Doug Kolner sailing his Renegade COLD FUSION on Lake Monona. Photo Marcus Berghahn
The Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club hit the ice on Saturday, February 1, for another great day of racing. Photographer Marcus Berghahm captured the action, showcasing the speed and skill of the fleet.
4LIYC Renegader Doug Kolner has been hard at work in his Monona, WI workshop this fall, building a Renegade mast from reclaimed timber sourced from California’s Russian River. With temperatures dipping to 18F this morning around the 4LIYC area, this project is right on schedule. Doug has been in the shop “making dust,” as the late Bill Mattison used to say. Doug discovered an unusual supplier in California that salvages trees, originally logged many years ago, which settled at the bottom of the Russian River. This unique redwood will now find new life on the ice.
Mike Ripp, Ron Rosten, Lars Barber, and Doug Kolner get ready to sharpen.
Saturday was a busy day in the world of iceboating. 4LIYC Renegader Ron Rosten shared runner-sharpening wisdom with Mike Ripp, Lars Barber, and Doug Kolner, who have recently invested in Bob Rast’s state-of-the-art sharpeners.
Adding to the excitement, a new Ice Optimist arrived in Madison. Ice sailors on Facebook shared stories about the Nite fleet welcoming a new member and the gang at the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center, preparing to get their DNs on the ice.
In less than three weeks, DNs will head to Minnesota to kick off the season at the annual informal gathering, the Western Challenge.
Ron explains the physics of keeping runners ice cold in between sanding belt passes, the same temperature as beer.
Edge inspection
Bob Rast manufactured Runner Sharpener.
A Renegade runner on the table in RI
Via Leigh Mumford, part of the Milwaukee Community Sailing Center, on Facebook. Photo: Mike King
Lake Monona from the south shore on Wednesday, January 6, 2022.
4LIYC Commodore Daniel Hearn and Doug Kolner scouted Lake Monona today for the DN Western Region Championship. Though they didn’t find regatta quality ice and the regatta was postponed, Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club sailing for Saturday and Sunday is a distinct possibility.
Daniel reported, “Plenty of ice thickness onshore with 2-3″ of black ice in the middle with an open hole dead center in the middle of the lake. There may be enough space on the east end for club sailing. There was very little snow. The hole could firm up by the weekend.”
Please meet at the Tonyawatha Landing at noon on Friday, January 6, 2022, for a Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club ice check. We will post our decision about club racing by 5 PM on Friday.