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
Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada ice sailors usually open and close the ice sailing season in North America. While most of us in the U.S. are turning our attention to soft water and off-season projects, Mike Madge continues to sail well into April, the perfect time to spread the iceboating creed when he actively works on getting new people to try the sport.
No matter what time of year, respect and caution are always part of ice sailing. Spring sailing can be tricky, and NEIYA Vice Commodore Jay Whitehair explains his common sense decision-making process when faced with marginal conditions. Read it here.
(Tip of the Helmet Mike Peters.)
SOLD!DN with trailer.
1979 Hoot built DN Ice Boat with trailer. We are the third owner. Ready to sail. Great starter boat. Includes canvas cover. Aluminum mast and boom. Freshly painted.
Asking $2,500 or best offer, complete and ready to sail.
Willing to sell the DN without the trailer.
SOLD DN: Restored 60’s era (said previous owner) sail number #1353 ready to go sailing this weekend!
Sitka Spruce plank and mast, Newer Shore sail and older Boston sail.
One set of Sarns-type stainless runners.
$1200
On March 16, 1914, Madisonians Emil Fauerbach and William Bernard brought the Hearst Trophy to Madison, one of the most sought after titles in ice yacht racing.
UPDATE 3-18: The original photo that was posted was incorrect. See more below.
Emil Fauerbach, born 1870, grew up on Lake Monona near his family’s brewery and was obsessed with the beautiful ice yachts he saw flying around the lake, considered the fastest vehicles in the world at the time. One mile away from the brewery on the other side of Madison’s isthmus, William Bernard was born the same year and grew up immersed in his father’s boat livery on Lake Mendota, where he fulfilled his dream of building and designing iceboats.
Fauerbach and Bernard joined forces and chased one of the most prestigious ice yacht racing titles, the Hearst trophy. Newspaper magnate William Randolph Hearst donated a gold-lined silver cup at the behest of the Kalamazoo Ice Yacht Club in Michigan in 1903. Emil’s idea was to challenge for the prestigious Hearst trophy, but in 1904 Emil sailing a Bernard-built boat, returned to Madison from Gull Lake, Michigan, without the title.
Fauerbach and Bernard’s obsession with the Hearst resulted in a new ice yacht explicitly designed to win the coveted cup. Bernard completed Princess II for Fauerbach in January of 1906. Princess II carried 426 square feet of sail, weighed 1500 pounds, and made of the finest white oak and spruce. Between 1904 and 1914, the two determined men traveled six times to Gull Lake, Michigan, trying to win the Hearst. Fauerbach was considered Madison’s “Sir Thomas Lipton,” after the British millionaire yachtsman famous for his five unsuccessful bids to win the America’s Cup.
1914: The Hearst Cup Finally Comes to Madison
PRINCESS II won the Northwest regatta Class A championship in 1914. Shortly after the win, Emil Fauerbach, PRINCESS II, and his crew of Andy Flom, William Bernard, and Hiram Nelson took the train to Michigan.
Fauerbach’s resolve to capture the Hearst for Madison was so great that he put aside his ego and stayed off the boat, turning over control to superior sailor Andy Flom. On March 16, 1914, Emil watched from the finish line as Flom, Nelson, and Bernard finally wrested the Hearst away from the Kalamazoo Ice Yacht Club. They were bringing the elegant trophy to Madison.
When the news of the victory reached Madison, the citizens were ecstatic. Henry Fauerbach, interviewed at Chicago’s Illinois Athletic Club, declared that his brother’s victory would be a good motivation for ice-yacht racing throughout the whole Northwest. In an understatement, Mendota Yacht Club Commodore Lew Porter told the Wisconsin State Journal, “it is possible that the Mendota Yacht Club will hold some sort of jollification as a result of the victory of the PRINCESS II.” The paper went on to write, “PRINCESS II, sailing the colors of the Mendota Yacht Club, has won for Madison the highest honors in this year’s leading American ice yacht regatta…Madison is particularly gratified at the splendid success of Emil Fauerbach’s iceboat because the game Badger skipper has tried several times to lift the cup.” Fauerbach’s win put Madison on the map as an iceboating community.
Sadly, Emil Fauerbach had only a short time to revel in the Hearst trophy’s prestige and honors. Fifteen months after he won the Hearst, Madisonians read the shocking news that their most famous ice yachtsman had passed away. Emil Fauerbach died on May 22, 1915, at 45, from complications of a stomach operation.
