2020 Northwest Ice Yacht Racing Association Information
March 13-15,2020
Lake Waconia, Minnesota
“Nothing Fickler”
Bill Mattison Obituary
Celebration of Life & Time of Sharing
2 PM – 4 PM
Saturday, May 7, 2022
Gunderson Funeral Home
5203 Monona Drive
Monona, WI
Map
Don Sanford assembled this video with photos, film, and voice over of Bill Mattison. Listen closely for one of his famous sayings, “nothing fickler than the wind.”
Youtube Video Link: https://youtu.be/8VH3cIK2zZc
Bill Mattison, a legend in hard and soft water sailing, died April 25, 2022 in Madison, WI. He was 93 years of age.
When superstar sailor Buddy Melges needed help with his America’s Cup challenge in 1986, he asked his long-time friend, sailing rival and Korean War veteran, Bill Mattison for some help.
Bill had a lifetime of experience making boats like scows and ice boats sail faster and faster, and Melges’ Heart of America” 12 Metre was off the pace, but week after week his boat got faster as a direct result of Bill’s hands-on work.
He was a product of the Inland Lake region where Scows skate over the water at 25 knots and when the lakes freeze the sailors sharpen their blades and attain speeds of 100 mph on a variety of ice boats. As a perpetual champion in both scows and ice boats, he quickly adapted his impressive skills to the world of the America’s Cup.
“Whatever needed to be repaired, designed, or improved, Bill would quickly come with the solution and get it done,” said Melges.
Bill’s win list included being 14-time International Skeeter Class Champion, three-time Gar Wood Invitational Champion, 12-time Triple Crown Trophy winner, and winner of over 80 local regattas in A, E and C Scows. Most of his sailing was out of the Mendota Yacht Club in Madison, Wisconsin.
Peter Harken also noted Bill’s endless generosity. “H was always using his expertise and labor to help others get out on the ice or water. If a boat had a breakdown you could bet Bill would be there to help.”
Bill was recognized in the 2020 Induction Class of the National Sailing Hall of Fame, but his craftsmanship was not limited to sailing. He fell in love with the circus as a kid in the 1930s, and began building models of circus wagons.
Then, when he was 12 or 13, he ran away from home to join the circus. Though a career in the circus wasn’t for him, his model making earned him a spot in 2015 in the Circus Model Builders Association’s Hall of Fame.
A Celebration of Life is planned for May 7, 2022 at Gunderson Funeral Home, 5203 Monona Drive, Monona, WI.
Eight Bells: Bill Mattison M134
Bill Mattison, who has had more influence on the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club, our members, and ice sailing in general, than anyone, has passed on. Mauretta Mattison just called to say that her husband, Bill Mattison, passed on Monday evening, April 25. Please make plans to attend Bill’s Celebration of Life on Saturday, May 7, 2022 at Gunderson Funeral Home, 5203 Monona Drive, Monona. Mauretta, Bill, and Lynn want everyone to know that they look forward to hearing stories about Bill and celebrating his extraordinary life. If you have stories or memories to share, I am gathering them for another post. Please email or call me.
Skeeter Raffle
Sorry, you are 88 years too late for the Skeeter raffle. Likely DUTCHMEN, Carl Bernard’s first Skeeter built in 1935. (Photo, c. 1955: Color slide from the Carl Bernard collection.)
An interesting rabbit hole opened while researching another iceboat. Skeeters first came into the 4LIYC in 1935, much earlier than I had assumed. A 1935 newspaper clipping mentions that a “Class E German type iceboat” had been raffled off by the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club. Carl Bernard had a few photos of an early Skeeter without a springboard set up on the pier at the Bernard Boat House on Lake Mendota. I also remember seeing the German iceboat plans in the Bernard scrapbooks at the Wisconsin Historical Society.
A January 1935 Wisconsin State Journal article reported that nine new Skeeters would be competing with the club, six of which were built by Carl Bernard. A visit to the State Historical archives to look at the German front-seater plans is needed to fill in the rest of the 4LIYC and Skeeter development history.
The lucky winner of the Skeeter was Jerry Hirsig, an owner of one of Madison’s famous department stores, Wolf Kubly and Hirsig. Hirsig wasn’t an ice boater and purchased the ticket to help the club raise funds. He said he was saving it for his grandson, but there’s no further mention of the boat or grandson in the newspaper archives.
Carl Bernard and the 4LIYC’s focus remained on Stern-Steerers until after WW2 and the Korean War when the Skeeter class became dominant.
