Until recently, few in the sailing or iceboating worlds knew that one of our own, Mel Jones, raced in the 1925 Indianapolis 500. As far as we know, he remains the only iceboater and A Scow sailor to have ever taken the starting flag at Indy.
That remarkable fact came to light thanks to Kristopher Strebe, a racing historian from Seattle and native of Janesville, Wisconsin. Kristopher has made it his mission to uncover the full biographical details of every driver who has competed in the Indianapolis 500.
A few days ago, Kristopher contacted me to ask if I had ever seen a photograph of Mel Jones. Fortunately, the Carl Bernard scrapbook provided what we needed, as Carl had pasted a large picture of Mel on one of its pages.
Kristopher also sent two black and white images from the 1925 Indy 500, one of a driver seated in car number 7 and another standing trackside. He had a hunch that the man in the photos might be Mel, the longtime sailmaker and a former Commodore of the Lake Geneva Yacht Club.
When we compared the photographs, it became clear that the man in the 1925 image was Mel Jones. Lake Geneva Yacht Club members Ellen Bentsen and Susie Pegel, both of whom knew Mel personally, immediately recognized him. Additional details from the LGYC yearbook and sailing community archives began to align. Kristopher’s research, combined with local knowledge, confirmed what none of us had known before: Mel Jones took the start of the 1925 Indianapolis 500, driving in relief for car owner Harold John Skelly.
Mel Jones: Sailmaker, Iceboater, and Indy Driver
Melville C Jones was born in Oak Park, Illinois in 1901. A sailor from a young age, he raced A Scows and iceboats out of the Lake Geneva Yacht Club and eventually became a respected sailmaker with Murphy and Nye, Joy Brothers, and later his own loft, Jones Brothers. He was a charter member of the Skeeter Iceboat Club, sailed a Skeeter named GREEN GHOST, and served as Commodore of the Northwest Ice Yachting Association in 1947.
But in 1925, his name briefly surfaced in another arena: automobile racing. That year, a 21-year-old named Harold John Skelly built and entered a car for the Indianapolis 500, powered by a Frontenac Ford engine. Skelly, also from Oak Park, was a student of engineering and had no prior racing experience. He qualified impressively at over 88 miles per hour, but on race day, the track physician ruled him ineligible to compete due to a heart condition.
Mel Jones took his place behind the wheel.
Official records confirm that Jones started the race in car number 7 and completed about 30 laps before the car retired with mechanical trouble. His participation was so under the radar that many accounts at the time overlooked the driver change entirely. Even decades later, his name remained disconnected from the event until Kristopher Strebe’s research brought it to light.
A Shared Skillset: From Iceboats to Indy
The story raised an intriguing question: how did a sailor and sailmaker end up racing at Indianapolis?
For those in the iceboating world, the answer makes perfect sense. Iceboats demand custom fabrication and mechanical intuition. Several iceboat builders including my father, Dave Rosten, Paul Krueger, and my late husband, Harry Whitehorse, have deep roots in motorsports. Metal parts for iceboats are rarely available off the shelf. Everything from the steering assembly to the runner plank hardware must be built by hand.
It is not hard to imagine Mel Jones moving comfortably between those two worlds.
Not to Be Confused with Milton Jones
It is worth noting that Melville C Jones is not the same person as Milton Jones, another early Indy driver who was fatally injured during practice for the 1932 Indianapolis 500. The two men have occasionally been confused in historical references, but they were entirely separate individuals. UPDATE: “Mel and Milton Jones were confused for so long because most documents and reports referred to them simply as M.C. Jones.” Kristopher Strebe. Mel Jones raced only in 1925 and lived a long life devoted to sailing, sailmaking, and the Lake Geneva community.
Who Built the Car?
One mystery remains. According to the 1983 Lake Geneva Yacht Club yearbook, Mel Jones was the “designer and builder of an Indianapolis 500 race car which finished first among the independent builders at the 1925 time trials.” Newspaper accounts from the time, however, credit Skelly as the car’s builder. It is possible both men were involved. Skelly had a technical education, and Mel certainly had the hands-on experience and design background to contribute meaningfully.
