2020 Northwest Ice Yacht Racing Association Information
March 13-15,2020
Lake Waconia, Minnesota
NIYA Regatta Postponed
From Tim McCormick:
The NIYA Regatta is postponed until March 9-11. The landings in Madison, Green Lake, Winnebago, and Green Bay will not support cars or large trailers so we’re keeping our eyes open for potential ice north of Suamico, WI for the regatta. Next update is Sunday, March 3 at 8pm CST.
Nite Regatta Update
From “Mr. Nite” Don Sanford:
Don’t put your boat away, there’s still ice.Here’s this week’s regatta update.The Northwest has been called ON for March 2-4. Should they postpone, the ISA may call ON. Primary site for either regatta will be Green Bay, probably Windjammers Sailing Club in Suamico, WI, though that may change depending on conditions. Other possible locations are Lake Winnebago, Green Lake or the Madison, WI area. Should the Northwest call ON, Nite Nationals will be called ON for March 3 & 4 on the best ice available. If the ISA is called ON, we will sail with the ISA and postpone nationals.The Northwest and ISA will make a decision on Wednesday by noon CST. Per our NOR, we will make our decision on Thursday by at noon CST.You may have noticed that NiteRacing.org has not been updated for a few days. Until that issue can be resolved I’ve asked John to keep us up to date through our Facebook page and Team Snap.I will have another update on Wednesday afternoon.
ISA Called ON
ISA called ON. Green Bay primary location.
Final call Wednesday noon.
Northwest ON for March 2-4!
The Northwest Regatta is tentatively called ON for March 2-4.
Primary regatta site is Green Bay, WI with secondary sites in Green Lake, Lake Winnebago, and Madison.
We’re keeping a close eye on the warm weather coming this week and will inspect launch ramps and ice on Wednesday morning.
Final determination will be Wednesday, February 28th at Noon CST.
We’re not done yet so… Think Ice!
No 4-Lakes Club Racing Feb. 24-25
Vice Commodore Tim McCormick and the other ice-checkers extensively scouted the local lakes this morning (thanks everyone!).
Tim reports:
We decided against club racing this weekend. Although the ice in the center of Lakes Mendota and Monona is raceable, the window of opportunity for racing is small due to rain and high winds forecast for Saturday afternoon and really high winds on Sunday. In addition, the landings are soft and will make getting boats on and off the ice a challenge.
Nite Nationals Postponed
From Nite Commodore Don Sanford:
Mother Nature has dealt us another bad hand. Here in Wisconsin, especially in the southern part of the state we’ve received a lot of rain in the past couple of days. The good news is that our snow is gone. Not the bad news–today ice checkers around ruts, soft landings and lots of shelf ice on Madison lakes, Pewaukee, Geneva or Green. Clearly not regatta conditions. Up north and in Minnesota they’re still snowed in. Therefore, Nite Nationals have been postponed to March 3 & 4. Keep your fingers crossed.
Next update on Sunday, Feb 25.
Regatta Watch: NIYA & ISA Postponed
UPDATE:ISA postponed as well. Next ISA update is February 25, 2018.
Via NIYA Regatta Chair Tim McCormick:
The Northwest Regatta is postponed until March 2-4. We have a number of potential sites which are close to racing conditions. Madison lakes have smoothed out nicely but they have shell ice; ¾” ice above 1-3” of liquid. Geneva has drain holes with skimmed ice over them. Green Lake is similar to Madison plus it has some hard 4” snow drifts. Lake Winnebago and Green Bay are getting smoother but are still too rough for a regatta. Next update is Sunday, February 25th at 7pm CST.
ISA & NIYA: Nines!
Via Tim McCormick
DID YOU KNOW?
The racing format for the NIYA, ISA, and Renegade regattas has changed from five races to nine races. Three races are scheduled for each day (Friday through Sunday) and races may be made up if missed on prior days. For example, if only one race is completed on Friday, then we may sail up to 5 races on Saturday. Here’s hoping for smooth ice, fair winds, and lots of good racing soon!
State of the Four Lakes
https://www.instagram.com/p/BfbICw8B2W7/?hl=en&taken-by=christophermanzeck
The snow has completely melted from our lakes. The ice will be checked tomorrow here along with other locations with the hopes of having a regatta on Friday through Sunday.
