4LIYC Spring Gathering April 25 @ Breakwater

by | Mar 27, 2026 | 2025-2026, Home Page

PK on the move. Photo: Sean R. Heavy

4LIYC Spring Gathering – Payment Link

We’ll wrap up the season with the 4LIYC Spring Gathering on Saturday, April 25 at Breakwater, 6308 Inland Way, Monona, Wisconsin.

Join us for an evening off the ice, good food, a few stories from the winter that almost was, and a chance to see everyone again.
Social Hour: 6 – 7 PM
Dinner: 7 PM
Payment Link

Dinner will be a buffet:

  • Beef tips
  • Baked chicken with dressing
  • Grilled salmon with dill sauce
  • Mashed potatoes and gravy
  • Honey glazed baby carrots
  • Dinner salad
  • Dinner rolls

$40 per person

Join us

Save the Date: 4LIYC Spring Banquet

by | Mar 10, 2026 | 2025-2026, Home Page

That one day…

This was one of those local seasons where we just weren’t lucky.

The Ice Gods gave us a beautiful sheet to look at on Lake Monona, but it never quite came together. The MARY B was set up on Lake Mendota for Frozen Assets Festival, but by late February, warm temperatures and rain finished off what had looked like a promising season.

Still, many of us managed to get sailing in by traveling where the ice was good, and we did get that one memorable weekend on Lake Kegonsa.

In spite of the short season close to home, let’s get together and celebrate the past winter and the seasons ahead.

Save the date:
4LIYC Spring Gathering
Saturday, April 25, 2026
Breakwater
6308 Inland Way
Monona, WI

More details soon.

4LIYC Meeting News for Nov 19 – Current Fast Champions Iceboat Shop

by | Nov 11, 2025 | 2025-2026, Home Page

Current/Past Champions Iceboat Shop Farewell Tour

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

Burly Brellinthin Still Throwing Heat

by | Sep 4, 2025 | 2025-2026, Home Page, ISA

Burly Brellinthin throws out the first pitch at the Milwaukee Brewers game on September 4, 2025.

Not long ago, we shared the story of iceboater Skeeter Iceboat Club’s Mel Jones, who left his mark as an Indy 500 driver back in 1927. Nearly a century later, another iceboater has stepped into the major league (literally!) sports spotlight. The Skeeter Iceboat Club’s own Burly Brellenthin, fresh off celebrating his 100th birthday, threw out the ceremonial first pitch at the Milwaukee Brewers* game on Thursday, September 4, 2025. A WWII veteran from Lake Geneva, Burly was honored as part of the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II.
Tip of the Helmet: Greg Whitehorse

* The Milwaukee Brewers are on an historic hot streak, recently setting a franchise record with their 14th consecutive win, following a previous 11-game streak just weeks prior. 

Burely removes the cover from his B Skeeter in preparation for the 2013 Northwest Regatta on Green Lake. Photo: Gretchen Dorian

Think Ice! Iceboat Swap Meets Announced

by | Aug 13, 2025 | 2025-2026, Home Page

Stern-Steerers line up on Lake Winnebago in Wisconsin at the 2025 Northwest regatta. Photo by Rob Resnick.

Fall in Wisconsin means it is time to start thinking ice and time for the annual iceboat swap meets.
The Main Event — Back to Where It Began
The fall swap meet was started many years ago by Jane and Bob Pegel of the Skeeter Iceboat Club in Williams Bay, Wisconsin. For decades, anyone looking to get into iceboating or to buy or sell gear was told to “call Bob and Jane.” The swap became an annual tradition at Sailing Specialists in Williams Bay, timed for a Packers bye week .In recent years, the event has rotated between the Skeeter Iceboat Club in the Lake Geneva area, the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club in Madison, and the Green Lake Ice Yacht Club in Green Lake, Wisconsin. This year, it returns to its original home turf in the Lake Geneva area, hosted at the Lake Geneva Yacht Club. Expect plenty of gear, camaraderie, a cookout on the lawn, and even a Bloody Mary bar.
The Other Swap — Midwest Hardwater Sailors
The second Fall Swap Meet, organized by Fred Stritt and the Midwest Hardwater Sailors, will be held at the Delavan Yacht Club. Along with food, bar service, and football, this year’s gathering will also feature a Dragon Force remote control sailing event after the swap.2025 Swap Meet Dates and Details

  • Lake Geneva Swap Meet — Sunday, October 19, 10 AM
    Lake Geneva Yacht Club
    1250 S Lake Shore Dr,
    Fontana-On-Geneva Lake, WI
  • New England – Saturday, October 25, 2025
    Thompson Motor Speedway
    Thompson, Connecticut
    More information
  • Minnesota: Saturday, November 1, 2025, 9 am – 12 pm.
    Sailcrafters
    7450 Oxford Street
    St. Louis Park, MN
    Tim Carlson at Sailcrafters ((952) 540-7474) is hosting his annual Iceboat Swap meet on Nov 1, 2025. We hope you join us. You can expect to see all types of iceboats and all types of used gear. If you are new to iceboating, this is the perfect place to meet local sailors and check out used equipment. If you are looking for new gear, Tim caters to the local iceboat community and can provide new sails, stays, line and everything in-between.
  • Delavan Swap Meet — Saturday, November 8
    Delavan Lake Yacht Club
    1501 Cedar Point Dr, Delavan, WI 53115

More Swap Meets Coming Up
Dates for these events are still to come, but here is what is usually on the fall calendar:

  • Canadian Swap Meet
  • Gull Lake Ice Yacht Club Swap — Michigan
  • New England Ice Yacht Club Swap — Usually in Connecticut

Whether you are new to the sport or a seasoned sailor, the swaps are the perfect chance to find parts, boats, and gear and to reconnect with the iceboating community before the season begins.