The 2023-2024 ice sailing season officially kicks off this Friday in Madison with a full-on Nite Rager.
The Nite Rager is on for this Friday, June 23 starting at 9:30 AM. We will meet at Damien Luyet’s shop at 9:30 AM. Address is 2618 Industrial Dr., Monona. Tasks for the session are to re-saw and plane all wood to side board thickness. Weigh and deflect all boards for individual mast pairing. Cut all mast halves to correct profile and mark for internals. Cut leading edge pieces to prepare for glue up. Possibly route trailing edges for mast track. All are welcome to join. I imagine we’ll order some lunch delivery.
As we wait for the first “first” (ice), here’s some philatelic news. The U.S. Post Office released the 14-cent Iceboat stamp on March 23, 1985, at ROPEX, the annual stamp show in Rochester, New York. The postcard and envelope, featuring a Nite, was one of 324,710 first-day covers cancelled and was in a collection of postcards and ephemera mailed to me by Don Fischer of Michigan. The stamp’s artist, William H. Bond, created 58 U.S. postage stamps, including a series of 50 World War II commemorative issues. Tip of the Helmet: Don Fischer
The Nite Class held their 2021 Nationals last weekend, March 6-7, on Green Lake in Wisconsin. Saturday’s lack of wind made for a day spent visiting and weighing boats. The wind arrived on Sunday and they completed ten races total, five in each fleet. Photographer Jim Koepnick captured the action and posted it in his website.
The 4LIYC Renegade fleet visited for some of their own sailing and regatta viewing: Jeff Russell, Damien Luyet, Don Anderson, and Jim LaFortune
For all the marbles, the Gold fleet took to the 14″ thick ice on Green Lake, WI for the 2021 Nite National Championship. Conditions caused 0 races on day 1 due to no wind and warm temps. Day 2 forced an early start to get 5 races in with winds 8-13mph. The ice started off hard and slowly softened by 1pm. Chad Rechcygl and Mike Jankowski each sailed away with 2 race wins along with 11x champion Tom Sweitzer flying in from the right side of the course at the finish line to win race 5 and to solidify him as the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time). Chad grabs his 2nd championship in a row. Mike Jankowski takes 2nd and Top Master. 4 days later with 60 degree temps and high winds, the ice is now gone and the lake is ready for summer sailing. Wow that was close!
Dick Grota once again takes home the Charlie Miller Trophy for 1st place Silver fleet at the 2021 Nite National Championship on Green Lake, WI followed closely behind by Don Sanford. John Mason closed off the day with his 1st race taking 3rd overall.
The ice sailing community is glad that photographer Reb Resnick keeps an eye on our doings. He was on Green Lake over the weekend during the Renegade Championship and Nite Commodore’s Cup with his drone. Check out his gallery of Wisconsin ice sailing images here.
4LIYC members Tim McCormick, left, and Ron Rosten, right, line up in the one and two blocks for the fourth Renegade race. Results
Sunday’s conditions were a paradox of wind with intermittent fog. The Nites were the first to sail, and Green Lake Ice Yacht Club’s Byron Hill won his first race of the day.
The wind picked up, which made for an exciting and competitive Renegade race won by Tim McCormick. The Nites were able to sail one more, again won by Byron Hill.
The Renegades lined up for race four which was a four-lapper. After two laps, a competitor pulled in and informed the Race Committee that the weather mark had fallen because he had hit it. Chief Judge and Nite Commodore John Hayashi, assisted by Pat Heppert, immediately decided that sailors fishing around for the weather mark in the ever-lower visibility was a lousy situation and black-flagged the race.
Congratulations to Jim Gluek for his second Renegade Championship and Byron Hill for his victory in the Nite Class. Thanks to John Hayashi, the Green Lake Ice Yacht Club, and Pat Heppert for all his help.
The celebratory braunschweiger and onion sandwiches provided by Green Lake Ice Yacht Club’s Debbie Biermann at the trophy presentation were much appreciated. Her husband, Dan’s, birthday is coming up, and he asked her to make them rather than a birthday cake. We all hope it’s a new tradition.
Class A Skeeter sailors Ken White Horse and Paul Krueger haven’t had the conditions to sail this season. Mike Ripp made sure Ken kept his racing skills tuned up and lent him his Renegade to race in the regatta. Paul Krueger joined Ken as a coach, pit crew, and ATV driver.
Thanks, Peter Sarelis, for traveling to the regatta from Michigan and representing the Gull Lake Ice Yacht Club.
Green Lake 3From Left, Green Lake Ice Yacht Club Deb Bierman, 3rd Daniel Hearn, 5th Ken Whitehorse, 4th Tim McCormick, 2nd Greg McCormick, and 1st Jim Gluek.
