Welcome to iceboat.org

The Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club is one of the most active iceboat clubs in North America. We’ve been building and racing iceboats for over 100 years in Madison, Wisconsin, USA.

Ice Is Never 100% Safe.

Our ice reports are strictly for iceboat racers. Recreational iceboaters, kite boarders, cross country skiers, and ice fishermen should not rely on our ice reports. We have safety equipment. Do you?

Buy or Sell Your Iceboat

One of the best pages in North America to buy or sell iceboats and their parts. There’s also a complete list of vendors who will supply iceboats, sails, and their components.

Common Questions:

How can I get started? How fast can they go? How much do they cost? Is it safe?

Regatta Watch

Information about the ISA, NIYA, WSSA, Nite, and DN regattas.

Iceboat Classes

Learn about Skeeters, DNs, Stern Steerers, Renegades, Nites, and Ice Optimists.

The Rules.

The purpose of iceboat racing rules is to prevent collisions.

Ice Yacht Clubs

The best way to learn about iceboating and make life long friendships is to join a local club.

Why We Sail.

“If all our ice were glass, slightly wet, and all our air reasonably steady with lifters just where needed, sailing would be perfect. Sometimes we do find this, and it is worth waiting years to have. Meanwhile we must accept the more ordinary ice conditions, ordinary weather and wind, and gracefully accept snow, sometimes for weeks. Our ideal comes from time to time, the Great Maker gives only so much of the very best.” Charles H. Johnson.

Iceboating for Kids

Ice Optimists were created specifically as a youth trainer, designed to be easily built using commonly available materials, and to keep costs to a minimum.

UPCOMING:
4LIYC Meeting :November 20, 2024 @ Elks Lodge More Information
4LIYC Shipstore: Order custom iceboat shirts, hats, and gear. More information.
BURGEE:
 Order your 4LIYC Burgee
Pay Your Dues Online

Senior Shuffle Postponed

Chilling and grilling.

The first annual Senior Shuffle has been postponed. Light winds and 3″ of powdery snow caused the postponement of the 2024 Western Region Championship on Twin Lake at Phelps, WI.  We still plan to hold the Shuffle on the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday after the Western Region Championship, whenever that may take place.

 

2024 DN Senior Shuffle Called ON for Phelps, WI

DN fleet at the 2010 Northwest on Lake Winnebago. Photo: Gretchen Dorian

SENIOR SHUFFLE CHAMPIONSHIP
REGISTER: Click here to register for the regatta.

DATES: January 8 – 10, 2024
LOCATION: North Twin Lake, Phelps Wisconsin
Launch:
North Twin Lakes Landing Road, Phelps, WI. Roll trailers on please.

LODGING:
Best Western Derby Inn
US-45, Eagle River, WI 54521
+17154791600

Days Inn by Wyndham
844 N Railroad St North, Eagle River, WI 54521
+17154777025

Coady’s Point of View Resort
3932 Point of View Trail, Phelps, WI 54554
+17152044111
https://povresort.com/

SCHEDULE:

  • Saturday: 5 PM CT online registration closes.
  • Monday: 9:00 AM CT Skippers Meeting. 10:00 CT First start. Senior Fleet will start first (if multiple fleets).
  • Tuesday: 10:00 CT First start.
  • Wednesday: 10:00 CT First start. Races can start as late as 1 PM or at the discretion of the Race Committee.

NOTICE OF RACE
SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Eight Bells: George S. Hendrie Jr.

George S. Hendrie, Skipper of the BULL. Photo from the Carl Bernard Collection. (This photo is likely George S. Hendrie Sr.)

The opening line of an obituary often sets the tone for a life well-lived, and when it begins with the mention of sailing on the famous stern-steerer FERDINAND THE BULL, you know you’re about to dive into the story of a true sailing legend. George S. Hendrie Jr., an avid iceboater hailing from the Detroit, Michigan, area, passed away on January 1, 2024, at the remarkable age of 96.
Fair winds and following seas, George.

