2020 Northwest Ice Yacht Racing Association Information
March 13-15,2020
Lake Waconia, Minnesota
Lake Waconia Keeping the Fat Lady Away
To quote Bill Bucholz of the Chickawauee Ice Boat Club, “We’re all good: we already wear masks and gloves!”
Via Minnesota Skeeter sailor Pat Heppert:
It turned out to be a great recreational weekend on Lake Waconia, despite the rough ice. There were 2 A skeeters, 1 B skeeter, 2 C skeeters, and 2 DN’s. The ice was a solid 18”-20” with drive-on conditions , and was officially rated as high as an 8.5 on a scale of 1 to 1,000. A total of 4 scrub races were completed in the C skeeter fleet on Sunday, with a substantial number or lead changes. Below is video of a slow speed ride along.
Pat Heppert
“Drifter” I-291
JDs fleet, the B Skeeter PUFFER and lurking stealthily in the background the A Skeeter.
Baikal Day 3 Report
DNs line up to start a race on Lake Baikal. Photo: Igor Bassearab
After a couple of days of wind famine, the feast arrived on Baikal. Mike Bloom sent a photo a few hours ago with a short message that the racing was delayed because the wind was blowing 10 meters per second (22 mph). The situation turned around and they were able to race today. See video below. More: Baikal Ice Yacht Racing Facebook page.
Renegades Get Another Day on Scugog
Via our Canadian Renegade friends from Canada:
I thought we were finished but we had a couple cold nights and I was squeezing a few more days out ! LAKE SCUGOG is a little rough but we still have a fair bit of ice . Just took a break to send this photo and heading back out now ! First day We’ve been out in a while !
Kelly , Phil and Aant
Baikal Day 2 Report from Mike Bloom
Minnetonka DNer Mike Bloom on Lake Baikal. Photo: Sophia Marc-Martin
Bottom line: no sailing today.
After being served lunch in the pits, the fleet was instructed to assemble a few miles down the lake on the other side of a huge rock island. Once there, a silver qualifier was attempted but black flagged due to an expired time limit on the 3rd Lap. Next it was the OptI fleet’s turn to be blacked flagged when nobody made it to the weather mark.
No Gold fleet races were attempted. We can’t sail till the Silver qualifier takes place.
Finally, at about 5 pm we were excused for the day. And yes, no sooner were we told to go home then the wind came up. Since the sun doesn’t set till nearly seven Chris Berger convinced Peter Hamrak, a Russian named Sergei, and Mike Bloom to sail multiple hot laps back near the pits.
The ice on Baikal is less than ideal. I’d rate the ice a 6. The lake is full of snow drifts that are deep and hard. It takes some great steering and lot of luck to navigate the course. Hopefully, our evening session will serve us well tomorrow, when the wind is predicted to reappear.
It’s been another long day. Time for a shower and some shut eye.
Mike Bloom US321
Beautiful Baikal
Photo: Igor Bassearab
Over on the other side of the world, the annual Lake Baikal Ice Yachting week began today. Three “locals” are there, Chicago’s Chris Berger & Marcy Grunert, and Minnetonka DNer Mike Bloom who sent report below. Follow along on the Baikal Ice Yacht Racing Facebook page.
First day.
Nice breeze when I got up. Having traveled through 13 times zone my body is so confused from jet lag I don’t know what time it is. So today, getting to ice very early was easy. A few folks came down to empty the shipping containers so we could all set up.The amount of gear in the containers was impressive. 35 hulls, masts, planks, sails and runners take up a ton of shoreline. Here’s a picture when we were about 1/2 way done. The best part was watching the sailors get to the ice. It looked like Christmas morning as the sailors all picked out their gear. Opening ceremony was at 11. Then wind died. We’ll try again tomorrow. Should be wind tomorrow.
Watch Mendota Melt
Though we are on the flip side of the ice watching season, here’s a live Lake Mendota web cam I’ve not seen before which originates from the birthplace of limnology in North America, the Center for Limnology at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Watch Mendota melt here. The UW liminologists also recommend watching this live underwater view of Lake Baikal here.
Greg Whitehorse Elected to 4LIYC Honor Roll
Greg Whitehorse sailing his Renegade BLADE RUNNER on Lake Monona
Time to catch up on some important Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club news. Life long 4LIYC member, Greg Whitehorse, was elected to our club’s Honor Roll at our February business meeting. Please join us at the 4LIYC Awards Banquet on April 18 where Greg will be officially inducted. Make your reservation for the banquet here.
In your internet travels, take some time to read or re-read The Blade Runner written by Greg, where you will find the finest writing about ice boating anywhere.
