It was a beautiful evening yesterday at the 4LIYC trophy banquet at the Mariner’s Inn on Lake Mendota. With the lake just steps away and the venue decorated in a nautical theme, it couldn’t have been a more suitable setting for an ice sailing gathering. We’re going to miss that restaurant — and after last night, we’re even more grateful for the many years the von Rutenberg family has supported the sailing community.
Renegader Don Anderson served as the evening’s master of ceremonies. He reminded us of the von Rutenbergs’ long history with sailing and the famous Edgewater to Mariner’s race that used to take place in softwater days on Lake Mendota. It was a casual race where simply not falling in was considered a win.
The von Rutenberg family’s generosity didn’t stop at hosting us — they also donated a raffle prize: a spot on their famous Betty Lou Cruise. Barb Sanford won the raffle, which was especially fun because her husband, Nite sailor Don Sanford, was a longtime captain of the Betty Lou Cruise boats!
Before dinner, we gathered in the bar to mingle and catch up. It was amazing to see so many out-of-town guests, including IDNIYRA Commodore (and stern steerer owner) David Frost, who made the trip from Michigan via Thunder Bay, Ontario where he had hoped to get one last DN ride in. Andy Gratton came down from Fond du Lac, and George Gerhardt joined us from Oshkosh — strong stern steerer representation all around. Pete Johns also made the trip from Illinois, combining the banquet with picking up a brand-new Ron Sherry DN hull. We were also happy to see Maureen Bohleber from Green Lake and long-time club member Gary Sternberg in the crowd.
Even though we sat for dinner a bit earlier than planned, it worked out perfectly. Ken Whitehorse kicked off the awards by presenting trophies to Paul Krueger from the Skeeter fleet. Ken shared the story of how a “magic sail” rediscovered in their inventory made PK’s boat fly this season. He also talked about a memorable day on Lake Monona when they weren’t planning to sail — but seeing German DNers Anja Fiedler and Holger Petzke (here on a year-long U.S. sabbatical) inspired them to rig up and head out.
Don Anderson took a moment to update everyone on the MARY B’s success this winter. He reflected on how much the boat has sailed since coming under the Foundation’s care. Several people in the room raised their hands when Don asked who had a chance to ride the B this year. Don also gave a shoutout to Andy Gratton for jumping in at Frozen Assets Festival to help with the MARY B, making important improvements to her steering and rigging. Andy even hopes to bring his famous red stern steerer WISCONSIN down to Frozen Assets next year.
After a hearty dinner and dessert, it was time for the main event: handing out the trophies. A big thank you to our Trophy Chair, Damien Luyet, for the countless hours he put into organizing, polishing, and preparing the trophies — even making new bases where needed — to ensure everything looked perfect for the banquet.
On display was a pencil sketch of Tim McCormick sailing his Renegade AIM against the Lake Monona skyline, drawn by Greg Whitehorse and brought by Greg McCormick — a meaningful reminder of Tim’s contributions to the sport we all love.
Among the specialty awards, the “Pin Clipper” prize — given for notable mark mishaps — was awarded to Renegader Doug Kolner this year for an incident on Lake Monona where he gave a cone a ride for a few laps.
Ron Sherry was the evening’s highlight, captivating the room with his stories about ice sailing, boat setup, and racing tactics. Ron talked about advice he received from Buddy Melges on setting up a Renegade, and shared memories of sailing Renegades with his dad, Lorne Sherry, on Lakes Geneva and Mendota. He was in his element as he delved into the subtleties of setup and tactics with an audience that valued every detail. I strongly recommend that all yacht clubs invite Ron as a speaker — he is an outstanding storyteller. He closed with one of my favorite stories: the time he won the Northwest Free-For-All Trophy on Lake Geneva, made even more special because so many of the people involved were right there in the room, including my brother, Ron Rosten.
We did miss our Commodore Daniel Hearn, who was on vacation with his family — but he was with us in spirit. It was a night full of storytelling and memories — the very best of what iceboating is all about.
For UW-Madison student Eden Milan, a simple connection to Madison’s frozen lakes turned into an unexpected discovery of their family’s deep ice boating history. Milan’s great-grandfather, Carl Bernard, was one of Madison’s most accomplished iceboat skippers, winning numerous championships—including nine titles aboard the legendary Mary B. Though originally from Seattle, Milan had no idea they were connected to such a significant piece of Madison’s ice boating legacy until they arrived at UW.
This past weekend at the Frozen Assets Festival, Milan had the rare opportunity to ride aboard the Mary B, experiencing firsthand the ice yacht that helped define their great-grandfather’s legacy. If you haven’t seen this historic iceboat in action yet, there’s still time to visit the Mary B set up in front of The Edgewater.
On a chilly weekday morning in February, Eden Milan pulled a pair of ice creepers over their shoes (rubber grips with small spikes at the bottom) and walked out onto the frozen Lake Mendota.
