A Warren-Detroit automobile and Carl Bernard’s YELLOW KID stern-steerer. YELLOW KID was one of the 10 stern-steerers on the racing program for that day.
The Four Lakes area received another 5″ of snow yesterday making October 2019 the snowiest on record at 8.1 inches. I researched the previous years with snowy Octobers with the hope of finding a correlation between October snow and early ice sailing. There wasn’t enough data, but during the search, I stumbled across this 1916 newspaper article about a race between a “6 cylinder Warren Detroit auto” owned by Walter Haspell and 10 Madison stern-steerers on Lake Monona. The article notes that Mr. Haspell, an avid ice sailor himself, had previously “pitted his automobile…against the ice yachts but the found the course too slippery”. No word whether the race was run or who won. Click on the newspaper clipping to enlarge it.
Of course you can’t have a post about automobiles vs. iceboats without this classic film from Lake St. Clair, posted below.
Condolences to the family and friends of Gull Lake Ice Yacht Club, Michigan sailor Randy Johnson who recently passed on. His passion for ice sailing made for an extraordinary and beautiful funeral where his DN set up was set up in remembrance.
The reason to ask is because the Four Lakes area and beyond woke up to an early winter this morning with more snow to come this week. The 4LIYC Skeeter fleet is on the trailer ready for ice. Ken Whitehorse applied the graphics to his newly painted WARRIOR just in time!
Nites on the line at the 2019 ISA on Lake Pepin in Lake City, MN
The 4LIYC Nites are have set up a dinner meeting to organize for the upcoming season. Date: Wednesday, October 30, 2019 Time: 6:45 PM Location: Buck and Honey’s Monona
800 W Broadway Suite 300, Monona, WI 53713 Map
Via John Hayashi:
What Nite sailor will win it all this season?
Guess what, it’s time for the 4LIYC Nite fleet to get organized for the upcoming season. Last year, we met Dave and Busters. This year we are branching out and sampling what Monona has to offer. There is a lot to get straightened out because we have an O-fficial club meeting coming the following week. Rumor or plain lie [unconfirmed – Ed.] has it that Tim McCormick is purchasing Don’s backup Nite. (Does one really have a backup Nite? Hmmmm.) We can discuss round marks vs triangle marks, which bar is better – Springer’s or Good Old Days, you get the picture.
Remember he or she who doesn’t show gets elected . Congrats Fleet Captain. Ha ha!
Bill Mattison and Olaf Harken. Olaf visited the Mattison Circus back in 2011. Photo: Don Sanford
UPDATED ON 22 OCTOBER: Olaf’s Funeral Service Date: Saturday, October 26, 2019 Time: Visitation 11 AM
Service 2 PM Location: Galilee Lutheran Church
N24W26430 Crestview Dr,
Pewaukee, WI Map Reception to follow at Harken
Olaf Harken passed away this morning, October 21, 2019. Olaf “did the hard work” according to brother Peter and that hard work had a monumental influence on ice sailing, not to mention soft water sailing. Olaf raced a Nite class iceboat. In his autobiography, Olaf described ice boating as “Our favorite, if not our most frustrating sport, …iceboating: a combination of race-car driving and sailing.” The ice sailing community sends our condolences to the Harken family and Harken employees. Fair winds, Olaf.
Today we remember Olaf Harken. Olaf passed away peacefully in his sleep this morning with loved ones nearby.
This morning in Pewaukee, Peter Harken told an assembly of Harken members: “My brother did all the hard work so I could have all the fun. During the days when the company was just getting going, Olaf was in charge of the money. He kept us in business. If I had been in charge of that we would have been in big trouble. His legacy is in this culture. So, let’s just keep doing what we do. Just keep getting better. You are a great family. Thanks a lot. He’ll be watching you, so no sloughing off!”
The brothers took a lot of chances over the years – and their employees are still encouraged to do the same. When Olaf Harken was inducted into the National Sailing Hall of Fame in 2014 along with Peter, he explained the brothers’ business philosophy: “When trying new stuff our rule is to ask, ‘if it all goes bad, can we survive?’ Then we go to the bar and forget what we just said and do it anyway!”
The Harken story has been full of twists, turns, successes, and reinventions, but through it all, the goal of challenging the status quo and commitment to being at the front remains.
We encourage you to share your memories of Olaf with us. Feel free to leave a comment here or send us a message.
2011 Nite Class group photo. Olaf Harken is third from the left, back row. Photo: Don Sanford.
Jay Yaeso’s shop, the Area 51 of iceboat building, reveals his latest stealth project:
Something new out of the Suamico Skunk Works…
I have been so envious of Andy Gratton and Mike Kroll and their miles and miles of winter sailing. We decided to join them!
FROSTY… the Iceboat, is a “C” class rear steerer powered with a massive Skeeter wing spare. The remainder of the platform has been donated by the world famous ice yachter, Bob Kau!
e Four Lakes area received another 5″ of snow yesterday making October 2019 the snowiest on record at 8.1 inches. I researched the previous years with snowy Octobers with the hope of finding a correlation between October snow and early ice sailing. There wasn’t enough data, but during the search, I stumbled across this 1916 newspaper article about a race between a “6 cylinder Warren Detroit auto” owned by Walter Haspell and 10 Madison stern-steerers on Lake Monona. The article notes that Mr. Haspell, an avid ice sailor himself, had previously “pitted his automobile…against the ice yachts but the found the course too slippery”. No word whether the race was run or who won. Click on the newspaper clipping to enlarge it.
