The Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club will not be holding racing this weekend of February 13-14, 2021. The sign above explains all – too much snow on area lakes. Next 4LIYC racing update is February 19, 2021.
Meanwhile, over in Holland, the birthplace of our sport, they have ice for the first time in 10 years! Every iceboat in the entire country must have been sailing in Holland today.
When was the last time you clocked in at 100 mph in your sailboat when the breeze was a steady 15 knots? Not recently? Let’s chat with Harken Director of Engineering Steve Orlebeke. He brought his freaky fast Class A Skeeter and brand new DN into the factory to give you an inside look.
Here’s the link to the full video of Steve racing his Skeeter.
Okoboji or Spirit Lake in Iowa would be a great place to iceboat some day.
Some years the stars align for just one day. Some years for a week or even two. Some years the right conditions never come together at all.
But even just one great outing in an ice boat is enough to keep its captain coming back winter after winter. Continue reading.
Source: White Wings & Black Ice: Vixen, a lateen-rigger ice yacht, was built in 1885 in Chelsea ( Low Point) by the Merritt Brothers. It raced several times for the Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant of America. It was owned and sailed by FDR’s uncle John A. Roosevelt for many years.
Ice has returned to New York’s Hudson River Valley, the origin point of American ice sailing, and the historic stern steerers are coming out of the barns. Keep an eye on Brian Reid’s indispensable White Wings and Black Ice website for the next few weeks for the stories and photos.
Looking Back: Ice boating on Lake St. Clair
St. Clair Shores Sentinel | Published February 7, 2021ST. CLAIR SHORES — In this undated image, three two-person ice boats of the Racing 60s class are getting ready for competition on Lake St. Clair. Ice boating was popular on Lake St. Clair, particularly in the 1920s and 1930s (likely when this photo was taken) and into the middle part of the 20th century. Continue reading.
How about a little ice sailing optimism with your coffee this – 14F Sunday morning? Ron Rosten sent this MODIS satellite image showing that the east end of Green Lake in Wisconsin was open on Saturday, February 6, 2021. MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) is a useful tool for iceboaters. Access it here.
National Iceboat Authority Web Page
Location: In person at the Elks Lodge 711 Jenifer St, Madison, WI 53703
Time: 6:30 PM
YOU ARE SKIPPER NUMBER
TO ROUND THE MARK SINCE NOVEMBER 1999.
