name, but instead ask me “Are you the Drifter?”. So I have finally come to terms with the fact that indeed I have no choice, it turns out that I am the Drifter.
Pat Heppert
C-Skeeter “Drifter” I-291
International Skeeter Association: 2022 Notice of Race & Dues
International Skeeter Association (ISA) Secretary Steve Schalk has released the 2022 ISA Championship Notice of Race and Notice of Dues. Download the dues form and send it to the address provided.
INTERNATIONAL SKEETER ASSOCIATION 2022 CHAMPIONSHIP REGATTA NOTICE OF RACE
DOWNLOAD IN A PDF FILE
10/2021
All races will be sailed under the rules of the National Iceboat Authority and those of the International Skeeter Association (ISA).
Date: The Regatta will be held on January 7, 8, & 9, 2022.
Race Schedule:
- The first race will be at 10:00 AM local time on Friday, January 7, 2022
- Preliminary site location will be announced by 6 p.m. CST on the Sunday prior to the regatta
- Final call will be announced by 12 noon, C.S.T on the Wednesday prior to the regatta
- Races will be held for A, B, C Class Skeeters, Nites and Renegades should Renegades choose to hold their national championship regatta in conjunction with the ISA Championship Regatta.
- Nine races are scheduled for each division. Three are necessary for a complete regatta.
Postponement:
- The Regatta will be postponed if the Northwest Ice Yachting Association Regatta is held on these dates.
- The Race Committee may postpone the regatta or change regatta site any time prior to noon, C.S.T on the Thursday prior to the regatta.
Location: Possible locations, in order of preference, are: East Division, Green Lake, Lake Geneva, Madison, Green Bay.
Entries:
- Each competitor must be a current member of the ISA. Dues may be paid on the ISA website or at the regatta.
- Entry Fee is $15.00 per yacht.
Registration:
- Will be available at iceboat.org on the ISA page when the regatta is called ON
- Competitors may also register at Regatta Headquarters from 8:30 A.M. to 9:30 A.M. local time on Friday, January 7, 2022.
Sailing Instructions: Will be available on the ISA website and at the time of Registration. Awards will be given according to Part II Section 3 of The International Skeeter Association Constitution, By-Laws and Racing Rules
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.
1948 ISA Footage
I can find no newspaper accounts or photos from the 1948 International Skeeter Association regatta, but this 30 second YouTube clip makes up for the lack of pictures. Sailed on Fox Lake in Illinois, Elmer Millenbach won in RENEGADE II, described as a “magic” boat. The Renegade class competed as Class A Skeeters in the ISA regatta until 1950 when they first sailed their own championship.
Tip of the Helmet: John Eisenlohr
From “The Renegade Story.”
The non-profit association formed was to not sell plans, but to include them with first years membership dues. The first year, besides scattered memberships all over the sailing area, fleets were building in Toronto, Toledo, and Detroit. At a Detroit regatta, of 42 boats on the starting line, 22 were Renegades. My boat still did most of the winning and in our fleet we tried switching boats in “scrub races”. Whomever sailed my boat won. This seemed to impart some sort of message to some people even though I was handicapped trying to sail someone else’s boat that was set up for someone 6″ sorter than I. Less than subtle suggestions were made that I should build a new boat (according to the plans drawn up) to eliminate any “magic” inherent in Renegade II. This was of course a challenge I couldn’t refuse. I sold Renegade II at the end of the 1949 season.”
Elmer Millenbach
Getting Framed 2: Still Somewhat Confused
Previous: “Getting Framed”
Pat Heppert checks in with a note about his summer project, a new C Skeeter build and his continuing travails with “ACME” customer service.
Wide Hull Somewhat Explained, Still Confused
The ACME Corporation. Wide selection, instant delivery, questionable quality.
The next shipment arrived from ACME Iceboats Inc., and now it is clear why the frames for the new hull are so messed up looking. The mainsheet assembly actually is about a foot and a half wide. But it seems to have three ropes instead of just one and definitely doesn’t seem to belong on an iceboat. May have been a shipping error. So I got on the phone with customer service again, and they insist that this is what I ordered. How exactly do you expect me to deal with three ropes in the cockpit? “Well, sir, the problem is that you failed to also order our rope-less cockpit conversion upgrade”. They didn’t have pictures of this in the catalog; apparently, it is still under development and doesn’t come with a warranty. Again with the credit card, will see what shows up. But what are all three of these ropes for? “Sir, you need to pull on one of them for more power and pull on the other one for more speed.” That explains two of them, but then I asked what is the third one for? “You pull really hard on that one when you want to beat Daniel Hearn.”
Pat Heppert