 George S. Hendrie Jr., 96, died Monday, Jan. 1, 2024. He was a loving husband and father.

George was president of Color Custom Compounding prior to selling the company in 1984. He also was an avid sailor and iceboater. At age 16, he was the trimmer for his father aboard Ferdinand the Bull, when they won the Stuart Cup in 1943. The Stuart Cup was considered the world championship of iceboating in the unlimited class in that era. George and his father repeated as Stuart Cup victors aboard Ferdinand the Bull in 1944.

His involvement in sailing on Ferdinand the Bull ended in January 1945, when he joined the U.S. Navy to fight in World War II. Upon his return from the war, he continued racing iceboats. He was a past commodore of the Detroit News Ice Yacht Club and Detroit Ice Yacht Club in the late 1940s and early 1950s. On or around 1961, he won the national championship for the Arrow class of iceboats. Continue reading.

Letter to Carl Bernard from George S. Hendrie Sr.

Regatta Watch: 2024 DN Senior Shuffle Called ON

The 2024 Senior Shuffle

REGISTER FOR THE SHUFFLE

Dates: January 8 – 10,  2024, after the DN Western Region Championship
Location: Two locations under consideration for the DN Western Region Championship: Lake Osakis in Minnesota or Vilas County in Wisconsin. Final confirmation of location by 5 PM CT Thursday, January 4, 2024.
NOTICE OF RACE
SAILING INSTRUCTIONS

Get ready for North America’s take on the European DN Grand Masters Regatta.
It’s the first, maybe annual, no-running regatta for the “more seasoned” DN sailors. It will take place the three days following the Western Regional Championships, on the same ice.

DATES

  • January 8 – 10, 2024, the three days after the DN Western Region Championship, which is scheduled for January 6 – 7.

WHO’S INVITED?

  • Open to Seniors (50-59), Masters (60-69) and Grand Masters (70+) who will race under Shuffle Rules with one start.
  • Open to “aspiring” Seniors (49 or younger) who will also race under Shuffle Rules with a separate start.

WHAT ARE THE SHUFFLE RULES?

  • No running. Not at the start. Not during a race. No track stars allowed in a Shuffle race!
  • Starting positions will be determined, in advance, by random draw for every race. No one is advantaged or disadvantaged with a starting position based on their previous race performance. It’s all luck of the draw.
  • Racers must start with one foot on their plank, and are limited to five kicks.
  • Racers must stay in their boats unless they come to a complete stop during a race. In that event, a racer will have one additional 5-kick opportunity to complete a race. A second stop is an automatic DNF.
  • No more than 4 races which count on any one day. Scrub racing may continue after official races for any who are interested.
    Maybe we’ll award prizes…maybe we won’t. But what we do know, is that this is all about fun and camaraderie.
  • Oh, yeah. And that means no protests. We’re going to race like a Wisconsin intersection. “You go. No, you go. Ohhhh, please, I insist der my friend. Oh, cripes, tanks, der good buddy!”

OTHER DETAILS

  • $50 registration fee to cover prizes and extras
  • All registration will be online. If you’re tech-challenged, ask a youngster for help.
  • Because we’re so green, race documents will only be published online.

EVENT CONTACTS

Regatta Watch: 2024 WSSA Postponed


WSSA Home Page

The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to January 27 and 28 due to lack of ice and cold weather. The next update will be Sunday, January 21. Check back here at that time. The Northwest Ice Yacht Association regatta takes precedence.

Andy GrattonWSSA Secretary/Treasure

Regatta Watch: 2024 Renegade Championship Postponed to Jan 12 – 14

Mike Ripp & Jeff Russell at the 2023 Renegade Championship on Lake Kegonsa. Photo: Will Johnston

Renegade Home Page
Via International Renegade Ice Yacht Racing Association Regatta Chair Don Anderson:

The 2024 Renegade Championship Regatta originally scheduled for January 5 – 7 has been postponed until January 12 – 14. Check back on Sunday, January 7, 2024 for the next update.

