NIYA

Northwest Ice Yachting Association An iceboat regatta first sailed in 1913 in Menominee, Michigan.

Stern Steerers

The NIYA was originally a stern-steerer regatta organized to determine ice yacht supremacy in the Midwest. A,B,C,& D stern-steerers continue to compete in the NIYA.

Skeeters

Class E Skeeters first raced the NIYA in 1936 when Lake Geneva sailor Harry Melges won in MICKEY FINN.

DN Class

Skip Boston of Detroit was the first winner of the NIYA in the DN class in 1954.

Renegade

First sailed as a seperate class in 1958 and won by “Mr. Iceboat”, Elmer Millenbach.

NIYA Centennial

The NIYA celebrated 100 years of iceboat racing in 2013 on Green Lake in Wisconsin.

2020 Northwest Ice Yacht Racing Association Information

March 13-15,2020
Lake Waconia, Minnesota

Where They Are Spring Sailing

Photo from DN Finland Facebook page

The Fat Lady is warming up and has sung in the Four Lakes area. There’s been iceboat racing in Finland and on Lake Baikal in Siberia the past week. Thunder Bay, always the spot for spring ice, is still hanging in there. Mike Madge reports the bay has “lots of ice but still needs a little Zamboni work for my liking. I am getting a little pickier on the ice conditions, as we have had such a great season.”
UPDATE: Chickawaukee Ice Boat Club’s Bill Bucholz says they “aren’t giving up yet!” Keep informed on their site for any spring ice sailing.

Spring sailing continues in the desert as several 4LIYC members (Jim Nordhaus, Wayne Schmedlin and his 2 grandsons, Geoff Sobering, Brad Wagner, and Lars Barber) made the trek to the cathedral of land sailing, Ivanpah, for the Blokart North Americans. We had one day of racing on Sunday, but 75 mph wind gusts and a dangerous dust storm kept us off the race course on Monday. I’ll be heading out to the play soon, dressed in warm iceboating gear because it’s in the 30s here this morning. Follow along on the NABSA Facebook page. Results here.

Brad Wagner gets a push during the Enduro Relay Race on Saturday, April 1.

Dirt Report: Now That The Dust Has Settled

An excessively enthusiastic Daniel Hearn contemplates DRIFTER in the desert. Photos via Facebook: Ralph Raymond

Now That the Dust Has Settled

(Report from Daniel Hearn on the America’s Cup of Landsailing)

He called at exactly the right time. It appeared the Fat Lady was about to sing. (Oops, lack of wokeness. Much work to be done on my sensitivity. What I meant to say was, “that the perfectly round person, who is currently identifying as a female singer, was about to share a vocal performance”). The ice sailing season was all but over. I’d had a good run but was intrigued with the idea that the solid surface action could be extended. Or maybe I’m just an addict. There are worse things.

 

“Just fly into Vegas, “the laid back, but highly convincing man said. “I’ll have the boat on the playa ready to go. A couple hours later, I’d purchased a ticket, rented a campervan, and confirmed that my buddy was still bringing Drifter v.1. Check—Mini Skeeter designer, John Eisenlohr is bringing me his fully sorted boat that no one else can beat. (I can fix that). Check—C-Skeeter Bubble Boat designer, Pat Heppert is driving west and bringing all the food. Check—All I have to do is show up with a helmet. I’ll never be closer to rock stardom.

 

It’s different in the dirt. You’re not a Skipper or Helm, you’re a Pilot. Most pilots use a pusher off the line, but the pusher can’t cross the line. A boat not using a pusher can push for as long as they desire. Races last a specified period; usually 15 minutes. Scoring is a combination of laps completed and finishing position. Start line is closed after the flag drops. Boats must pass through a “scoring line” adjacent to the start line on each lap, for that lap to be scored. The boat on the right always has right of way. Protests are rare. And get this—they sometimes round to starboard. Now that’s a mind bender!

