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.
Via International Nite Class Association Commodore Maureen Bohleber
For The Love of Iceboating
The International Nite Class Association recently hosted an event at Harken Headquarters in Pewaukee, Wisconsin, bringing together Midwest iceboaters. The theme was “50 Years of Nite Racing,” attracting Skeeter, Stern Steerer, Renegade, DN, and, of course, Nite sailors of all ages.
The Nite was designed and built by Dick Slates at S & R Marine around 1968. The story goes that he aimed to create a side-but-side two-seater to take that “special” someone out for a night on sail on Pewaukee Lake. While Dick and his wife Gale were unable to participate in the activities, his sons Rich and Kevin Slates were able to join in.
It was wonderful to listen to sailors inquiring if a certain person would be attending, only to find out they hadn’t seen them or spoken to that individual in 20 years. It was amazing to watch friendships reignite as if they had seen each other on the ice last season. Additionally, guests could view a history of results displayed on the walls. Hearing the younger crowd react to names they recognized and discovering that many sailed a Nite was enjoyable.
During a roundtable discussion led by the Nite Fleet GOAT Tom Sweitzer, past champions offered advice to future champions. The discussion also included Bill Dale, Dave Koch, and Dave Navin.
Kyle Navin and Harry Melgas IV shared their recent experience sailing the American Magic Youth team alongside Bill Goggins, President of Harken, who facilitated the discussion.
Thank you to Harken, Inc. for hosting not only the Nite Fleet gala but also the Southern Wisconsin Iceboat Swap Meet, which took place on Sunday, October 27th. Rumor has it some new Nite owners emerged from this weekend’s events. To top it off, we had a surprise guest: Peter Harken, Nite #98, who had just returned home from Spain after attending the America’s Cup. Maureen Bohleber
Past and Present Commodore Chad Rechcygl, Craig Adams, Maureen Bohleber, Don Sanford and Dave Koch
Past Champions: Back Row -Dave Navin, Bill Allen and Mark Prange Front row – Chad Rechcygl, Dave Koch, Craig Adams, Tom Sweitzer and Billy Dale
American Magic: Billy Goggins, President of Harken, Kyle Navin- Port Helmsman Harry Melgas IV Starboard Helmsman and Skipper
The sport of ice sailing has expanded to Mongolia. From the land of horses, yurts, and vast open spaces, Ganaa Davaa recently contacted Nite Commodore Maureen Bohlebher and me to talk ice sailing. Ganaa related that the conditions in Mongolia, similar to the dry landscapes of Montana, are perfect for our sport, with ice from December to April. Ganaa urgently needed iceboats for a January 12 winter festival, so John Hayashi of Windward Boatworks, got on the road and drove two boxed Lockley Skimmers to a Chicago shipping firm, which ensured their timely arrival. The 4LIYC’s Lars Barber helped out by giving his Skimmer sail to John so that the boats would be complete. Expect to see more iceboats in Mongolia as they continue to build their fleet.
Meanwhile, the first-ever international DN regatta is taking place in Jinzhou, China. Minnesota’s Mike Bloom is there, along with several Europeans and Russians. Follow the regatta in the DN website and Facebook page. It is remarkable how this sport brings together people from around the world.
Nite sailors Daniel Hearn, Dave Navin, and Nite Commodore Maureen Bohleber gathered at 4LIYC Renegader Damien Luyet’s shop last Friday to kick off a ten-mast build. Under the watchful eye of Jerry Simon, they spent the day using a table saw, bandsaw, and planer to shape Sitka Spruce boards into mast blanks. Brad Wagner, Jim Lafortune, and Don Anderson dropped in to check on the process of making sawdust. The mast blanks are now at Daniel Hearn’s shop for the next steps of routing for the mast track and production of metal components.
With a total of 19 boats over the weekend on ice that was as Hollywood as you can get, the Nites completed 13 races on Lake Puckaway in central Wisconsin, a great early season iceboating venue. The Nites competed for a Saturday, Sunday, and overall series.
The ice was so smooth you could not even hear your runners glide over the ice. These are the perfect conditions for ice boaters, hence the name “Hollywood Ice.”
With a large fleet in attendance, the competition was close. The 2020 Nite National champion, Chad Rechygl of Pewaukee Wisconsin, and Mike Jankowski of Green Lake Wisconsin battled it out throughout the weekend for the overall top spot. Split-scoring the event by days allowed sailors to try different settings and tactics. As they say, everybody has a favorite condition. Jim McCabe was the hot sailor of the weekend, cracking the top three on both days. Another local favorite, Byron Hill, also placed consistently in the top three. Chad Rechygl took first, Mike Jankowski second, and the Vandervelde brothers in the next two spots in the overall standings.
We were happy to see a strong showing of sailors from Lake Kegonsa and the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club as well, with Lars, Henri, Brad, and Don in attendance. They sailed fast and showed a considerable step in improvement from last year’s event. We were also lucky to have Daniel Hearn join in the racing and experience the close roundings and the back and forth position changes that make Nite racing unique and fun.
It was interesting to watch from the Race Committee view, learning from Deb Whitehorse, John Hayashi, and George Gerhardt. While Saturday’s course was more straightforward, the Race Committee had to chase the wind and change the track. When the wind settled in, the Nites sailed six races before the snow started to fly.
It was a memorable weekend of Nite racing. It was ICE COLD FUN!
With a total of 19 boats over the weekend on ice that was as Hollywood as you can get, the Nites completed 13 races on Lake Puckaway in central Wisconsin, a great early season iceboating venue. The Nites competed for a Saturday, Sunday, and overall series.
