2020 Northwest Ice Yacht Racing Association Information
March 13-15,2020
Lake Waconia, Minnesota
Renegade Recap
Joe Norton waits as the Renegades line up to race.
On Sunday morning, the Nites sailed one race as the Renegades waited, but the wind shifted, and the course had to be changed. The Renegade fleet decided to call their regatta complete because they weren’t sure if there was enough time to move and scout the new course for hazards before the snow came. The snow held off, the Nites banged off five more races and had a spectacular day.
Don Anderson 5th, Daniel Hearn 4th, Andy Gratton 3rd, Jim Gluek 1st, and Ron Sherry 2nd.
SOLD! December 7, 2020: DN in WI
SOLD! Race-ready US DN 5397
Hull custom built for 145-lb skipper at Nordhaus Boatwerks in 2007.
Restored, refinished hull and new tiller courtesy Team Minnesota in 2019.
Three Ron Sherry insert runners (two 3/16″ sides and low profile steering).
Bob Rast “Twizzler” mast and mast bag.
Dariusz Kardas masthound
Stays and bag
Baltic birch and ash plank
Dave’s Machining chocks
Forstmann boom
Braided sheet
Harken adjustable blocks
North Sails F01 and bag
Boat cover, ice screw, setup hardware, sharpening stones.
Madison, WI
$4,000
Photo credit: cefirmbach.com
Photo credit: gretchendorian.com
Fly By Nite
Nite iceboats on Lake Puckaway, December 26, 2020. Photos: Jim Stevenson.
As the saying goes, it’s who you know. Ice sailors have become accustomed to seeing 4LIYC Renegader Jeff Russell pull up on the ice in his bright yellow Piper Cub. Jeff opted for blades on the ice at this weekend’s Renegade Championship and Nite regatta. Luckily, his fellow flyer Jim Stevenson arrived and took these spectacular aerial shots of the Nite Class on Saturday.
The Nites sailed 6 more races on Sunday. Results here.
SOLD! December 21, 2020: DN in MN
SOLD! DN
All parts included, sail, runners, etc. All parts in good sailing condition.
Will need a coat of paint in the future. Ready for the season! Downsizing, have too many iceboats.
$650 OBO
Wayzata, MN
SOLD! January 29, 2020: Vintage Skeeter
SOLD!
The DOUBLER
Boat is a 1930’s, 2 seater, completely refurbished at Nordhaus Boat Werks.
Boat has hand and foot steering, car paint, complete covers, lifter, stands, runner box and a galvanized trailer.
Madison, WI.
$4,950
$4,000
Renegade Nationals – Nite Holiday Series Update
Arrowheads: The Nite fleet readies to race on Lake Puckaway, Saturday, December 26, 2020. Photo by Jim Stevenson. Instagram: js170b.
I have time for a quick update before heading back to Lake Puckaway for day 2 of the 2020 Renegade Championship and Nite Holiday Series.
One of the highlights for me was scoring the third Renegade race when two familiar boats rounded first and second on the first lap and continued to battle for the remaining four laps. Ron Sherry was sailing Mike Ripp’s blue Renegade, and Mike was sailing his father, Jack’s red Renegade. Mike said that “Jack was sailing the boat” in that race. I will have more video and photos on Monday.
2020 Nite Holiday Series Called ON
Via Nite Class Commodore John Hayashi:
The Nite class will be sailing out of Apuckwaka Park on the North shore of Lake Puckaway. The event starts on Saturday 12/26 with the flag dropping at 9 AM. You must be a Nite class member to participate. We will be following the Nite class protocols regarding COVID safe events listed on our class website www.niteiceboats.org. Further updates will be posted on our class website and also Facebook page.
The ice has been walked and scouted and will be further scouted and sailed Christmas morning. We are currently recording 4 inches of ice. The conditions look excellent.
Black lines are very small working seams, they have small gaps with thinner ice and possible water gaps. The circle is a very small patch of rougher ice that can be sailed just a little more bumps to it. We will sail right off the landing.
Regatta Watch: 2020 Renegade Championship Called ON
The 2020 Renegade Championship has been Called ON for Puckaway Lake near Princeton, WI for December 26-27, 2020. The Renegade Championship will join with the Nite class for their Holiday Series. This post will be updated with Sailing Instructions and more information as we receive it.
ATTENTION ATTENTION ATTENTION:
Online registration is MANDATORY. You will not be able to pay using cash or check at the sailing site.
Launch:
Apackwaka Park on Puckaway Lake, Montello, WI.
Do not drive on the ice! Please save the landings as well.
Black lines are very small working seams, they have small gaps with thinner ice and possible water gaps. The circle is a very small patch of rougher ice that can be sailed just a little more bumps to it. We will sail right off the landing.
Ice Report: The lake was walked, drilled, and measured by Nite Commodore John Hayashi today December 24, 2020. He found 4″ of ice everywhere with some areas thicker. See the map above for working seams.
SAILING INSTRUCTIONSSchedule of Events:
Saturday, December 26, 2020
8:30 AM: Skippers Meeting
9:00 AM: First Nite Race
10:00 AM First Renegade Race
Renegade By Laws specify 3 races for Saturday.
Sunday, December 27, 2020
9:00 AM First Nite Race
9:30 AM First Renegade Race
Attention Renegaders
Lake Puckaway, Thursday morning, December 24, 2020.
Attention Renegade sailors: Stand by and sharpen your runners.
Previous: 2020 Renegade Championship Called On
Think Christmas Ice!
