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 Awards Banquet:
Saturday, April 26, 2025 at Mariner’s Inn. Sign up here.
4LIYC Meeting : November 2025
4LIYC Shipstore: Order custom iceboat shirts, hats, and gear. More information.
BURGEE:
 Order your 4LIYC Burgee
Pay Your Dues Online

Manic Blue Skeeter Monday

Ken adjusting the height of the winch in his latest Skeeter acquisition.

An important cog.

I simply walked over next door to the Krueger/Whitehorse Skeeter Iceboat Shop to ask if they’d be ready to sail next weekend if Kegonsa came in and was immediately tasked with helping Ken make some adjustments on the blue Class A Skeeter. Ken caught me up on the latest news from one of the busiest Skeeter shops in town. (Yes, there’s another which we hope will start sharing photos of their build. Hint. Hint.) The big news of the weekend was the delivery of massive Skeeter Class A size runner sharpener made by Bob Rast.

FAKE NEWS CORRECTION
Previously, it had been reported on this website that Steve Orlebeke designed the Skeeter cascade block system. Sources tell me that it was actually Jay Yaeso who figured out and installed this sheeting system 2 years ago.

Oh, and to answer my original question if the Skeeters will be ready for next weekend, the answer is yes, PK’s boat is on the trailer ready to go and Ken will have the blue Skeeter ready as well.

Waiting for the Great Z

Believe!

The Great Zamboni could favor the Four Lakes area with a long overdue visit this weekend. Kegonsa appears to have the most promise for some St. Patrick’s weekend ice sailing. There’s 24″ of ice, the shorelines are tight, and the surface is rough snow ice which could smooth out nicely with the right Zamboni mix of rain, wind, followed by cold. We will know more on Sunday. NOAA Madison forecast.

Monotype XV European Championship Conclusion

Results

The European stern-steerer class, the Monotype XVs, concluded their European championship in Estonia on Thursday. The championship went to Russian sailors Oleg Vasilev and Ruslan Rudenko. Oleg has had a successful 2019 racing season, having placed 13th in the A fleet at the DN European championship in Poland this year.

 

Monotype XV European Championship

All boats and equipment are measured before the regatta.                       Photo: Jaak Nirgi

While North America’s Stern Steerers wait for regatta conditions, focus your attention to across the pond where the Monotype XV European Championship racing begins tomorrow on Lake Vortsjarv in Estonia. The boats arrived today for registration, equipment inspection, practice racing (no wind though) and the opening ceremony. Stern steerer sailors Mike Peters and Erich Schloemer made the trip over for a Monotype XV regatta several years ago and competed in a borrowed boat. Monotype XVs are the most popular one-design Stern Steerer class in Europe.
From the Monotype XV website: 

The Monotype-XV ice yacht was designed in 1932 by the legendary Erik von Holst of Estonia. It became popular in a very short time, and more than 200 yachts were built in but a few years. The yacht is a strict monotype construction; in broad outline, it looks the same as in the nineteen thirties. The structural elements are nowadays joined by modern methods and the use of epoxy adhesive. The bronze runners have been replaced by runners in stainless steel. The sail is of course made of Dacron or an equivalent material. The Monotype-XV is the largest monotype class in Europe today, and the only yacht for two for which European as well as international championships are arranged.

Data: Sail area 15 m2, length=7.5 m, width 4.2 m and mast height 7.2 m. Minimum weight 205 Kg. Crew 1-2 persons.  Read more.

Regatta Watch: WSSA Postponed

The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to March 16 and 17, 2019. The next update will be Sunday, March 10. Check back here at that time. Still too much snow on the lakes though I heard Lake St. Claire might be good.

Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasurer

Saturday Skeeter Session

Ken Whitehorse and Jim Gluek crunching the numbers of Class A Skeeter sails down at the Krueger/Whitehorse Skeeter Speed Shop.

4LIYC Skeeter sailors Ken Whitehorse, Paul Krueger, and Jim Gluek gathered at the Krueger/Whitehorse Skeeter Shop on Saturday. They brought and measured 8 sails and learned that all were less than 74 square feet. They also spent the day configuring a new Harken cascade pulley system designed by Steve Orlebeke for Ken’s new blue-soon-to-be-red Skeeter. Steve’s design is attracting a lot of interest including some from Daniel Hearn who stopped by to see it being installed. Ken reports that Tom Hyslop will also be changing his pulley system over Steve’s design which uses a combination of Harken block 3238, 3216, and 3215.  Iceboat work never stops!

Jim Gluek took some of the photos and sent along this note:

Great day with two legends in our sport. PK and Kenny. Stories of the Skeeter side-car so Kenny could take a crew; two sets of chocks on the plank so you could move the runner in board. One of the most awesome thing about ice boating are the people and the stories over the years.

Steve Orlebeke: At The Front!

Steve Orlebeke sailing a Class A Skeeter at the Northwest regatta on Lake Pepin, MN, January 20, 2019.

4LIYC Skeeter & DN sailor and head of Harken Engineering Steve Orlebeke explains why he’d rather be on ice in the Harken publication, At The Front.

Like a lot of us here in Pewaukee, I’m a lifelong sailor. Maybe less like most of us, my favorite sailing is done where you really hope you never get wet. For the last several years I’ve been working as hard as I can in the Skeeter and DN iceboat classes. I descend from a grand Harken tradition. Get them in the right moment, Peter and Olaf might let slip that they like iceboating best too. Read more.

Waiting with NORA

“When I grow up”

A splendid picture from Uppsala in Sweden with the famed historic ice yacht NORA and an Ice Optimist as they wait together for the wind to come up.

Regatta Watch: WSSA Postponed

The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to March 9 and 10, 2019. The next update will be Sunday, March 3. Check back here at that time. Still too much snow on the lake although the ice on the roads might work for us.
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasurer

On the DN Road: Gold Cup & NA Update

Nevada’s Renee Fields at the helm of 4LIYC’s Jori Lenon’s DN at the DN World Championship, Indian Lake, OH

DN North America

A quick update before heading out for the first day of the DN North Americans on Lake Wawasee in Indiana. Yes, we’ve moved 3 hours west from Ohio to better ice. You’ve all probably heard by now that 2019 DN World Champion, Michal Burczinski of Poland, won the regatta in a boat borrowed from 4LIYC member and Spaight St. Syndicate director Daniel Hearn, and not just any boat, Daniel’s best equipment. An incredible testament to true sportsmanship by Daniel when he learned that the Polish boats were delayed in transit and wouldn’t make the regatta in time.
But that’s not the only 4LIYC boat on the line. Jori Lenon loaned her boat to land sailor Renee Fields of Nevada who had never sailed an iceboat prior to this regatta. Renee was the third highest placing female in the Gold Cup. I think we may have another convert. So thank you Jori and Daniel for helping to promote this sport by loaning your boats to competitors. Follow the action at idniyra.org! Off to the lake….

 

Online Ship’s Store

Regatta Dates 2025

Subscribe

Enter your email address to subscribe to iceboat.org and receive notifications of new posts by email.

Join 287 other subscribers

National Iceboat Authority Web Page



Click for 4LIYC Meeting Dates

2024-2025

  • 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

YOU ARE SKIPPER NUMBER

Web Analytics

TO ROUND THE MARK SINCE NOVEMBER 1999.



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.

Search