 

Many ice sailing skills seem to transfer. But I was also reminded that old habits are, indeed, hard to break. 18 Mini Skeeters and I was feeling pretty good about myself finishing in the second position in my very first race. Back in the pits, however, race winner, Dave Gluek, another long-time ice sailor, realized that the top three finishers had all rounded the bottom mark on each lap in the wrong direction. We’d spent the entire training day rounding all marks to port. But on race day when it counted, everything was backwards for the ice sailors. We successfully rounded the top mark to starboard and opened a big lead on the rest of the fleet. Approaching the bottom mark, we were so focused on each other, we forgot it was a starboard hike we should be managing. Top three to DSQ. Ugh! Since misery loves company, many others made us feel less stupid, repeating the same error. Our PRO remarked that he’d never seen so many DSQs across all the fleets in a single race. An anonymous, highly experienced dirt pilot, having committed the same rounding error, further magnified by failing to cross the scoring line on the first lap succinctly summed up his performance with, “fast boat, slow mind.”

 

“Push like your pants are on fire,” read the starting tip in the Mini Manual. Taking that to heart in another race I gave it my best Usain Bolt. >From either the tremendous thrust I generated, or the fact that my steering dampener had loosened a bit (not sure which), my steering flopped to leeward just as I was jumping into the cockpit. I found myself on a fast-closing collision course with the pilot below, unable to grab the steering bar in time. So, after laying some rubber on him, apologizing profusely, and confirming no damage, I pushed off sheepishly hoping to chase down some of the fleet. DFL at the first mark…lots of work to do. Fortunately for me, the breeze was up and down, and shifty. I was able to keep MS1 in the pressure, recovering to a sixth place finish. Not bad considering my embarrassing start.

 

Same as ice sailing, the dirt people were really cool. Super friendly, glad to see a new face, happy to help and great competitors. Serious racing, for sure, but nobody seems to forget we’re just doing this for fun. The camaraderie on the playa is built in. Most everybody stays right there on the dirt in various camping rigs with hard sides. We saw gusts to 49 mph, so you can imagine the soft sides of a tent might not be the best choice.

Dave Gluek was clearly the fastest in the Mini Fleet. He would have run away with the title if it were not for his gracious personality. Up to the last race he was all bullets, except for his Race 1 DSQ for rounding the wrong way. In the last race he racked another bullet, but then inadvertently sailed over the start line when he turned to waive a thank you acknowledgement to the Committee. Unfortunately, this gave him a second DSQ and prevented him from getting his name on the trophy this year. But the rest of us knew he was the pilot to beat, and his classy display of sportsmanship will be remembered for many years to come. Also had the pleasure of meeting his wife, Vicki. Nice lady. Will look forward to seeing Dave, Vicki and all my newfound dirt friends on the playa in the future.

 

Big thanks to John Eisenlohr for inviting me to come and providing a boat. (The performance of the Mini Skeeter on the dirt greatly exceeded my expectations)! And to Team Eisenlohr for all the help, guidance and tips to a dirt virgin. And to my good friend, Pat Heppert, for doing all the hard work and putting up with my excessive enthusiasm.

 

Team MMS (Midwest Mini Skeeters) has officially launched. It appears we may be building at least five boats, possibly to live on a shared trailer. If there are any other Midwest ice sailors who may be interested in extending their hard surface seasons, please reach out to me. dhearnUS5352@gmail.com

SOLD! February 27, 2023: DN in IA

SOLD! DN. Very fast boat used little since I bought it from a racer. Comes complete & ready to sail. Carbon Fiber mast, wooden boom, Harken blocks, etc. (no trailer). Excellent boat for light air. Plank flexibility fine for this 180 lb amateur. Most components come with covers/cases. I can make photos of anything specific upon request. Hull weight: 61.8 lb, Entire/total weight: 163.4 lb. Never outside except during sailing season, if then.
$2490 OBO.
Northeast Iowa

Regatta Watch: 2023 WSSA Canceled

Their first look at Eric Sawyer’s Class A stern-steerer MICHIGANDER

Unfortunately the Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta for 2023 has been canceled due to lack of cooperation by Mother Nature. Perhaps next year will be worth the wait.

Andy Gratton

WSSA Secretary/Treasurer

When the What Ifs Come True

When What Ifs Come True

After squeezing all we could from Lake Kegonsa two weekends ago, Four Lakes members tucked away their boats and winter gear because surely the season was over. Kegonsa’s shoreline disappeared, and Monona was never an option because of the many holes, or as Greg McCormick stated, holes so big they deserved their own lake name. We knew Mendota was solid but figured there might be holes and a weakened spring shoreline.

On Wednesday, March 15, Don Sanford helpfully checked ice from 10,000 feet as he flew back from Newport, RI. Kegonsa was a mess, but Mendota looked good from that altitude.