On the lake, a group of enthusiastic ice boat sailors worked to reassemble the boat Milan’s great-grandfather collected so many of his trophies with, a boat that continues to represent Madison’s history as an ice boating haven. Continue reading.
Full circle on the ice—Eden Milan rides aboard the Mary B, the same legendary iceboat her great-grandfather, Carl Bernard, once raced to victory.
Hundreds of people watch as fireworks launch into the night sky above an inflatable replica of the Statue of Liberty’s head, arm and torch on frozen and ice-covered Lake Mendota during the conclusion of the Wisconsin Union’s Winter Carnival on Feb. 11, 2023. The event was held along the shoreline of the Memorial Union Terrace at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. The Lady Liberty tradition began with a prank in 1979 by the Pail and Shovel Party which made a campaign promise. Read more
Madison Celebrates on the Lake Mendota Ice this weekend.
This weekend, Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club (4LIYC) sailors are shifting gears a bit to focus on promoting the sport of iceboating while taking advantage of great conditions. Instead of official club racing, we’re focusing on a fun sailing day on Saturday, February 8, as part of the UW Winter Carnival and Frozen Assets celebrations at The Memorial Union and Edgewater. It’s also a good opportunity to see the MARY B set up at the Edgewater. Stop by and say hello to 4LIYC members from the Iceboat Foundation who help preserve this boat.
If you want to sail on Lake Mendota, you can set up at Lot 60 or Brearly Street and sail toward The Edgewater and the Union to give spectators a close-up look at the sport. If conditions remain favorable and the snow holds off, we may also hold 4LIYC club racing on Sunday, February 9, on Lake Mendota. We’ll have more information on possible 4LIYC racing on Saturday, February 8.
Historic Iceboats On Display This Weekend
It’s the unofficial opening weekend of the iceboating season!
Join the Midwest ice sailing community on Saturday and Sunday, October 26-27, at Harken, Inc. in Pewaukee, WI, where we’re excited to help the International Nite Class Association celebrate 50 years of Nite racing. Thanks to the Iceboat Foundation, you’ll see the legendary MARY B, INSANITY, their museum
Bucky Badger relaxes on the MARY B
trailer, and the newest addition, PANTHER a Class A Skeeter originally built for Chris Smith of Chris-Craft.
With the Swap Meet happening on Sunday, it’s the perfect weekend for iceboating enthusiasts and newcomers to check out the sport. Whether you’re looking to find your iceboat, chat with veteran ice sailors, or admire some of the most iconic iceboats in history, this weekend has it all.
Join us to celebrate the start of the ice sailing season—experience the boats, the history, and the excitement of the fastest sport on ice!
Southern Wisconsin Iceboat Swap Meet
Date: Sunday, October, 27, 2024
Time: 9 AM – Noon
Location: Harken parking lot
N15W24983 Bluemound Rd, Pewaukee, WI
OBITUARY
The iceboating community mourns the loss of Byron A. Tetzlaff and extends heartfelt condolences to his family. The Tetzlaff family’s legacy has been an integral part of our club’s history since the 1920s.
Via Don Sanford:
Once an iceboater…
c. 2024. Donald P. Sanford
Until a cold and blustery day in January, 2020, I thought I had met just about every iceboater in Dane County and listened to all their stories. Sure, I heard about Frank Tetzlaff and I had even met his grandson, Byron. On that day I was introduced to Frank and Evelyn Tetzlaff and instantly immersed in everything Tetzlaff and Mary B.
Peter Fauerbach arranged a field trip to their apartment in nearby Sun Prairie for a group of us from the Ice Boat Foundation. Byron was a master woodworker, a skill he no doubt learned from his dad. Our eyes popped as we checked out the beautiful collection of clocks and other projects displayed in their cozy apartment. What really caught our collective attention was the equally impressive family archive of Mary B photos, clippings, mementos and Evelyn’s Mary B quilt. As we took all this in, Byron told us story after story about his dad, the construction of both the B, the Fritz and the First Unitarian Meeting House as well as his experiences sailing on both of these iconic iceboats with Carl Bernard.
More than fifty years had passed but for us (and I guess for Byron) it was as though he’d just stepped off the ice. He was kind enough to let me scan all his photos and, by some stroke of luck, I had brought along my scanner. A lucky break because eight weeks later, Covid had us all isolated and nobody was going anywhere.
Fast forward to November of 2020. Production of our film, Mary B: Madison’s Legendary Iceboat was underway. I had Byron’s stories but I really wanted to hear him tell them. Again, we weren’t going to his apartment and he certainly wasn’t coming to us. But Byron was enthusiastic and wanted to tell his story for the camera. We came up with a solution. On a chilly day in November of 2020, Byron opened his garage door. He sat just inside, our crew took up a position at a safe distance in the driveway. Mission accomplished! Once an ice boater, always an ice boater. A little chill in the air wasn’t gonna get in the way of a good story! His in-person interview added so much to our film and I will always be grateful to Byron for his willingness to help.