Misidentified as “Emil Fauerbach and possibly Andy Flom on PRINCESS I in front of Fauerbach Brewery on Lake Monona, Madison, WI, c.1905. Courtesy of Byron Tetzlaff.” Erich Schloemer pointed out that this boat isn’t a Madison-style boat as all PRINCESS boats were, but instead could be a John Buckstaff-built boat, possibly DEBUTANTE B. Stay tuned for more.
We just learned there is a chance we will be competing for hotel rooms next March with the Montana State High School Wrestling Tournament. As you know, our dates are fluid within a 3-week window; the wrestling authorities have yet to choose their date.
To put us in the best position to negotiate a block of rooms well in advance, please fill out our survey, IF you are a likely participant. In the event we are forced to “ration” rooms in our block, we will do so based on the chronology of survey submission (i.e., earliest survey respondents will get first-right-of-refusal on reserved rooms).
Have you started building your new boat yet for the event?
New Jersey Dan Clapp is best known for his innovative A-Class front-seater Skeeter designs and dominating the Skeeter class championships for two decades. He won nine International Skeeter Association regattas and seven Northwest titles. In the past years, he realized that the magnitude of effort to campaign the Skeeter became too much and too time-consuming. The lack of travel partners also contributed to his decision to sell his INSANITY, one of the most stunning Skeeters ever seen.
Jim Gervolino nudged Dan into helping him put together a wing mast that could work with various hulls. Here’s his story on the WING.
Several years ago, when Tom Nichols moved from New Jersey to Maine, he had to get rid of the wing he built in the ’80s for his front-seat C-Class Skeeter. I convinced Jim Gervolino to take it.
Jim Gervolino’s C Class Skeeter w Wing
Jim spent that summer rebuilding that wing from its three-element, low aspect ratio shape to a more modern two-element (wing & flap), high aspect ratio shape, similar to those of John Eisenlohr’s wing land sailing boats.
Jim put his wing on a new conventional cockpit C-Class Skeeter boat he built and sailed it three times in 2020.
An Icebird
It worked so well that Jim came to me in the spring and tried to convince me to build a wing so he’d have someone to “play” with. We were standing in my shop beside a wall of photos. I told him I wasn’t interested in building another iceboat, but if we could put a wing on a boat I already had, like, say, “that” one (as I pointed to a picture of an Icebird), then maybe I’d be interested. Jim laughed and said, “You’re not serious, are you?”
We collaborated on the shape of the wing until we agreed on an airfoil. I wanted a taller wing for light wind, but Jim wanted a shorter wing so he wouldn’t be overpowered in heavy air. So, we agreed on making the top three feet (six sq.ft.) removable. It turned out to be the perfect compromise, and it has already proven itself with wind gusting over 25 on our maiden voyage.
Jim proposed that he’d build the wings, and I’d build the hulls. Jim is retired. All summer, he’d keep sending me progress photos and asking, “when are you going to start building the hulls?” By September 2020, I could no longer procrastinate. I used a medical table mold from work to shape the hulls. The design is simple because it doesn’t need to provide for “sheeting” loads like most iceboats since the wings have none.
I may have been a little bit hoodwinked into this whole WING project, and I wasn’t exactly thrilled to be involved at first. These boats are like toys, and I was used to building A-Class Skeeters. It wasn’t until my first ride that I saw the light and couldn’t be happier now. The wing works better than I ever imagined. And, the entire boat, including the wing, fits inside my Yukon XL. No 36-foot long box trailer necessary. My back doesn’t hurt from lugging heavy Skeeter hulls and stepping 28′ masts. My neck doesn’t hurt from laying down and trying to hold my head up like in DN. In fact, except for a bathroom break, there was no reason to stop sailing. It’s like iceboating in your lazy-boy recliner. I sailed for hours, and the next day, miraculously, I got out of bed without an aching body.
Chauncy Griggs Skeeter with wing mast
But, Jim deserves most of the credit. He rebuilt the first wing proving the concept. He researched everything and studied John Eisenlohr’s wing-building videos, of which we used much of the same ideas. And, he kept the project progressing over the summer when most of us were out on the water having fun. Not too many people have the motivation to work on iceboats when it’s 90 degrees outside, even most iceboaters.