What if:
Mendota survived the warm temperatures?
Thursday’s rain polished the surface?
Friday night’s 10f hardened things up?
The shore was tight on the east end?

DN and Renegaders Chad Atkins (RI) and Chris Gordon (MA) flew into Madison this weekend to pick up their DN trailer and head east. On the way to pick up Chad Thursday morning, I took a five-minute detour to look at Mendota’s Warner landing and was surprised to see the miracle of a tight shoreline. A few minutes later, fresh off the plane, Chad saw the flat expanse of Lake Mendota’s ice. We alerted Renegader Don Anderson, who is game for any iceboating adventure. We agreed to keep an eye on things, hoping for the What Ifs to fall in place.

Thursday night’s rain gave us little confidence for Mendota. Chad and I stopped at the lake on Friday morning before picking up Chris, again surprised to see the tight shoreline. Later that morning, Donny arrived to see for himself. After walking out in the raging wind to scout Warner Bay, Donny, and Chad pronounced it sailable but urged caution because of drain holes and cracks—spring ice changes by the hour. Boats might leave a perfectly fine shoreline only to return to 20 feet of open water. They would have to carry their Renegades to the ice because rolling on trailers would weaken the shoreline.

The hook was set; they couldn’t leave if there were a chance to sail their Renegades on Warner Bay. Chad and Chris bought Renegades last season but need more seat time because they focused on the DN World & North American Championship this season.

The promised cold arrived Saturday morning to tighten the ice, but the winds were gusting to 40 mph, which meant another day of waiting. Chad, Chris, and Damien Luyet tried a few laps at 4 PM but quickly realized the wind was still too strong. A puff made toothpicks out of Damien’s Renegade mast. Thankfully, Donny has spares.

Their patience paid off. Chad and Chris were rigged at sunrise Sunday morning, set up marks, and sailed a short course for 5 hours. Donny and Damien joined them at a reasonable hour for some scrub racing before Chad and Chris had to load up and drive back to Jamestown, RI, and Nantucket, MA. Everything fell into place. Chad and Chris look forward to competing in the next Renegade Championship.

Even in cold temperatures, spring ice changes quickly. A large heave popped up towards the middle of Mendota, foiling Donny’s plan to scout ice for a sail to the University of Wisconsin Union. Donny, Damien, and Brett Hulsley took advantage of what was there and sailed for the rest of the day.

 

2023 4LIYC Social Event: Please Join Us April 22

Trophy sipping time. Photo from the Bernard Collection. Andy Flom celebrating winning the Hearst Cup in 1939 sailing FRITZ.

Please join the the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club as we celebrate the end of a successful ice sailing season at one of our favorite and familiar places, Springer’s On the Lake. RVSP today! Hope to see you there.

Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club Awards & Social Event
Location: Springer’s On the Lake, Stoughton, WI
Date: Saturday, April 22, 2023
Time: 5:30 – 6:30 Social Hour
6:30-7:30 Dinner
7:30  Awards presentation
Ticket: $40 cash or check (made out to 4LIYC) at the door
Menu: A buffet featuring roast beef, baked chicken, parsley buttered red potatoes, rice blend, green beans, garden salad, green beans, desert, and one drink ticket.
RSVP to debwhitehorse@iceboat.org

SOLD! December 3, 2022: Stern-Steerer in MN

SOLD! “Rainbow 2nd” is a Marconi Rigged Class “A” Ice Boat.
Originally gaff rig built in 1898. Very nicely restored & rebuilt
with West System.
35’ back bone
35’ mast
18’ plank
2 main sails, 1 jib, 2 sets of runners with boxes, full set of travel covers
and cushions.
Comes with a road worthy 31’ tandem axle trailer.
$10,000 obo
$8,500 obo
Located in White Bear Lake, Minnesota.

4LIYC Spring Social: Save the Date – April 22


We are pleased to announce that the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club will officially conclude the season at Springer’s On The Lake, the home of some of the best ice sailing in the United States this year. Please save Saturday, April 22, and join us once again on Lake Kegonsa to celebrate ice boating. Stand by for the details.
What: Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club Awards & Social Event
When: Saturday, April 22, 2023
Where: Springer’s On Lake Kegonsa, Stoughton, WI

Regatta Watch: 2023 WSSA Postponed to March 25 – 26

Emil Fauerbach and possibly Andy Flom in the PRINCESS in front of the Fauerbach Brewery on Lake Monona, Madison, WI, c.1910s.