Faithful Friends on Monotypes
For your listening pleasure, a 1983 Russian music video with Monotype Stern-Steerers and DNs. This video has grown on me since first seeing it on Facebook yesterday. The innocence and goofiness of it seem appropriate now.
The song is VIA ′′ Faithful Friends ′′ – Blue Song (Blue Inay)” and the translation describing it reads, “In the 80s, there is a boom of Sailing in the USSR, the mass construction of sailing yachts, monotype buers, DN, sports clubs at factories buy match, yacht clubs open, popularization is huge.”
Class A Skeeter Fleet News
Minnesota sailors Rob Evans (standing) and Alex Peterson picked up Jim Gluek’s MERLIN Class A Skeeter from Wisconsin yesterday. Welcome to the fleet!
SOLD! April 11, 2020: Class A Skeeter in Wisconsin
SOLD! Class A Skeeter built by Dan Clapp. Full size ready to race. Has everything you need. 2 mast 2 booms 6 sails 5 sets of runners. Must sell and will entertain offers.
SOLD! November 5, 2020: 2 DNs in MI
SOLD!
2 DNs
2 Older DN ice boats in good condition.
(1) Traditional and (1) Banjo.
Newer Sails, 2 sets of runners (Insert & Plate) for both boats, wood masts and booms. Sarns hardware.
Ready to go with 4 year old custom, all aluminum trailer for hauling and storage. Lightweight enough to roll out on the ice.
Blue boat $1,800
Green boat $1200
Trailer not available until both boats are sold then ($3000) or $4900 for the whole package.
Traverse City, MI
Spaight St. Syndicate Update: Chicks Dig It
Via Daniel Hearn:
Chicks Dig It
Not a PC headline, but what can you expect from a sport dominated by old white dudes with hair growing out of their ears. Long past time to change our demographics.
Meet Erin Bury. She’s the size of a gymnast with a personality as big as the Deuce. Still in her twenties, she calls the Twin Cities home. She showed up on the catamaran racing circuit last summer with another Gopher and thought ice sailing sounded rad, when she heard us talking about it.
Last weekend, she stepped off a plane from Hawaii jet-lagged, took a quick cat nap, and headed to Lake Christina where she knew we were going to be. After checking out the boats big and small, she was convinced this sport was her kind of thing. Erin also brought her boyfriend, Dave. He’s cool. He brought his dirt bike with studded tires. He even let a couple of old dudes ride it, chiding us to lay it down like we mean it. He’s young and invincible. We know better. Sort of.
Also joining us from the Twin Cities for some tiller time was another cat sailor, Gretchen Wilbrandt. Gretchen’s first DN experience was the World Championships two years ago when she casually mentioned that ice sailing sounded like fun. Another first-timer, Renee Fields, also flew in from Arizona for the Worlds. First time…world championships…no big deal. Chicks rock!
Anyway, back to Erin. This weekend, she and Dave met us at Lake Altoona. Erin was itching to give it a go. Wind was light, but so is Erin, so with a little boost from a powered kick sled, she was up and going. (Side note: We discovered that the sleds are great coaching tools, too. My brother Brian sat on the seat, while I drove. He could easily get Erin started with his foot on the stern, and we both were right there for instructions). Next weekend, Erin will be meeting us on Lake Puckaway, if the weather cooperates for that regatta. Who knows…maybe she’ll be an iceboat owner by then.
Thanks to our friends Tim Mower and Bill Ecklund for inviting us to come and sail with them. And it was great to meet other locals, Dan, Dan and Rolf. Hope to sail with you again sometime.
Regatta Watch: 2020 Renegade Championship Called ON
2016 Renegade race on Lake Monona, Madison, WI. Photo: Joe Stanton
Via International Renegade Ice Yacht Association Secretary Ron Rosten:
The 2020 IRIYA Championship is called on as per Race Committee chair Don Anderson for December 26-27, 2020. Primary site is Lake Puckaway near Princeton, WI. Final confirmation will be made on Thursday, December 24, 2020 noon CT.
SOLD! December 2, 2020: Nite in WI
SOLD!
Nite
This boat is the boat you’re looking for if you want to win now. The boat is tuned and comes with the special parts necessary to win at the top level.
Sitka mast shaped by Dick Slates
Plank and spring board by Terry Erwin
Plank by Peter Slocum
Inland AP sail
North heavy air sail
Extensive batten collection
Full covers
2 sets of runners
2 place Trailer with box (3 sail capacity) and self-loading system
Asking $7500
Wisconsin
SOLD! DN in Madison, WI
SOLD! DN hull, wood mast and aluminum boom with mainsheet and boom blocks for sale.
Crispy Quantum sail too.
$650.00 for all.
Madison, WI
Kegonsa Safe for Eagles
Slipping, slipping, slipping….
As of Friday, December 18, 2020, Lake Kegonsa was 99% skimmed over with ice. Ron Rosten shot this photo from the Pleasant Springs landing. He reports that the Eagles looked like they were having fun playing rough with each other like puppies. The ice is not ready yet, but we will keep our eyes on Kegonsa.
MARY B Film Trailer
Via Don Sanford and the Ice Boat Foundation:
News Flash! We enlisted Madison-based filmmakers Gretta & Aarick at Downtown Dailies back in January of 2020 to help us tell Mary B’s story in a short film. They’ve plowed through hours and hours of archival film, inspected hundreds of images and shot hours of interviews. We believed there was a good story here—not just about a big iceboat, but about her hometown, Madison, WI. The preview is ready. Watch for the premier sometime in January of 2021.
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