4LIYC Banquet Report
Inaugural 4LIYC C Skeeter Trophy, awarded to Pat Heppert
We don’t have many photos from the banquet, and here’s why that’s a good thing. This banquet was unique, a return to normalcy. Ken Whitehorse said it best: “everyone was just relaxed and enjoyed the evening. And not scripting the photo opportunities.” Breakwater Restaurant’s service and food were above average. Rather than collect money at the door, we asked club members to throw cash and checks in a trophy box to cover their banquet cost. Treasurer Jerry Simon reported that the system worked and the books were balanced. Thanks, Don Anderson, for organizing this year’s banquet, Damien Luyut for rounding up trophies, and Commodore Daniel Hearn for sharing the highlights from the season. Speaking of highlights, Daniel Hearn is now a 4LIYC red blazer club member. Ken Whitehorse handed over his jacket to Daniel in a red blazer ceremony.
Pat Heppert received a special award from the club. Daniel Hearn wrote the following to Pat on Monday, “We missed you at the banquet, but celebrated you nonetheless! You were awarded our club’s most prestigious trophy–The Jim Payton Service and Sportsmanship Award. The 4LIYC greatly appreciated your many contributions this season. We consider ourselves fortunate to have you as a member. Your spirit of volunteerism is second to none.
And speaking of “second to none,” you also won the first-ever 4LIYC First Place C-Skeeter Season Award. The new trophy, crafted by Ken Whitehorse and Damien Luyet, features a yacht that will look very familiar to you.
On behalf of the entire 4LIYC, thank you and congratulations, friend!”
SOLD! June 1, 2021: Vintage Class A Skeeter in Maine
SOLD! Ray Ruge designed A Skeeter. Built by Hagarty in the early 60’s. Owned briefly by Buddy Melges and carries his sail number. Square top added to sail, new steering and stem block. New hollow plank built to the same section as the fuselage. Sails fast and balanced. These boats were built in limited production and this is the only known sample still sailing. New enclosed trailer. Runners sharpened and aligned.
Photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnarey/albums/72157714158938948
In Maine.
$5200.00.
Banquet Trophy Maintenance Party
4LIYC Trophy Chair Damien Luyet, Don Anderson, Lars Barber, Scott Goetz, and Ken Whitehorse gathered at the Four Lakes Yacht Club last night to make a party out of brightening up the club’s trophies for tonight’s banquet. If you are on the fence, please consider joining us tonight. We have room for you!
Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club Awards Banquet
Date: Saturday, April 16, 2022
Time: Social Hour 6:30 Dinner 7 PM
Location: Breakwater Restaurant
6308 Metropolitan Lane, Monona, WI
Map Link
Details: Buffet Dinner $35 per person, pay at the door
Red WIne Braised Beef Tips
Chicken Marsala
Cheesy Hashbrowns Casserole
Green Bean Almondine
Dessert
**all dinner come with preset salad/Rolls
Cash bar
Breakwater has set us up for and anticipated 25 people. If we have more than 25, it will be possible to order off the menu.
Please join us on Saturday, April 16, to celebrate a successful ice sailing season. Lake Monona racing came through for us this year in spectacular fashion, which means distributing our shiny and historic “pots and pans,” (aka trophies.)
Can you please let us know if you can attend? Email debwhitehorse@iceboat.org. Hope to see all of you on Saturday night.
April 16 4LIYC Awards Banquet Update
Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club racing on January 15, 2022, Lake Monona. Photo: Joe Berger
Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club Awards Banquet
Date: Saturday, April 16, 2022
Time: Social Hour 6:30 Dinner 7 PM
Location: Breakwater Restaurant
6308 Metropolitan Lane, Monona, WI
Map Link
Details: Buffet Dinner $35 per person, pay at the door
Red WIne Braised Beef Tips
Chicken Marsala
Cheesy Hashbrowns Casserole
Green Bean Almondine
Dessert
**all dinner come with preset salad/Rolls
Cash bar
Breakwater has set us up for and anticipated 25 people. If we have more than 25, it will be possible to order off the menu.
Please join us on Saturday, April 16, to celebrate a successful ice sailing season. Lake Monona racing came through for us this year in spectacular fashion, which means distributing our shiny and historic “pots and pans,” (aka trophies.)
Can you please let us know if you can attend? Email debwhitehorse@iceboat.org. Hope to see all of you on Saturday night.