We look forward to others using their DN parts and building themselves a wing, and we’d be happy to answer any questions they might have. We talked about a name for this new class (Ice Wings, Hot Wings, Grasshoppers). Probably just calling them “Wings” and adding a number next to the “W” for sail area, like W28 for our 28 square foot wings, is best. If someone makes a bigger wing as Chauncey Griggs did, it’ll be called W75. I wish Chauncey had lived long enough to have seen these. He would’ve been proud, even if it took 30 years for someone to join him. I did get the “handlebar” idea for controlling the wing rotation from one of his boats.
WISCONSIN (Andy Gratton), SLICK CHICK (Mike Kroll), and ACE OF SPADES, (Mike Peters) on Little Bay de Noc, Escanaba, MI Photo: Mike Peters
Nite sailor Terry Reynolds has been keeping a close watch on his home ice at Little Bay de Noc in Escanaba, Michigan, and the weeks of waiting paid off this weekend. The assembled iceboats enjoyed one of those rare days Terry and the other sailors will be talking about for a while, ice sailing at a temperature of 60 F! Mike Peters sent this photo and reported that they had many rides and a great day of sailing. Below zero F night-time temperatures, this coming week could keep that sheet going for a few more days, so it might entirely not be the last call.
UPDATE: Drone footage from the day.
The Nite Class held their 2021 Nationals last weekend, March 6-7, on Green Lake in Wisconsin. Saturday’s lack of wind made for a day spent visiting and weighing boats. The wind arrived on Sunday and they completed ten races total, five in each fleet. Photographer Jim Koepnick captured the action and posted it in his website.
The 4LIYC Renegade fleet visited for some of their own sailing and regatta viewing: Jeff Russell, Damien Luyet, Don Anderson, and Jim LaFortune
For all the marbles, the Gold fleet took to the 14″ thick ice on Green Lake, WI for the 2021 Nite National Championship. Conditions caused 0 races on day 1 due to no wind and warm temps. Day 2 forced an early start to get 5 races in with winds 8-13mph. The ice started off hard and slowly softened by 1pm. Chad Rechcygl and Mike Jankowski each sailed away with 2 race wins along with 11x champion Tom Sweitzer flying in from the right side of the course at the finish line to win race 5 and to solidify him as the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time). Chad grabs his 2nd championship in a row. Mike Jankowski takes 2nd and Top Master. 4 days later with 60 degree temps and high winds, the ice is now gone and the lake is ready for summer sailing. Wow that was close!
Dick Grota once again takes home the Charlie Miller Trophy for 1st place Silver fleet at the 2021 Nite National Championship on Green Lake, WI followed closely behind by Don Sanford. John Mason closed off the day with his 1st race taking 3rd overall.
Previous: Fort Peck 2022
Where will you be in 365 days? Picture yourself pulling sheet as you accelerate upwind, sailing the vast open expanse of Fort Peck Lake in Montana.
Daniel’s March 3 Facebook post asking “Who wants to go to Fort Peck” received a strong response from ice sailors who are eager for a Baikal-like adventure at Fort Peck Lake.
The first half of March is typically the area’s best ice sailing. Daniel, myself, and a few others are planning a Hard Water Summit open to all ice sailors around a 3-week window, from which we will select the best week as conditions are known.
If you are interested in joining us, please visit the Hard Water Summit page and fill out the survey. Glasgow is a small community, and capacity for our entourage could be limited, so don’t delay!
Wisconsin Skeeter Association Trophy. Photo: Gretchen Dorian.
Ashwaubenon, WI iceboater Jay Yaeso doubled his racing time and fun by bringing his Class A Skeeter and Stern-Steerer to Menominee, Michigan, on March 5-7, 2021. Jay sums up the weekend in this report. Scroll down below his recap to see a few of Gretchen Dorian’s Skeeter photos.
Skeeter sailing and Stern-Steering haven’t been exactly easy these past two winters. Mother Nature and COVID19 tagged teamed and put a beat down on us. That all ended abruptly the weekend of March 5-7, 2021, when a total of nine Class A Skeeters and eight Stern-Steerers landed at Menomonie, Michigan, courtesy of world-famous Renegade sailor Mike Derusha.
Mike spent countless hours evaluating the local conditions and determined it was green light go for all involved. He nailed it! Perfect landing and ice conditions.
The threat of the Mackinaw icebreaker coming through had us on red alert; however, the Coasties held off their icebreaking efforts the remainder of the weekend.
