The Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club meets tonight at Breakwater in Monona. The meeting begins at 6:30.
Breakwater has been good to our club. Let’s return the favor. Come a little early, have dinner, enjoy a drink, and support the place that supports us.
Winter switched on right after Thanksgiving and it won’t be long before we’re on home ice. Many club members are heading to Lake Minnewaska in Minnesota for the DN Western Challenge this weekend. There will be ice!
4LIYC Meeting Wednesday, December 3 Order Dinner 6:00
Meeting 6:30 PM
Breakwater Restaurant
6308 Metropolitan Ln, Monona, WI 53713
Ken Whitehorse with Daniel’s grandsons, Dash and Enzo. Kenny swears they kicked the tires and asked about the top end.
Last night the club gathered at the Fast Champion Iceboat Shop of Ken Whitehorse and Paul Krueger, for a combined meeting and celebration of many years of iceboat and auto racing shop excellence. The building, which has been a business, auto racing and iceboat shop, is soon to be demolished for redevelopment, so this night felt especially meaningful.
We had an excellent turnout of members and friends. After mingling and taking in the displays, we held club elections. Outgoing Commodore Daniel Hearn deserves our thanks. He set the record for longest consecutive term and served four years. Moving into the role of Commodore is Ron Rosten, formerly Vice Commodore. Elected Vice Commodore is Greg McCormick. We also thank Rhonda Arries who will continue as Treasurer, and I, your Secretary, will remain in that role.
Ken worked unbelievably hard to create what I think is the perfect representation of what an iceboat hall of fame should look like, not in a formal museum but right here in a shop. Paul’s Class A Skeeter RAMBLN was set up as part of the display; oil paintings by Harry Whitehorse, historic trophies, many photos and the most prestigious trophy of all, the Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant, were all present. It was good to see so many faces. People sat in chairs or, when chairs ran out, on the springboard of Paul’s Skeeter. It was classic.
We shared stories. How the Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant started around 1881 on the Hudson River for stern steerers, how the Roosevelt family were involved, how in 1951 Ed Rollberg from the Fox Lake Ice Yacht Club in Illinois went out and brought it to the Midwest, and how our own 4LIYC sailors including Bill Mattison, Dave Rosten, AJ Whitehorse, Ken Whitehorse and Paul Krueger have competed for it. We talked about the team race nature of the pennant and how the rivalry developed between the Lake Geneva Skeeter Iceboat Club and the Pewaukee Ice Yacht Club for it. Ken explained why 4LIYC boats are red and white and, to my surprise, it does not go back to matching Budweiser cans.
A giant thank you to Daniel Hearn for arranging the food and beverages, and most of all to Ken for all his hard work in assembling the evening and the display. It truly was a magical evening.
Please join us for our next 4LIYC Meeting on Wednesday, November 19 at 6:30 PM to take care of business and celebrate the final days of the legendary Whitehorse Iceboat Shop. Word has it that red/white boats will be on display, along with memorabilia you’ve probably never seen.
The longtime home of legendary ice sailors Kenny Whitehorse and Paul Krueger has finally surrendered to developers after decades of keeping the ruthless capitalists at bay.
Fresh off his TV shoot for an upcoming PBS Documentary, Kenny commented, “the shop hasn’t been this clean since the day it was built. Paul and I found runners and sails we’ve been missing since the Nixon administration.”
Outgoing Commodore Daniel Hearn will officially pass the torch to Ron Rosten to kick off the meeting promptly at 6:30. Since Daniel always had too much to say, and Ron on the side of too little, this will be a short meeting.
Bring your appetite for catered Mexican food, adult and minor beverages. Please RSVP, so that we can get a rough count for the food/bev order. RSVP by emailing: debwhitehorse@iceboat.org
Your 4LIYC governing group, with help from Renegader Don Anderson, has finalized plans for the upcoming season’s meetings. Our first meeting will take place via Zoom on Wednesday, November 5 at 6:30 PM.
Don is coordinating with Breakwater Restaurant in Monona for in-person gatherings, with the Four Lakes Yacht Club as a possible alternate location. Watch for details about a special meeting on November 19.
Please make sure your 4LIYC dues are paid. We will email the Zoom link to all members on Wednesday, November 5. This is a great opportunity to reconnect, especially with members who live farther away.
Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club – Final Meeting of the Season
It’s hard to believe, but the last Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club meeting of the season is coming up! Join us on Wednesday, March 12, at 6:30 PM at The Breakwater in Monona to wrap up what has been the best season in decades.
We’ve scheduled this meeting for March 12 so that members can attend a special event on March 5 sponsored by Hoofers: “Jerome Rand – Sailing Into Oblivion.” This event promises to be an incredible talk about solo ocean sailing and adventure. More information here.
Spring awards banquet news coming soon—stay tuned!
Current/Past Champions Iceboat Shop Farewell Tour
