Sherry Opens with Three Bullets at the Mini-Max Regatta Results
Yesterday, Friday, May 29, was the first day of racing at Jungo Yacht Club near Winnemucca, Nevada.
After rain flooded the playa earlier in the week, conditions improved quickly as expected. The water disappeared, the surface dried, and sailors were able to get in some training on Thursday afternoon before racing began on Friday.
Last night, Leon Lebeau called in with a report from the playa.
The wind was blowing around 30 mph, and you can hear it in the videos. Speeds were impressive. Leon reported that Daniel Hearn recorded a run of 60 knots. (i’ll post a short video in the 4LIYC Facebook group.)
Leon and Ron Sherry were both highly complimentary of Jungo Yacht Club, the land sailing facility created by Scott Dale. Iceboaters will recognize the family name. Scott’s father is Bill Dale of Pewaukee, Wisconsin, a longtime Skeeter sailor.
The fleet self-selected into A and B divisions. In addition to the individual competition, sailors are also competing in a team event. Each team consists of one A Fleet sailor paired with one B Fleet sailor, with their combined scores determining the team standings. Leon is competing in B Fleet while Ron is sailing in A Fleet. Leon said the format adds another layer of fun to the regatta and keeps sailors engaged throughout the fleet. (Ron and Leon are hot-bunking a Mini-Skeeter, provided by Daniel Hearn.)
While Leon was on the phone, Ron stepped into the motorhome, giving me a chance to ask how land sailing compares to iceboating.
“The vibration,” Ron said. The constant vibration as the tires roll over the playa surface was one of the biggest differences to get used to.
Whatever the adjustment, it didn’t seem to slow him down. Ron opened the regatta with three bullets in the A fleet and leads the standings after the first day. Daniel Hearn stands in second place. Reed Lorimer is in first in the B fleet.
One thing noticeable in the photos is that everyone is wrapped up in jackets. Winnemucca sits in Nevada’s high desert, and temperatures can be surprisingly cool, especially once the sun begins to drop behind the mountains.
Leon also spoke highly of the sense of community that land sailing creates. Unlike many racing venues, everyone is essentially living together out on the playa. Campfires, shared meals, stories, and bench racing become a big part of the experience.
Last night, the sailors gathered for a group dinner before preparing for another day on the desert.
Sitting around the imaginary campfire
Leon said the course took a little getting used to compared to an ice sailing course but was easy to figure out.
Some people just can’t get enough of what iceboating brings.
The waiting for weather to cooperate. The endless discussions about runners (tires in this case), alignment, wood, ice (dirt), and speed. The camaraderie that comes from chasing conditions with friends who understand why any of this matters in the first place.
Several ice sailors, including 4liyc Renegader Damien Luyet, 4liyc sails-one-of-everything Daniel Hearn, DN Champ Ron Sherry, DN and Skeeter sailor Leon Lebeau, DNers Pete Johns, Ken Smith, Tim Ballard, and long time Montana dirt and ice sailors John and Scott Eisenlohr, and likely others I’ve missed, arrived near Winnemucca, Nevada yesterday for land sailing at the Jungo Yacht Club playa.
But Mother Nature had other ideas.
Rain turned the playa into an actual lake and served as a reminder that a dry lake bed is still a lake when enough water shows up. Photos from the scene looked more like an iceboat regatta venue than a land sailing site.
The good news is that desert conditions usually work fast. If the weather cooperates, the standing water should dry quickly and could leave behind the dirt equivalent of Hollywood ice. Maybe “Hollywood dirt.”
Sailors spent the lay day camped out in motorhomes, swapping stories and waiting for the playa to come back to life. Reports this morning suggest they’ve now found a way into camp and may be racing soon.
Hopefully we’ll be getting more reports from the gang out west as the playa dries and the wheels finally start turning.
Unseasonably warm weather across southern Wisconsin has taken a toll on the ice. Many lakes, including Lake Mendota, are now candled with shoreline loss and unsafe for racing. (Some of our members have had firsthand experience with candling on Mendota recently.) As a result, there will be no 4LIYC ice sailing on February 28 or March 1.
Candling occurs when solid ice breaks down into vertical columns and loses strength, even if the surface still appears intact. Learn more about candled ice here: LINK
In the meantime, here is an ice sailing sighting from an unexpected place.
This video captures the Range Rover campaign featuring Daniel Hearn’s C Skeeter running inside the Oculus at the World Trade Center in New York City. The Oculus serves as the main transportation hub for Lower Manhattan, with thousands of commuters passing through each day. LINK TO VIDEO
Both commercials have already made the rounds in the ice sailing world. The Range Rover spot filmed in Minnesota last March with Daniel Hearn at the helm. The Škoda commercial shot in Finland in May with Lukas Zakrzewski driving.
This was simply a good excuse to get the two of them in one photo at registration for the 2026 DN World Championship in Sweden.
LINK TO VIDEO
Lake Kegonsa has seen serious traffic this week.
Skeeters or DNs, no matter what, alignment is key.
Multiple DN World Champion Matt Struble arrived Monday to get acquainted with his new Class A Skeeter, recently acquired from Tom Hyslop. (Previously: The Bubble Expands) The boat is a Clapp build with a solid pedigree. Matt spent two long days in Daniel Hearn’s shop learning the boat inside and out, and quickly learned that sharpening Skeeter runners is heavier work and a much longer commitment than anything he’s used to with DN runners.
On Thursday, the Skeeter fleet welcomed him on Lake Kegonsa. Ken Whitehorse and Mark Isabell set up under the watchful eye of Paul Krueger, with pit help from Daniel Hearn and Damien Luyet. Conditions weren’t ideal, but they managed a few solid rides. For Matt, it was exactly what he needed, time on the boat, learning how it behaves. Ken Whitehorse sent in this report from the day:
New Year Eye Opener – Wisconsin Skeeter Racing
Results:
1st – M197 (Ken Whitehorse)
2nd – Matt Struble (sailing with an “M” on his usual DN number for now)
Mark Isabell – DNS
Two races were sailed. M197 finished first in both. Matt followed, with Isabell DNS. Speeds were good.
M197 carried 50 pounds of lead in the trunk, a winning setup that helped punch through the drifts. Tried to keep that quiet.
Excellent hard ice under the snow. A great day of tuning and racing. Best of all, the boats are safe and back on the trailers.
Huge thanks to Daniel Hearn and Damien Luyet for organizing the day. We’re lucky to have club members like them.
Matt was offered $100, a wheel of cheddar, and a Packers hat to put an “M” on his sails. Mostly kidding. Mostly. Also trying to stack our roster for the Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant of America. Ken Whitehorse M197
“Now listen up, Enzo and Dash—if anyone tries to port-tack you…”
Midweek also brought a visit from the Geneva Nite gang. Olympic sailor Paris Henken, Harry Melges IV, Kyle Navin, and RJ Porter were among several Nites that rolled in on New Year’s Eve and ripped it up on Lake Kegonsa. Two future 4LIYC members, Dash and Enzo, made their debut on the ice, sailing all day with their grandfather, Daniel Hearn. Geneva Nites pushing off on Lake Kegonsa (short video)