Day one Friday was all about the Skeeters. Conditions were perfect, a light 5-10 mph southeaster, and we completed four races.
John Dennis (JD) in the U194 and Ken Whitehorse piloting the M197 were the boats to beat. Both displayed blistering speed in this light condition. Most impressive is watching the legend Paul Krueger M165 sail at 81 years young! A true inspiration for any iceboater! Class act! The ice stayed hard all day with full sunshine. Rounding out the Friday fleet was Tom Hyslop V738, Leon Lebeau D888, and Jay Yaeso U311.
Saturday brought out three more Skeeters, Mark Isabell V30, Steve Orlebeke V500, and Alex Peterson V137. The day started with a light northwesterly, and Skeeters and Stern-Steerers shared a racecourse.
The Wisconsin Stern Steerers Association started race one of their championship regatta series. This race was by far the longest iceboat race I have ever experienced. My Stern-Steerer, HAYWIRE, was the only yacht to finish, and what a weird finish it was! She completed the race upwind as a 180-degree wind shift hit on the final leg. It was a grueling race that the Race Committee declared abandoned because of time limit infraction. The incredible wind shift made it easy on the Race Committee because the 180-degree wind shift flip-flopped the course.
The Skeeters sailed downwind and commenced race five of the weekend. Ken Whitehorse was hooked up and won the race. The fresh breeze locked in again from the southeast at 5-10 mph, which made it another great day. U194 and M197 were the boats to beat, with the M165 securing second place in race five and V30 showing much speed in race seven.
The Stern-Steerers plugged away throughout the day and managed to race three more races with the Class A boat MICHIGANDER sailed by Erik and Ritch Sawyer acing every race. Once again, proving a Class A Stern-Steerer is the ultimate ride! HAYWIRE chased the MICHIGANDER, followed up by the remainder of the fleet. Dave Lallier, Mike Kroll, Mark Weiner, Max Runge, Joe Terry and Class D winner Andy Gratton.
Upon completing the day’s racing, Wisconsin Skeeter Association’s morale Officer Ken Whitehorse presented JD the Bottle Trophy. All participants consumed some of Jameson’s whiskey bottle, which capped off a glorious day of Skeeter and Stern-Steerer racing. Following the Bottle Trophy celebration, the WSA gathered at Jozwiak’s Bar and Grill, home of the delicious and delightful hamburger know as the “Wabash” and killer homemade pizza.
Sunday arrived with light conditions with a forecasted south southeast wind at 10-15 mph. The light air gave the fleet leisure set up time. When the clock read 11 AM, we had 11 mph of wind which kept building all day. The Skeeters finished their series with the final race deciding who won the weekend series. JD prevailed with Kenny on his heels. Great to see newcomers Leon Lebeau and Alex Peterson join the Skeeter fleet! We are all looking forward to racing with these guys!
The WSSA wrapped up their championship with the MICHIGANDER winning race five, and HAYWIRE launched and sailing on two runners most of race six for the final race win. Great to see all the familiar faces with lots of new ones. We now can put the Skeeters and Stern-Steerers away fast and ready for the 21-22 season.
A weekend like this happens with a lot of behind-the-scenes help. Special thanks to Deb Whitehorse for all her support, to WSSA Race Committee Ann Gratton, and Mary Jane and Steve Schalk for tabulating and posting all results. Thank you to Mike Derusha for inviting us all up to Menominee. Thank you to Schoelgels Bayview restaurant for letting us drive through their parking lot and lawn to access this great sheet of ice, and Ken Whitehorse for all his work as WSA morale/trophy officer. Not to forget all competitors, thank you to everyone who showed up put in a tremendous effort to make this a most excellent weekend of sailing. Thanks for the incredible memories!
Jay Yaeso U-311 C-47
Jay’s replacement looking comfortable in the Skeeter.
Windjammers iceboater Jay Yaeso had his hands full with two boats over the weekend at Menominee, the Class A Skeeter, and Stern-Steerer HAYWIRE. Jay reported that he was “training his replacements.” His boys Jason and Clay sailed both the Skeeter and Stern-Steerer independently.
Below, future 4LIYC sailors Jack Ripp (Yes, that’s right!) and brother Henry Ripp (left) are taking a shop moment to discuss their Ice Optimist strategy. Their dad, Mike, will make sure their runners are sharpened.
