Thank you to everyone who attended this special 4LIYC picnic on a postcard-perfect fall day and to our fantastic host, Tom Kretschman. We had a clear view of the runway, where we watched planes landing and taking off. Historic airplanes, equipment, and vehicles provided the backdrop for one of the most memorable picnics in club history. Commodore Don Anderson officially inducted Greg Whitehorse into the 4LIYC Honor Roll. Several people shared stories about the tremendous impact Greg has had on our club. We were honored to have Bill and Mauretta Mattison and Dave and Nancy Nelson in attendance. Our host, Tom, gave a tour of the various outbuildings that housed a collection of historic vehicles. Several club members took to the air for a ride in a WW2 French training airplane. What way to kick off the upcoming iceboating season! Next up, the Swap Meet on Sunday, October 31, 2021.
The 4LIYC picnic was a fly-in event that Renegader Jeff Russell took to heart.
SHAZAM crew: Erik Sawyer, Andy Gratton, George Gerhardt,4LIYC Commodore Don Anderson, Jay Yaeso, Mike Waldo, Rich Sawyer, and Tony Abts,
Previous: Tales To Tell, the 2020 Hook Race 2021 Hook Race Results
Jay Yaeso assembled another crew of ice sailors for the July 24th, 2021 Hook Race, a challenging 189 nautical mile race on Lake Michigan from Racine, Wisconsin, to Menominee, Michigan. (Thankfully, their rig stayed up this year.) Between them, I count about ten stern-steerers, 5 Renegades, an A-Class Skeeter, and some vintage Skeeters. Other ice sailors who competed include Fred Stritt in HASTEN and Rick Hennig in THUNDERSTRUCK. Rick broke his time record from last year, completing the race in 20:20:46.
JD and his Class A Skeeter on Lake Michigan at Menominee, Michigan in March 2021.
John Dennis’ Class A Skeeter colorful livery has signaled the Fourth of July holiday here for several years. Now, the DN class has its version in the form of Pete John’s latest boat. I’m hoping that next season there will be an opportunity to photograph these boats together. Enjoy the weekend and continue to Think Ice! You have 150 days until December 1 to sharpen those runners.
The Nite fleet from the air on Lake Puckaway, Saturday, December 26, 2020. Photo by Jim Stevenson. Instagram js170b.
We’ve reached Peak Sun today. For those who Think Ice, it’s all uphill from today, the Summer Solstice. The sun will shine 8 seconds less here in Madison tomorrow, on June 22, and continue the march towards the shorter ice-making days. There are only five months before the first weekend in December, the traditional beginning of the Minnesota ice sailing season.
From the news of the odd department, NASA researchers have recently declared rocks as ice sailing entities. Tip of the Helmet George Gerhardt.
What moves the sailing stones of Death Valley?
…the rock movements occurred during a rare combination of conditions in winter. There had to be a shallow layer of water in the dry lake bed and nighttime temperatures cold enough for the formation of a thin layer of ice. On sunny days, melting caused the ice to break into large floating panels that, driven by light winds, pushed against the rocks to move them, leaving tracks on the desert floor. Read more.