Eight Bells: Scott Goetz


Read Scott’s Obituary
With heavy hearts, we announce the passing of Scott Goetz, an invaluable member of our Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club. Scott passed away on December 24, 2023. He left behind a selfless legacy of service to the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club and the ice sailing community.

Always ready to go the extra mile, Scott offered assistance wherever and whenever needed. Jim Nordhaus referred to Scott as a “boat brother” who was part of a group that met every Tuesday night at Jim’s shop to work on iceboats and enjoy the camaraderie. Whether helping with race committee, building or repairing iceboats, or simply being a friendly face at our gatherings, Scott was a true friend to all. Scott’s departure serves as a reminder of how one person can impact a community.

Details to come on celebration of life. See Cress Funeral Home for details on arrangements. Family and friends are invited to join us to celebrate Scott at the Cress Center, 6021 University Avenue, Madison, on Saturday, January 13 from 1-4 pm.

The Iceboaters Universal Challenge


Henry Bossett discovered a vintage cartoon panel that may only make sense to an iceboat builder. When I was a kid, my dad and his fellow 4LIYC members built Skeeters in our basement. Extracting the finished hull out of the basement was a carefully orchestrated affair requiring the removal of doors and windows to navigate the boat out to the waiting trailer. Iceboats are sometimes built or repaired in a dining or living room that has been transformed into a workshop for iceboats.

The cartoonist Quin Hall had a successful career, including a stint at the New Yorker Magazine, but I couldn’t find any connection to iceboating. Perhaps he had a neighbor who faced the same problem when living in New Jersey, near Red Banks.
Tip of the Helmet: Henry Bossett

Just like in the cartoon, these kids are having a blast in their home-built iceboats.

Whole Lotta Boinging Goin’ On


Here’s the latest Spaight Street Syndicate Update on the baker’s dozen Nite mast project:

Whole Lotta Boinging Goin’ On

Yesterday was boinging day at the Spaight Street Syndicate. With a baker’s dozen of Sitka Spruce Nite Racing Masts nearing completion, it was time to determine the boingosity of each. Freshly back from the American Magic camp in Barcelona, the smart person job was handled by Kyle Navin, while the old man (the reigning Nite National Champion) recorded the data. “Funny, but every time the weight needed to be hoisted onto the sling, the two old guys had “business” to conduct on their phones,” commented the junior Navin. Little did Kyle know, but this was actually a training session on the fundamentals of business management–the day’s focus being on delegation and empowerment.

 

Precise boing data was collected with a top secret amount of weight (it was 80 lbs.) suspended at the mast center, with readings taken at the bottom third, halfway and two thirds points. The builders were pleased to note that the boing was remarkably consistent from side to side, even prior to final tuning. Over the range of masts, centerpoint boingosity was recorded from 3.2″ to 5.8″. In the days ahead, comparisons will be made to other existing masts that have performed well on the ice in the past.

 

Key questions–
1.) How much boing is ideal?
2.) How much is too much boing before mast failure?
3.) Since we now have the option to lose the lead, are softer masts more practical? Inquiring minds want to know.

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Regatta Dates 2025

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Click for 4LIYC Meeting Dates

2024-2025

  • November 6
  • November 20 Elections
  • December 4
  • December 18
  • January 2 THURSDAY Honor Roll Nominations
  • January 15 Deadline for By-Law or Racing Rules Amendment Submission
  • January 29
  • February 12 Business Meeting 
  • February 26
  • March 12 Last Meeting of the Season

Location: In person at the Elks Lodge 711 Jenifer St, Madison, WI 53703

Time: 6:30 PM

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Lake Access Permits

A year-round permit required for designated launch sites in the City of Madison and Dane County Parks. Locations include:

    • Lake Mendota Warner Park Mendota County Park
    • Lake Monona Tonyawatha Tr. Olin Park
    • Lake Waubesa Goodland Park

Purchase Lake Access Permit Online.

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