The Skeeter group toasts JD for winning the “Bottle Trophy.” From left, Jay Yaeso, Steve Orlebeke, Mark Isabell, Ken Whitehorse, Paul Krueger, John Dennis (JD), Eric Hyslop, Tom Hyslop, Leon Lebeau.
As told to the Editor by Ken Whitehorse
The Madison-based Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club Skeeter Fleet of Paul Krueger M165 and Ken Whitehorse M197 relentless search for ice finally paid off this past weekend at Menominee, Michigan, where they enjoyed 3 days of racing and camaraderie.
Earlier in the week, they set up on the west end of Lake Mendota on Tuesday in 40 mph winds and a 20f temperature. They checked ice with the 4LIYC ATV, and Ken sent out the word to the other Skeeter guys that “all systems go, ice looks great” in anticipation of Wednesday racing.
Tom Hyslop V738 arrived Wednesday morning to find the launch quickly disintegrating. The lake ice was still holding, and Ken proposed that they take turns at the wheel in his boat. 4LIYC Commodore Don Anderson arrived with the orange marks and the club’s Nebulous flotation device. The Dane County Lakes Patrol warden visited the landing, and Ken said, “a long talk ensued.”
Ready to leave for Oconto and adventure.
Rather than trying to sail, Ken and Paul decided to pull off the trailer. Tom Hyslop and son Eric Hyslop assisted with boat disassembly and loading. When Ken hauled the trailer off the lake with his Mule ATV, the 8000# Bulldog trailer jack was damaged and bent. Ken remarked that “seven sets of Skeeter runners in the trailer might have been a bit much.” That afternoon, word came from Iceboat Central U311 Jay Yaeso about ice on Lake Michigan near Oconto, Wisconsin.
Bright and early Thursday morning, Ken went to the Past Champions Iceboat Shop and fired up his blowtorch to heat the trailer-crank cherry-red and fixed the roller wheel. Paul and Ken shoved off for Oconto to rendezvous with Tom Hyslop. Oconto’s ice was tremendous, but ice fishermen blocked access to the lake because the fish were hitting there.
Thankfully, Mike Derusha R188 called Paul and reported that Menominee, Michigan had plenty of ice and told them to “come on up.” The three ice seekers didn’t waste time making the 30-minute drive to Menominee. Mike met them at the landing with a big smile and welcoming arms. They thanked Mike for taking care of the Skeeter fleet. Ken said Mike’s response was, “M fleet helps us; we help you.” Ken texted Jay, informing him to spread the word that Menominee was the place to be. Tom ended the evening by holding up a PBR nightcap and uttered, “we ride tomorrow.”
The conditions at Menominee were perfect for three days of Skeeter racing. The Skeeters are grateful for Eric Hyslop’s help setting up the marks and helping the fleet. Thanks to Mike Derusha for providing trees. JD and Tom were instrumental in setting our racing courses. Thanks to Steve and Mary Jane Schalk in Fontana, WI for tabulating the scores.
The week started with just three Skeeter sailors getting together on Lake Mendota to sail before the ice went terrible. We chased ice, and we were lucky to find it in Menominee, where we experienced a club-racing-like atmosphere. We just happened to have a bunch of trophies to make it more fun. No one is in charge of the Wisconsin Skeeter Association. If there’s ice, the Wisconsin Skeeter Association racers will be there.
Stern-Steerers are one of photographer Gretchen Dorian’s favorite subjects to point her camera
Stern-Steerers are one of photographer Gretchen Dorian’s favorite subjects to photograph. Gretchen came over the bridge from Northern Michigan to photograph the great gathering of iceboats in Menominee, Michigan, over the weekend. She’s editing all the images and will have the high-resolution versions available on her website for purchase. She uploaded fifty photos to Facebook and has allowed iceboat.org to post them for those of you who don’t use Facebook. Here’s the first batch, the Stern-Steerers from their 2021 Wisconsin Stern-Steerers Association Championship. Gretchen would also like to thank Mike Derusha for helping her get out two miles to the Stern-Steerer race course.
Get a close look and listen as Steve Orlebeke V500 and John Dennis U194 sail past Alex Peterson who shared this on Facebook. They were competing in the Wisconsin Skeeter Association Championship sailed on Lake Michigan at Menominee, Michigan, March 5-7, 2021. Alex and Rob Evans, both from Minnesota, are partners in the Class A Skeeter MERLIN. Rob sailed the DN Western Region regatta while Alex sailed the Skeeter. Stand by for more photos and a report from Ken Whitehorse about the 3 day event.
