MARY B draws a crowd on Lake Monona in 1952
The Dane County Historical Society Newsletter has published an article by our own Don Sanford about the historic stern-steerer MARY B.
The Mary B was fast, really fast, but just who or what was she? A racehorse, a track star, or maybe a downhill skier? None of the above, she was an iceboat…She was the dream of one of Madison’s largest electrical contractors and public-spirited citizens, Orvin “OT” Havey.
MARY B draws a crowd on Lake Monona. Photos: Earl W Brown
In January 1952, Lake Monona delivered and the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club hosted the Northwest regatta and the Hearst Challenge. (The Hearst trophy was donated in 1903 by newspaper publisher William Randolph Hearst.) Lake Monona in the 1950s could be counted upon for sailable ice thanks to the soot pollution from the coal burning power plant on its northeastern shore. The downside for the Skeeters was that the coal dust very quickly dulled runners. Perhaps the coal cinders didn’t affect the big iron of the Stern-Steerer runners.
The three majestic Class A Stern Steerers that competed for the Hearst that year were 2 4LIYC boats and 1 from Oshkosh including the MARY B owned by O. T. Havey and skippered by Carl Bernard with crew Norm Braith and Charlie Johnson; FRITZ owned and sailed by Jim Lunder with Beauford Polglase; and FLYING DUTCHMEN owned by John Buckstaff of Oshkosh, WI and skippered by Chuck Nevitt with crew Bud McDonald. MARY B was able to defend her title that year.The excitement of the regatta drew crowds and prompted the 4LIYC to set up a public address system at Law Park. Someone provided a play by play account during the racing.
These historic ice yachts are still with us today. Current owner of the FLYING DUTCHMEN, Dave Lallier in Fond du Lac, reminded me that FLYING DUTCHMEN is the correct name of the boat, not DUTCHMAN. The Van Dyke brothers from Milwaukee commissioned the FLYING DUTCHMEN in the 1930s, hence the plural designation. MARY B is back in Madison and owned by the Ice Boat Foundation while FRITZ is owned by Fred Stritt and is available for sale.
These color slides were originally posted on the Historic Madison, WI Photo Group Facebook page by the granddaughter of Earl W. Brown, the man who took them.
Video from February 8, 2020, the Mary B Stern-Steerer on Lake Mendota.
Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club stern-steerers FRITZ A5 and MARY B A4 on Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin c.1955.
A couple more photos from the Mary B Foundation of OT Havey’s vintage photographs. Madison, Wisonsin’s OT Havey was the original owner of the historic MARY B stern-steerer. Above is an iconic shot for Madisonians – two of the most famous stern-steerers of the 4LIYC near the Edgewater Hotel on Lake Mendota sometime in the 1950s. It appears the crew of the FRITZ is pushing off back to the landing after joining club members who sailed over to the Edgewater for a late lunch and camaraderie. We still do this today!
The crew of the stern-steerer FRITZ pushes off towards home.
From the OT Havey Collection courtesy of his granddaughter, Julie Hobbins
The Mary B Foundation has acquired scans of some of OT Havey’s vintage photographs from OT’s granddaughter, Julie Hobbins. Madison, Wisonsin’s OT Havey was the original owner of the historic MARY B stern-steerer. Havey captioned this powerful image, “a boat unknown, big hike, head on.” This could be Lake Mendota. We’ll post more from the collection in the coming days. Thanks to Julie Hobbins and Peter Fauerbach of the Mary B Foundation for passing these along.
National Iceboat Authority Web Page
Location: In person at the Elks Lodge 711 Jenifer St, Madison, WI 53703
Time: 6:30 PM
YOU ARE SKIPPER NUMBER
TO ROUND THE MARK SINCE NOVEMBER 1999.