SOLD! February 18, 2022: DN Gear in WI
Ice Sailors Extend the Season on Dirt
Congratulations to several of our 4LIYC members for their podium finishes at the 2022 Blokart North American Championship sailed at Ivanpah, Nevada.
From left, Wayne Schmiedlin 2nd Performance Heavy, Aiden Schmiedlin 1st Performance Light (6 overall), Gary Nordhaus 2nd Production Light, Jim Nordhaus 2nd Performance Super (2nd overall), Geoff Sobering 1st Performance Super (1st overall), Lars Barber 2nd Performance Middle, and Brad Wagner 3rd Performance Super (5th overall.)
Even after several years working Race Committee for the North American Blokart Association at the cathedral of land sailing in Ivanpah, Nevada, I find more similarities than differences between ice sailing and land sailing.
I assumed that, unlike ice sailors, dirt sailors had an unlimited supply of venues for sailing. It turns out that land sailors have to monitor surface conditions almost as closely as ice checkers. Dirt just aint dirt, and not all playas are sailable. Just like we search for black ice, they hunt for smooth playas.
Ice sailors dread shell ice while dirt sailors pay attention to rain showers, leaving a bumpy, rutted surface. If a playa dries too quickly, the surface can “cup,” resulting in a rough track. The week before the Blokart NAs, a substantial rain had fallen at Ivanpah, changing the dry lake into an actual wet lake. The surface dried out at the optimal rate, and the rain Zambonied the lumps and bumps, leaving an excellent racing track.
During sturgeon spearing season, fishing clubs plot Lake Winnebago with wooden stakes for vehicle control, but these go away. On some playas, wooden claim stakes are popping up placed by speculators hoping to strike it big in lithium mining.
Ivanpah is unique because the Bureau of Land Management has specifically designated it as an area for “wind sailing.” If you ever get the chance to attend a land sailing regatta at Ivanpah, you won’t regret the experience.
Confusion Reigns
“Not sure what boat season it is.”
Daniel Hearn sends word from the Spaight Street Syndicate that he’s unsure what boat season it is. Minnesota’s Dirk Siems sailed his DN on a sunny April day on Otter Tail Lake yesterday in what has to be some sort of late record for Minnesota DN sailing. 4LIYC sailors are returning from Ivanpah, Nevada, with some trophy hardware awarded during the Blokart dirt-sailing event. (More on that tomorrow.) No wonder we are all confused!
Dirk Siems usually finds the first ice for the Western Challenge in MN and now he’s on the hunt for the last ice of the season. He sailed on Otter Tail Lake yesterday, April 9, 2022.
Geoff Sobering won the overall and his division at the 2022 Blokart North American regatta at Ivanpah, Nevada.
SOLD! December 1, 2021: DN in NJ
SOLD! DN in Red Bank, N.J. area (Monmouth County). Complete boat ready to go.
Kenyon Aluminum Mast and Boom
Sail in good shape #1113
Mast and sail/Boom bags
Recent restoration. Very good shape
2 sets of runners
Some racing. Mainly used for cruising
Includes cover for boat
$2,000
SOLD! October 8, 2021: Vintage Skeeter in Maine
SOLD! Ray Ruge designed A Skeeter. Built by Hagarty in the early 60’s. Owned briefly by Buddy Melges and carries his sail number. Square top added to sail, new steering, and stem block. New hollow plank built to the same section as the fuselage. Sails fast and balanced. These boats were built in limited production and this is the only known sample still sailing. New enclosed trailer. Runners sharpened and aligned.
Photos here: https://www.flickr.com/photos/johnarey/albums/72157714158938948
In Maine.
$5200.00.
$3500
SOLD! November 1, 2022: DN in MI
SOLD! Gold Fleet DN Package
- Clear epoxy coated hull with carbon twist lock breakaway tiller. Custom aluminum billet steering post. Custom billet aluminum front chock with internal spring, carbon steering connection rod, billet aluminum custom mast step with titanium ball, harken block track and breakaway plank mounting system.
- Latest design C2 balsa core plank with Stubble Chocks, tuned for 170-200 pound sailor, new 2021.
- Latest design C2 prepreg carbon mast with high strength internal hound and custom low profile billet aluminum needle bearing mast foot, new 2020.
- Forstman boom with Harken blocks, two ratchet blocks and braided mainsheet.
- Dieform stays with staymasters and titanium spreader bar, new 2021.