The Class A Skeeters raced on the first day of their Wisconsin Skeeter Association Championship at Menominee, Michigan on Friday, March 5th. As winner of the 4th race, John Dennis won the “Bottle Trophy.” Steve Orlebeke arrived last night and will be joining the Skeeter fleet racing today. At breakfast, the Skeeter guys said they had an excellent day of racing yesterday and were getting ready for another one. Skeeter Scores
Good morning from Menominee in Michigan, where miles of sailable ice have summoned the tribe. The Stern-Steerers and Skeeters made the 30 minutes drive north from Oconto, WI because the fish were biting. (See WSSA Secretary Andy Gratton’s message below.) The Wisconsin Skeeter Association championships will start today. The WSSA and DN Western Regional Championship will begin on Saturday. Green Lake, WI is the Nite Nationals site, and Elk Lake in Michigan will host the DN Central Region Championships. Here are links to all the results. Thanks to tabulators Mary Jane Schalk for handling the Nites, Skeeters, and Stern Steerers and to Ann Foeller for tabulating the DNs.
REGATTA RESULTS FOR MARCH 6-7, 2021 DN Western Region Championship DN Central Region Championship Nite Nationals Wisconsin Skeeters Association Championship Wisconsin Stern Steerers Association Championship
The WSSA regatta location has changed due to ice fishermen overtaking Oconto City Park. Apparently the fish are biting and today the park was so full with vehicles on both sides of the road that the beach ramp was inaccessible. Since this is a Thursday we are tentative that Saturday and Sunday will have even more vehicles parked in the way. Therefore the regatta is moved to Menominee where, if nothing else happens, we can be entertained watching DNs. The ramp is at the Watermark Bayview Restaurant, formerly Schlegel’s, on the north side of the parking lot. Permission to use their property as a drive-on and to park in the parking lot has been granted. The access is down a lumpy beach. Four-wheelers will be available to pull trailers though there is 17″ of ice near shore and 12″ to 14″ off-shore a few hundred feet. Drive on is possible. There is a working shove to be crossed to get to the racing area.
First race is now moved to 11 am Saturday, note the time change.
A few small grills will be available for anybody wishing to cook out Friday or Saturday evening. Bring your own food.
Andy
WSSA Secretary
The Black Panther vintage skeeter, built by Chris Smith of Chris-Craft comes off the lake.
The Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club hopes of getting a racing season for this season were dashed by the recent warm spell. Don Anderson and Jeff Russell pulled off their vintage Skeeter this week because Mendota turned into a slush pit with weakened landings. The 4LIYC has cancelled racing for the weekend.
Who wants to go to Fort Peck, Montana next year? I’m thinking a Baikal-like annual adventure open to all ice sailors. At the end of the season when the rest of our ice is typically un-sailable. Those of us in the Midwest and further left would likely still drive. And maybe we arrange for containers to go from the Central Region and the East? The town would roll out the red carpet for us and maybe even throw in some tourism dollars support. What do you think?
When the news of the victory reached Madison, the citizens were ecstatic. Henry Fauerbach, interviewed at Chicago’s Illinois Athletic Club, declared that his brother’s victory would be a good motivation for ice-yacht racing throughout the whole Northwest. In an understatement, Mendota Yacht Club Commodore Lew Porter told the Wisconsin State Journal, “it is possible that the Mendota Yacht Club will hold some sort of jollification as a result of the victory of the PRINCESS II.” The paper went on to write, “PRINCESS II, sailing the colors of the Mendota Yacht Club, has won for Madison the highest honors in this year’s leading American ice yacht regatta…Madison is particularly gratified at the splendid success of Emil Fauerbach’s iceboat because the game Badger skipper has tried several times to lift the cup.” Fauerbach’s win put Madison on the map as an iceboating community.
New Jersey Dan Clapp is best known for his innovative A-Class front-seater Skeeter designs and dominating the Skeeter class championships for two decades. He won nine International Skeeter Association regattas and seven Northwest titles. In the past years, he realized that the magnitude of effort to campaign the Skeeter became too much and too time-consuming. The lack of travel partners also contributed to his decision to sell his INSANITY, one of the most stunning Skeeters ever seen.
Fort Peck 2022: The Hard Water Summit
