by Deb Whitehorse | May 24, 2025 | 2024-2025, Home Page, ISA
Ken Whitehorse adds the finishing touches to a display honoring the Whitehorse family’s legacy in iceboat and auto racing, featuring historic trophies and family photos.
Skeeter sailor Ken Whitehorse recently participated in an early-stage gathering hosted by Wisconsin Public Television for their upcoming documentary, Wisconsin Hometown Stories: Madison. The two-hour program will explore Madison’s history, focusing on Teejop — the Ho-Chunk name for this region, meaning “Four Lakes.”
WPT is working closely with members of the Ho-Chunk Nation to ensure their stories and perspectives are central to the project. WPT invited Ho-Chunk community members to share their memories of Madison during the event. Ken curated a presentation on the Whitehorse family’s deep involvement in iceboat and auto racing. He displayed several historic trophies — including the Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant, won by AJ Whitehorse in the 1980s — and noted, “Whitehorse names are all over these trophies.” It was a reminder of the family’s long-standing presence in Madison’s sporting culture. We were also blessed by the presence of Ken’s father, Walter Whitehorse — a longtime 4LIYC Skeeter sailor — who recently celebrated his 100th birthday.
A few days earlier, I also spoke with the producer about Madison’s iceboating history and shared memories of my late husband, Harry Whitehorse, whose legacy as an artist and iceboater continues to shape how we remember this place.
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by Deb Whitehorse | May 13, 2025 | 2024-2025, Home Page, WSSA
Photos of DEBUTANTE, built by George Buckhout, from the William and Carl Bernard scrapbooks.
Via Robert Willis:
Online Presentation: Ice Yachting Since its Beginnings in the Hudson River Valley
Date: May 16, 2025
Time: 5:30 – 6:30 PM
Location: Antique Boat Museum Cox Auditorium & YouTube Live
Presenter: Robert Willis, President, Hudson River Ice Yacht Preservation Trust
Live Stream: YouTube Live Stream
From Dutch innovation to high-speed thrills on the Hudson, discover how ice yachts evolved from cargo carriers to the fastest vehicles on Earth. Mr. Willis takes us through the design, history, and enduring passion behind this unique winter sport.
This presentation is a good reminder that it all started in New York’s Hudson River Valley. Back in the day, “Northwestern” ice yachtsmen—our Midwestern forebears—knew that if you wanted the best, you went straight to the source: George Buckhout, the Valley’s most renowned builder of stern-steerers.
Here’s more from Brian Reid about Buckhout and his legendary craftsmanship.
So when Oshkosh, Wisconsin’s own John Buckstaff—himself a giant in the iceboating world—wanted a top-tier Class A stern-steerer, he went to Buckhout. The result? DEBUTANTE—a fast, graceful, and fiercely competitive yacht that would become one of the most iconic stern-steerers in Wisconsin history.
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by Deb Whitehorse | Dec 28, 2024 | 2024-2025, Home Page
Does it get any more Wisconsin than this? Ice sailing, maritime history, a Green Bay Packers connection, and a cocktail named in honor of the Skeeter class?
Mike Peters and I will be presenting a program for their Think & Drink series on ice sailing at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum on Thursday, January 2nd at 6:30 pm. I’ll be joining via Zoom, and Mike will be there in person at the museum to share the history of ice sailing in Wisconsin.
The event is free and will be available both in-person and virtually. The featured drink of the night will be a Skeeter, a vodka cocktail named after the fastest iceboat in the world. Doors and the bar open at 6:00 pm, and the program begins at 6:30 pm.
This presentation is part of the Ice Boating: A Wisconsin Tradition exhibit at the Wisconsin Maritime Museum, which is on display from December 2024 through September 2025. The exhibit traces the history of ice boating in Wisconsin, spanning over 100 years, and showcases the evolution of iceboats and the culture surrounding the sport.
To join virtually, please register here: Event Registration Link.
This program is made possible in part by a grant from the Green Bay Packers Foundation. For more info, check out the museum’s website.
Hope to see you there, whether in person or online!
WHAT TO KNOW
Date & Time: Thursday, January 2nd, 6:30 pm (doors and bar open at 6:00 pm)
Location: Wisconsin Maritime Museum, 75 Maritime Dr., Manitowoc, WI
Cost: Free (both in-person and virtual)
Virtual Access: Register here to attend via Zoom: Event Registration Link
UPDATE: The Wisconsin Maritime Museum has unveiled a signature drink for their Think and Drink presentation—a twist on the classic Sidecar, featuring vodka and blue curaçao.
The Skeeter
2 oz vodka
1 oz blue curaçao
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1/2 oz simple syrup (optional, for a hint of sweetness)
Lemon twist or orange slice for garnish
Instructions:
Fill a cocktail shaker with ice.
Add vodka, blue curaçao, lemon juice, and simple syrup (if desired).
Shake well until chilled.
Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
Garnish with a lemon twist or orange slice.
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by Deb Whitehorse | Dec 14, 2023 | 2023-2024, Home Page, ISA, Renegade
If you missed last night’s presentation on the history and future of the Skeeter iceboat class by Henry Bossett, Dan Clapp, and Pat Heppert, don’t worry! The entire session has been recorded and is now available on our YouTube channel. Whether you want to relive the insights or catch it for the first time, dive in and increase your Skeeter iceboat knowledge. Watch it at this link: Skeeter Summit
The Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club thanks Henry Bossett, Dan Clapp, and Pat Heppert for sharing your expertise and passion for the Skeeter fleet with our ice-sailing community. Your dedication to preserving and advancing the Skeeter class will have a lasting impact on future iceboaters.
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by Deb Whitehorse | Dec 12, 2023 | 2023-2024, Home Page, ISA
1991 ISA Regatta. Notice there’s only one cockpit-forward Skeeter on the line.
Henry Bossett, Dan Clapp, and Pat Heppert have created an exceptional production that covers the past and future of the Skeeter class.
The photo above from the presentation displays the first cockpit-forward “bubble-boat, ” COMING ATTRACTIONS, which marked the beginning of a new phase in Skeeter design. In 1991, Dan Clapp towed this boat from New Jersey to Lake Geneva and emerged victorious in the International Skeeter Association regatta.
If you’ve registered, we’ll email you the Zoom link Wednesday morning. If you have questions during the presentation, we encourage you to ask them using the chat option, and the Skeeter specialists will answer them at the end of the presentation. Or you can email your questions ahead of time to to debwhitehorse@iceboat.org.
What To Know
SKEETER SUMMIT
Date: Wednesday, December 13, 2023
Time: 6:30 PM CT / 7:30 PM ET
The Zoom link was emailed on Wednesday, December 13, 2023.
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