The 2023 Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to March 25 and 26. The next update will be Sunday, March 19. Check back here at that time. The Northwest Ice Yacht Association regatta takes precedence.

Andy Gratton

WSSA Secretary/Treasurer

Iceboating Goes to University

Boecraft Continuum

Boecraft Website
Meet Jared Kaesmeyer, a former Lake Geneva, WI resident and a recent graduate with a Master’s in Architecture. Jared’s thesis project was on iceboating, again proving that iceboating is a highly creative endeavor. Please let me know if you want to see Jared’s remarkable and unique 165-page thesis.

My name is Jared Kaesmeyer. I used to live in Lake Geneva, WI, and grew up hearing about and seeing ice boating. It always intrigued me. Since that time, I’ve gone to college at North Dakota State University and graduated with my Master’s in Architecture. As part of that degree, I had to create a thesis project. My thesis was on ice boating.

I spent 9 months developing a proposal for an iceboat cultural center in Lake Geneva’s downtown. I did research, and worked with Steve Schalk to get a better idea for the history and background. In the end, I designed a destination establishment that featured year-round display of ice boats in a prominent location downtown, with a workshop and event space for hosting year round training and events. The thesis went on to win an award, and in all was just such a fun process!

I have sent this to Steve, and thought I would share it with iceboat.org. Maybe you will find it interesting, or know someone else who may!

4LIYC Racing Update: Snow Means No Go

Tim McCormick R385 and cousin, Peter McCormick R309 racing Renegade iceboats on Lake Kegonsa, March 5, 2023. Photo: Ethan Brodsky

Heavy, wet snow has fallen on all lakes around Madison. There will be no club racing for March 11 – 12, 2023. However, this post is an excellent opportunity to share more photos from Ethan Brodsky.

 

Regatta Watch: 2023 WSSA Postponed to March 18 – 19

2007 Northwest at Menominee, MI. Photo: Chris Johns

The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to March 18 and 19. The next update will be Sunday, March 12. Check back here at that time. The Northwest Ice Yacht Association regatta takes precedence.

Andy Gratton

WSSA Secretary/Treasurer

1954 Northwest History

DN iceboat plan c1950s from the files of John Bluel

1954 Northwest Archives
Since we are on the subject of the Northwest regatta, Kenny Beal, great-grandson of a long-time 4LIYC member, John Bluel, shared some of his grandfather’s documents with the club, including a report from Northwestern Ice Yachting Association Secretary Frank Meyer about the 1954 Northwest.

Rather than the typical three-day event, the regatta was held over two weekends in Pewaukee because of challenging weather conditions. The 4LIYC’s Carl Bernard won the A Class Stern Steerer title in MARY B, competing against Skeeter Iceboat Club’s Lou Loenneke of Lake Geneva.

1954 was the first year that the DN Class competed in the Northwest. The DNs had one race in bad weather, and the Northwest officials decided that the fleet would sail the remainder of their races in the Detroit area “as all the entries were from that vicinity.” Skip Boston won that first Northwest DN title.

Regatta Watch: 2023 Northwest Postponed to March 17 – 19

The NIYA Race Committee has postponed the 2023 Regatta to March 17th, 18th and 19th. The shoreline at Kegonsa is starting to melt open and the snow event coming Thursday into Friday will eliminate any possibility of regatta conditions. The search for any suitable site within reach will continue this week.

Steve Schalk

Secretary/Treasurer

NIYA

Picture of the Week: Tandem Skeeters

Ken Whitehorse in WARRIOR and Paul Krueger in RAMBLN sailing Class A Skeeters on Lake Kegonsa. Photo: Ethan Brodsky.

Another photo from aerial photographer Ethan Brodsky who joined us on Lake Kegonsa on Sunday, March 5, 2023.

Via Ken Whitehorse:

Here is the back story to Ethan’s skeeter pic. Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club Commodore Daniel Hearn push-started the red and white Skeeter fleet for their fourth race. The two racers took a half-parade lap, positioning themselves for the flying start. Both skeeters were at a full thunderous song when the green flag dropped. Paul Krueger M165 chose the outside lane. His gamble paid off, and he got a run on Ken Whitehorse M197. The wild and wooly Krueger drove it deep into the first corner. He then pitched the powerful ice yacht hard left. The razor-sharp right rear runner burned deep to find the hard ice. M165 hooked up, using the 2″ of surface slush as a banked cushion, launching him off the corner. Now in clean air, M165 increased his lead at each of the laps to the double checkered flag victory! Truly a race to remember!