Previous: Greg Whitehorse Nominated for the 4LIYC Honor Roll
WSSA Cancelled For The Season
The WSSA board has decided to cancel the regatta for the remainder of this winter due in part to the need for strict health precautions caused by the coronavirus, There is a slight chance that the regatta could be held in late December 2020. Check here for further updates at that time.
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary
Regatta Watch: ISA Cancelled for the 2019-2020 Season
One of the best Skeeter photos of all time, Jay Yaeso heads downwind. Photo by Gretchen Dorian.
The International Skeeter Association regatta has been cancelled for the 2019-2020 season. Given the serious health precautions currently needed due to the coronavirus, the ISA Race Committee felt it was prudent to postpone the regatta with the hopes of being able to hold it in December 2020.
Life On the Hardwater: A Podcast
The utter thrill of ice sailing.
Since many of us have had our schedules open up because of recent world events, I can’t think of a better time to listen to James “T” Theiler reflect upon iceboating, the DN class, and his 2020 North American Championship in this podcast from Around the Buoy. T’s segment starts at around 4 minutes. Listen here.
Important Update: Northwest is Cancelled for the Season
Via Northwest Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk:
Due to the travel concerns with coronavirus, the fact that locations we are traveling from and to are involved with active cases, that our group has many people who are at the highest risk, and therefore to avoid losing a good portion of our active sailors, we are going to cancel the Northwest for season.
Northwest CANCELLED
ACE OF SPADES & LITTLE WIND line up to race.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: 12 MARCH 2020 8 AM CT:
Via Northwest Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk:
Due to the travel concerns with coronavirus, the fact that locations we are traveling from and to are involved with active cases, that our group has many people who are at the highest risk, and therefore to avoid losing a good portion of our active sailors, we are going to cancel the Northwest for season.
The 2020 Northwestern Ice Yachting Championship Regatta is on for Lake Waconia Minnesota starting Friday March 13th, 2020.
Class A, B, C, and D Stern steerers, Class A, B, and C skeeters, Renegades and DNs will be racing.
The ISA is postponed for a week.
Boecraft boats that for sure will be there are I 564 and I 234. There will be two C skeeters as well so we will sail with them in a separate start from the A skeeters. Lake Waconia is just west of Lake Minnetonka. The trip is 5 hours and 28 minutes according to Google.
Steve Schalk
Picture of the Day: The Big Booming Hike
Photo by Rob Resnick
From the Facebook page of photographer Rob Resnick, Nite sailor Tom Sweitzer rounds the weather mark on Green Lake at the 2020 Nite Nationals. Check out Rob’s photos from the regatta on his website.
Regatta Watch: WSSA Postponed
Andy Gratton & George Gerhardt with WISCONSIN on Lake Winnebago Friday, March 6, 2020. Notice the big and impassable ice pile. Tales to tell on this ride! Photo by Mike Kroll
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to March 21 and 22 but may well be cancelled for the season. The Northwest Regatta is scheduled for March 13 to 15 and will take precedence. The next WSSA update will be Sunday, March 15. Check back here at that time. Snow is melting quickly as well as ramps. If the NIYA regatta is called off for this coming weekend, it is because the bigger trailers will not have access to the ice, therefore the WSSA regatta will be unable to occur.
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasurer
Regatta Watch: ISA & NIYA Tentatively Called On for March 13 – 15
Happy Birthday, PK!
UPDATE: The original post had the incorrect dates. March 13 – 15, 2020 are the correct dates for these regattas. Sorry for the confusion.
The Northwestern Ice Yachting Association Championship Regatta is called on for two potential sites: Shawano Lake in Wisconsin and Green Lake in Spicer, Minnesota. The dates are March 13 – 15, 2020. The final call will be made Wednesday March 11th no later than noon central time.
The International Skeeter Association regatta is called on for the same locations on the same dates but will only proceed if the NIYA is postponed on Wednesday. The ISA final call will be immediately following the NIYA on Wednesday morning March 11th.
Steve Schalk
ISA & NIYA Secretary/Treasurer
Nite Nationals Day 2: Regatta Completed!
Results
Saturday at the Nite Nationals was a perfect combination of steady wind, sunshine, and fast racing. Congratulations to Chad Rechcygl who won the Gold fleet in a rather dramatic way and to Dick Grota, a literal Grand Master, for his Silver fleet win. It was an early-to-sleep Friday night in order to make Sunday’s first race scheduled for 8 AM. Despite my own groaning at having to get seriously moving before sunrise, it was the right call. Getting on the lake at 7 AM ensured that trailers were able to easily leave the landing before the ice softened too much, unlike last year’s Nite Nationals on Kegonsa where a bridge over troubled landing waters had to be deployed.