- Ulman FO1, and ABSS sails including alternate stiffness battens
- Three sets of runners with Harken bags and pelican transport case. Runners are all 440C made by Ron Sherry. Package includes 9 runners. 3/16 x90 Insert Set, Slipper Set, and Plate Set.
- Includes pit horses, Harken on-ice cover, ice anchor, and one tool box full of DN tools and miscellaneous spare parts.
- Location: Lapeer Michigan, shipping/delivery not included
- $10,000 firm
Nites Getting It Done in Gladstone
Photo and caption via the Nite Class Facebook Page: “It’s Official!!!! We have the 2022 Nite Nationals In! Jim Gluek with 2 first and Tom Sweitzer to make it official.”
The Nites were no April Fools as they successfully pulled off day one of their Nationals at Gladstone, Michigan. Today’s latest news gleaned from their Facebook page looks like they are enjoying a spring day on the ice, waiting for the wind.
Regatta Watch: 22 Nite Nationals ON for Escanaba, MI April 1-3
2015 ISA Regatta at Escanaba, MI Photo: Gretchen Dorian
They are going to do it! Will have to look in the records, but this could be the first Nite Nationals ever held in April. Good luck to the Nite sailors!
Nite Nationals is Officially Called On for April 1-3, 2022 in Escanaba/Gladstone, Upper Michigan.
3-day event April 1-3, 2022
Register: https://theclubspot.com/regatta/ARCBDteChy
Must be a member to register: https://theclubspot.com/renew-interstitial/oFVGl1wW09See Nite website for full information.
Sail Safe, Sail Fast,
Commodore Chad Rechcygl #322
Vice Commodore Maureen Bohleber #497
Secretary Brian Nies #351
Treasury Lars Barber #534
Tech Mike Peters #544
“Winter in Wisconsin – a Place Like No Other”
Mother Nature came through for us this year on Lake Monona. Videographers Sam Li and Ian Tunney were there to help change minds about winter by including the sport in his latest production. Watch it here.
Sam Li
To all the people who love winter, here’s the film for you. To all the people who hate winter, I hope this changes your mind.
Regatta Watch – No Joke!: Nite Nats Called ON for Escanaba April 1-3
Nite Nationals Tentatively On for April 1-3, 2022 in Escanaba (Upper Mi)
This is no April fools joke… Iceboating in April! The epic weekend definitely could happen. The weather looks good and the ice is there! We had multiple boats sailing up on the Little Bay de Noc in Escanaba, MI. Just a heads up, it is Eastern time up there so plan accordingly. Final call by Wednesday 9 PM. Make sure you are a member of INCA.
Sail Safe, Sail Fast,
Commodore Chad Rechcygl #322
Vice Commodore Maureen Bohleber #497
Secretary Brian Nies #351
Treasury Lars Barber #534
Tech Mike Peters #544
SOLD! November 2, 2021: Skeeter in IL
SOLD! Former “Honey Bucket” Class A Skeeter number 5, built in 1980. Last all wood boat built. Excellent condition, with trailer and extra sidecar passenger seat included. $4500.00.L
Mark Your Calendars for April 16 4LIYC Banquet!
Andy McCormick on home ice, Lake Monona. Photo: Kenton Fowler
After a two year pause, we are pleased to announce that our annual spring awards banquet has been scheduled for April 16, 2022 at the Breakwater Restaurant in Monona, WI. Menu selections are in the works. Please save the date and stand by for further details.
Regatta Watch: Nite Nationals Postponed – But Willing To Try in April!
Nites rounding the mark at the 2022 ISA Regatta on Lake Monona. Photo: Will Johnston
The Nites win the race of being the most optimistic class of the season! They are still hanging in there with the hopes of holding their 2022 Nationals and need to hear from their class members.
Nite Class Website
We have once again postponed the Nationals. The Nite Board is willing to give it one more try and it wouldn’t it be EPIC to have a Nite Nationals in April? The past couple of days have put a strain on our landing but next week’s forecast does look promising with lows all the way down to the low twenties and possibly lower, which we hope will firm it up, safety first. The Terrace Bay Hotel is ready and waiting for us. Now we just need the weather to cooperate. If you are interested in participating in the possible EPIC event please respond so we can get an idea if we should move forward.
Thank you from the Nite Board of Directors
Chad Rechcygl – Commodore
Maureen Bohleber – Vice Commodore
Lars Barber – Treasurer
Brian Nies – Secretary
Mike Peters – Technical Advisor
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