Richard “Dick” Lichtfeld of Monona, WI, passed away this week. He was a generous Renaissance man who filled his garages and storage sheds with unusual finds, vintage cars, and iceboats. He was the caretaker of a distinguished historic stern-steerer iceboat, MISS MADISON, the last “Madison-style” iceboat ever built by Carl Bernard in 1927. He kept her in period condition and raced in regattas a few times but was happiest sailing her in front of the Madison skyline on Lake Monona. Sometimes he pulled his kids and grandkids out of school to join him for a day of ice sailing because he knew that sailable ice was fleeting and the importance of living life to the fullest. In 2016, Dick enthusiastically opened his property for a 4LIYC iceboat show. I’ve posted photos of that weekend below. When the ice calls to you in the middle of the week, take the day off in honor of Dick Lichtfeld.
Here’s a video I put together from footage that Dick had given me a few years back.
October 23, 2016
A Perfect Day: 4LIYC Picnic & Iceboat Show
The fall weather could not have been more perfect for Saturday’s iceboat show and 4LIYC picnic. With 11 12! iceboats on display from multiple classes, it well may have been the biggest off-the-ice gathering of iceboats in history. There were so many highlights of the day. First of all, the thanks yous. Thanks to Peter Fauerbach and Dick Lichtfeld for organizing this amazing event in just a few short weeks. Incredible! Thanks to the volunteers who took the time from their busy schedules to bring and set up boats. To Commodore Ken Norton, Vice Commodore Greg Whitehorse, and Renegader George Gerhardt for manning the grill. We went through 70 brats in an hour and a half and had to send out for more! Thanks to Peter Lundt for bringing the ham, a tradition that the late Jim Payton started over 30 years ago. Thanks to Dick Lichtfeld for cooking up a batch of award winning chili. Thanks to MaryAnn Lichtfeld for ordering the beautiful cake decorated with MISS MADISON. Thanks to Corey Anderson for bringing his tricked out Airstream camper with the big screen so that we could watch the UW Badgers win over Iowa. Other Wisconsin iceboat clubs were well represented. Oshkosh iceboaters were represented by Mike Kroll, Bobby Eckstein, and Marv Luck. (Thanks, Marv, for the copies of the scrapbook.) Other ice yacht club members there were Skeeter Ice Boat Club’s Susie Pegel (who reminds us that the SIBC Swap Meet is next Sunday), Green Lake’s Joe Norton and Maureen Bohleber, Oshkosh IYC Mike and Janet Peters (thanks for the yellow duckie), Carol Miller and Jim Gluek from Pewaukee IYC, and John Davis from Iowa. The beautiful weather brought out many past champions including Bill and Mauretta Mattison. Facebook is filled with great photos from the day. It’s a privilege to be a member of this community of iceboaters.
UPDATE: A camera was found at the picnic. Please email to me and I’ll help get it back to you.
BOATS EXHIBITED:
ACE OF SPADES Stern Steerer, Mike Peters
BLACK PANTHER Vintage Skeeter, Don Anderson
COLD DRAFT Renegade, Peter Fauerbach
COLD PLAY Renegade, Ken Norton
CRAWFISH Vintage Skeeter, Dick Lichtfeld
DN Class, Peter Fauerbach
MARY B Stern Steerer, Iceboat Foundation
MENACE Stern Steerer, Richard Ela
MISS MADISON Stern Steerer, Richard Lichtfeld
NITE Class, Ken Johnson
ICE OPTIMIST Class, Thor Rosten
WARRIOR Skeeter Class, Ken Whitehorse