Lively winds and rutted ice put tremendous loads on the boats. Other than rigs coming down and a few mast failures, the competitors used good judgement and kept the racing safe. In race eight,Chad Rechcygl, who was leading the Gold fleet in points at the time, had something happen at the worst possible time, his hull broke. As the Silver fleet raced for the last time of the day, Chad faced the prospect of not being able to complete the regatta. However, Nite Class rules allow for equipment substitution. When Toledo Ice Yacht Club’s Alex Chabalowski finished Silver fleet race nine sailing in Nite Commodore John Hayashi’s canary yellow boat, Chad jumped in the boat for the last Gold fleet race, finished fourth, and won the regatta. During prize-giving, Chad credited the help he received from Tom Hyslop for his victory and what it meant to be able to sail with Pewaukee Nite guys Tom Sweitzer and Mark Prange. Another Pewaukee sailor, Dick Grota, made it look easy in both light and heavy air with his Silver fleet win. Also of note was the top female sailor, TIYC’s Anita Bersie Chabalowski, who placed third in the Silver fleet. I don’t think she ever stopped smiling all weekend.
The 4LIYC was represented with Daniel Hearn, Brad Wagner, Lars Barber, and Don Sanford. Daniel finished 3rd in the Gold fleet sailing Joe Norton’s boat. Brad Wagner, who is new to racing this season, won race four on Friday, placed fifth in the Silver fleet, and walked away with the top rookie award. Lars Barber’s mast was one of the casualties of the regatta but he was already making plans to check on the Sitka supply at McCormick Lumber this week for the next one. A big 4LIYC congratulations to Don Sanford who won two races in the Silver fleet and placed second overall.
Thanks to all the competitors, the Nite Class, the Green Lake Ice Yacht Club, John Hayashi, Joe Norton for everything, and to Todd Morgan who helped scout ice and gave a film crew a ride out to the course in his beautiful B Skeeter. A special thank you to Mary Jane Schalk who tabulated and published all the live results from the offshore office!
Nite Nationals Day 1
Live Results
Quick breakfast post from Aunt Judys Cafe in Princeton. Early start today at 8 am.
Winds look decent today. Keep up to date with live scoring emanating from the offshore office at Skeeter Haven courtesy of Mary Jane Schalk.
4LIYC Racing News: No Club Racing for March 7-8
Better days on Lake Monona
There will be no Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club racing for the weekend of March 7- 8, 2020. Lake Mendota is in bad shape. Landings at Captain Bills and County Park are deteriorating rapidly and there are working cracks opened up to 6 inches. The forecast isn’t favorable either with warm temperatures and winds.
I am heading up to Green Lake this morning for the NIte Nationals to help with RC and will have reports from there. 4LIYC members Don Sanford, Lars Barber, and Daniel Hearn are those that I know of competing at Nite Nationals.
4LIYC Banquet: April 18 @ Captain Bill’s: CANCELLED
UPDATE March 17, 2020: The 4LIYC has suspended plans for our spring banquet at this time.
Please join us for the annual Four Lakes Ice Yacht Spring Banquet.
Date: Saturday, April 18, 2020
Time: Social Hour 5:30 to 6 PM
Dinner 6:30 – 7:30 PM
Awards 8 PM
Location: Captain Bill’s Restaurant
2701 Century Harbor Road, Middleton, WI
Map
Cost: $36 per adult (includes gratuity; excludes beer, wine, mixed drinks, coffee, soda, milk) Please print and complete the reservation form, enclose a check payable to the 4LIYC, and mail to Jori Lenon.
Regatta Watch: Nite Nationals & Canadian DN Champs Called ON
Two regattas have been called on for the coming weekend, the Nite Nationals and the Canadian DN Championships.
NITE NATIONALS
March 6 – 8, 2020
Full Information
Location: Dodge Memorial County Park Green Lake, WI TRAILERS ONLY
Map
CANADIAN DN CHAMPIONSHIPS|
Via Peter Van Rossum:
Attention DN sailors:
This Saturday, March 7th we intend on hosting the 2020 Canadian Championships on the Bay of Quinte.
We are also looking for volunteers in helping with this regatta. I will make sure you have front row sight of the mark roundings and starts. If you are interested in helping out, it would be very much appreciated. Please call or send me an email if you can help. Phone number and email are below.
Please make sure your insurance is up to date and you are covered for ice boat racing. Sending a copy of your proof of insurance to my email address is helpful if you intend on racing.
If the ice holds out for Sunday, we will do another unsanctioned regatta where we record our own finishes…I will hold the score sheet in case one would like up grade your score for a better finish. Bribes accepted. (Not applicable for the Canadian Champs)
Stay tuned to the NEIYA site https://theneiya.org/ and IDNIYRA bulletin board http://www.dnamerica.org/forum/ for further details and updates.
petervanrossemsr@gmail.com
613.572.2232
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