4LIYC Racing Report: Fun For the Faithful

Ken Whitehorse’s Class A Skeeter WARRIOR. Photo: Ethan Brodsky

4LIYC Racing Scores

Fun For The Faithful

This time of year, when both the weather and the Fat Lady are warming up, it’s only the faithful who show up for possible ice sailing. What looked to be a questionable weekend turned out to be loads of fun. On Saturday morning, the ice had firmed up nicely, but there didn’t appear to be a lot of wind, as our launch area was on the protected shore. Undeterred, as the rest of the faithful had what we’ll call a casual setup pace, I pushed off to check things out. Once clear of the point, Chaos, my Renegade, hooked up immediately. For about the next hour, I explored the entire lake, never seeing any ice to be concerned about. By about 11:00 or so, the rest of the fleet made their way out to the .9 mile course set up by our esteemed Treasurer and Saturday PRO, Jerry Simon, assisted by the Goddess of All Things Ice Sailing, Deb Whitehorse. It became apparent that racing might be a challenge at this point. And since we were now conveniently located on the Springer’s side of the lake, we decided the wise call would be to head to lunch. We summoned our Ice Uber, a red Bombardier with license DX 4967, driven by Jerry, who promptly delivered us to our destination. Delicious lunches were had by all. And one beer, but not by an iceboat pilot.

 

Shortly after 1:00, we decided it was time to give it a go. By the time the first flag dropped, the ice had softened up quite a lot with the increasing temperatures. The Renegades went off on port and the DNs went off on starboard. The first lap was great for everybody, but then the combination of slushier surface and lighter wind turned the remainder of the race into a pushing contest. The former runner and the former triathlete, both with bad knees, continued their battle until realizing the RC had taken down the bottom mark. The sailor who prefers a supplemental push at the start and the one who had some work done on his ticker, were much smarter than the over-the-hill athletes. They retired after the first lap chuckling to themselves watching two knuckleheads try to sail in slush without enough wind. Chris Berger in his DN was able to keep her going for three laps, so he was our one race overall winner.

 

Hoping the forecasted afternoon wind would arrive, we made our way back to the pits, some with motorized assistance. After an hour or so of visiting in the pits, the breeze did indeed fill in. The surface was slushy in spots, but we now had enough velocity to blast right through. The DNs ventured back out, along with Greg McCormick and me in our Renegades. We had a wonderful afternoon just sailing around. Once it started to drizzle, we decided it was time to call it a day.

 

When I pulled up to the ice Sunday, it was already a great day. It warmed my heart to see my friend, Tim McCormick, on the ice setting up his Renegade. Tim has been fighting a more important battle, so I was thrilled to see him. And joining the optimism for the day, were Kenny and Pk setting up their A-Class Skeeters, with the newly MacGyvered DN Western Region ATV stationed nearby. As the morning progressed, many guests arrived with Nites and DNs. It was wonderful to meet so many new people who share our passion. Also joining was a couple who came all the way from the Twin Cities just to check out ice sailing. They’ve been following the action on our website, so with an open weekend available, Greta and Handan (sorry, doc, if I just sent your name to the ER) to see if they could get a ride. After a tour of the various boats and a spin on the motorized kick sled, they took turns driving my Renegade assisted with the new boat-pusher Kenny made for the WR-ATV. With the coach just astern, “left-right-sheet in-sheet out” were the only instructions needed. They both did great and also took turns in Tim Mower’s DN. Hope they’ll join us again!

 

By mid-afternoon, the breeze had filled in nicely. With the, now, pretty slushy conditions and wise age of our A-Skeeter pilots, they elected to do flying starts for their races. We’d wind them up with the WR-ATV; they’d get themselves in close formation and pass through the line together to start each race. It worked great and PK and Kenny had a ball. At least until PK’s mast dropped near the top mark. You’ll have to get those “dets” from him on that. The Renegades ripped off four races, each won by a McCormick. And the DNs also notched four, with Matt Meyer setting the pace.

 

Back in the pits, it was a group effort to get everything off the ice using the aluminum ramps to protect the ice. Andy McCormick showed up at that time. It was either a meeting of the Irish Republican Army–Madison Chapter, or a discussion about the Northwest. Maybe both.
Daniel Hearn