For now, the question of who actually built the car remains unanswered. But one thing is certain: Mel Jones drove in the 1925 Indianapolis 500, making him the only known iceboater to have ever done so.
I am indebted to the research of Kristopher Strebe. Tip of the Helmet to Susie Pegel and Ellen Bentsen for their input.
Skelly seated in the car. Mel Jones standing far right. Photo via Kristopher Strebe.
The Skeeter Ice Boat Club (SIBC) of Lake Geneva, WI, has shared a new resource for the ice sailing community: a YouTube playlist breaking down the National Iceboat Authority’s Racing Rules of Iceboating into easy-to-digest sections.
Edited by SIBC member Dave Navin, these videos provide a guide to understanding and applying the racing rules, helping sailors of all experience levels navigate the course safely and confidently. Whether you’re looking to refresh your knowledge or learn the rules for the first time, this playlist is a valuable tool for anyone passionate about iceboating.
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.
Gloria and Buddy Melges at the 2007 Northwest Regatta at Menominee, MI. Buddy won the Class A Skeeter title that regatta. Photo: Chris John
Buddy Melges 1930 – 2023 He Was One Of Us
The ice sailing community grieves with the Melges family and with our friends from the Skeeter Iceboat Club on their loss.
Iceboating is a sport that is often difficult to comprehend for the uninitiated. It’s hard for people to understand the effort, perseverance, and rewards that come with the exhilaration of sailing on a frozen lake with your closest friends and then spending the evening rehashing every tack and jibe.
Buddy was one of us. He spoke our language and probably invented many of our sayings. Our sport has gained much positive attention thanks to Buddy’s remarkable accomplishments, including those in the Olympics and America’s Cup.
My brother. Ron Rosten and I grew up around the ice sailing legends like Buddy, Mattison, and Ripp. Buddy was just another ice sailor out on the ice, albeit a damned good one. (I hate to admit this, but it wasn’t until I was a teenager that I realized that Buddy was an Olympic sailor and why they called him “The Wizard of Zenda.” – DW)
In May 2022, he spoke at Bill Mattison’s funeral, where he fondly remembered his friend’s genius and their successful America’s Cup campaigns. It was probably the last time many of us saw him.
Buddy was a second-generation iceboater who won so many iceboating titles in almost every class that I’ll need time to tally it all up.
What a life.
Statement from Melges Performance Sailboats Facebook Page
It is with heavy hearts that we announce the peaceful passing of Buddy Melges. Today, we honor the remarkable life and enduring legacy of a man whose contributions have left an indelible mark on our hearts and the world of sailing.
As we mourn the loss of a visionary and celebrate a life well-lived, we invite you to share your cherished memories with us as we collectively pay tribute to Buddy’s life. Your heartfelt stories and messages of remembrance are a testament to the profound impact he had on our community.
Buddy and Bill Mattison
Gloria and Buddy when he won the 1955 ISA.
2007 ISA
1970 ISA, Buddy white sweater, PK right, Dave Rosten, and Bob Pegel.
Boecraft Website
Meet Jared Kaesmeyer, a former Lake Geneva, WI resident and a recent graduate with a Master’s in Architecture. Jared’s thesis project was on iceboating, again proving that iceboating is a highly creative endeavor. Please let me know if you want to see Jared’s remarkable and unique 165-page thesis.
My name is Jared Kaesmeyer. I used to live in Lake Geneva, WI, and grew up hearing about and seeing ice boating. It always intrigued me. Since that time, I’ve gone to college at North Dakota State University and graduated with my Master’s in Architecture. As part of that degree, I had to create a thesis project. My thesis was on ice boating.
I spent 9 months developing a proposal for an iceboat cultural center in Lake Geneva’s downtown. I did research, and worked with Steve Schalk to get a better idea for the history and background. In the end, I designed a destination establishment that featured year-round display of ice boats in a prominent location downtown, with a workshop and event space for hosting year round training and events. The thesis went on to win an award, and in all was just such a fun process!
I have sent this to Steve, and thought I would share it with iceboat.org. Maybe you will find it interesting, or know someone else who may!