Regatta Watch: ISA Tentatively Called ON for Feb 23-24
Via ISA Regatta Chair, Jay Yaeso:
The International Skeeter Association Regatta is tentatively called ON for February 23-25, 2018. The Northwest has precedence. Currently, conditions do not exist. A weather system early in the week could present an opportunity for an event. The Northwest is also called on and takes precedence over the ISA. Final confirmation will be noon, Wednesday, February 21.
Regatta Watch: NIYA Tentatively Called ON for Feb 23-25
Via NIYA Regatta Chair Tim McCormick:
The Northwest Regatta is tentatively called ON for February 23-25, 2018. We don’t currently have racing conditions, but we have a major weather system moving through the area early this week bringing warm temperatures and rain followed by colder temperatures Tuesday night. We’ll inspect ice conditions Wednesday morning and make the final call by Noon CST, Wednesday February 21st. Potential regatta sites include Madison, Green Lake, and Fond du Lac.
Renegade
4LIYC Racing Update: No Go for Feb 17-18
There will be no Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club racing for the weekend of February 17-18, 2018. Commodore Don Anderson took a look at Mendota and reported “too rough and slush pits.” Vice Commodore Tim McCormick swung by Monona and reported it to be unsailable as well. Next update Friday, February 23.
Palmer Boat Company of Lake Geneva
Waiting for ice sailing conditions to return gives more time to post the historical items. The invaluable Brian Reid of New York recently shared some history in the form of a letter from the Palmer Boat Company written in 1936 to a New Jersey iceboater. Brian wrote:
I was going through some images on a snow day here and came upon a few things from out your way. These come from a scrapbook that Greg Strand recently acquired on behalf of the North Shrewsbury Iceboat & Yacht Club of New Jersey; Greg is archivist/historian of the Red Bank crew.The scrap book belonged to George Seger – an active NJ ice boater in the 30s and 40s – he’s in Wings on the Ice (p. 59). Greg called me and I took digital images of as much as I could. Great stuff.
As you see in their elegant letter head, the Palmer Boat Company of Fontana, Wisconsin was an early builder of scows and iceboats. Many vintage Palmers have come across the Buy and Sell page of this website over the years. A quick internet search about Palmer boats turned up some interesting facts. Buddy Melges’ father, Harry Sr., worked for Palmer before starting Melges Boatworks. Maine iceboater Bill Bucholz wrote a story about a Palmer, LINGWES, for the Chickawaukee Iceboat Club that referenced the same Richard Moeller as in this letter to Mr. Seger. Thank you, Brian, for sending this out our way.
Previous: Palmer on the Prairie,, December 2, 2016 on iceboat.org.
If you interested in the early history of ice sailing in the United States and efforts to maintain and sail historic Stern Steerers, Brian’s website, White Wings and Black Ice is a must read.
February Runner Tracks Posted
The February issue of the DN class magazine, Runner Tracks, has just been published. Check it out here.
1950s Lake Monona Ice Sailing Photos
Our club had an unexpected visitor at last week’s meeting who brought us some classic photos. Long time Madisonian Dick Brandt shot these on Lake Monona back in the 1950s. Many thanks to Dick and to Peter Fauerbach for taking the time to scan these important historic photographs. My guess is that many of these were from the 1952 Northwest Regatta which was sailed on Lake Monona.
UPDATE: Skeeter Iceboat Club’s Jane Pegel has helpfully identified some of the boats. The skipper sitting in the MICKEY FINN Skeeter is in question. Jane writes, “I think Mickey Finn may be Buddy because his sail number is I-180 (Harry C. Melges, Jr.) but perhaps his father was sailing the regatta in Mickey Finn.”
Click here to view more photos
The Two Mr. M’s
From Ron Rosten, just returned from the Junior World Championship:
Parallel Universe. The gentleman standing behind Team Sweden is Uppsala’s Kjell Mattsson. Every DN in Uppsala, Sweden has been built, repaired, or upgraded in Mr. Mattsson’s shop. Does this sound familiar to anyone in Madison with an almost identical last name?
Regatta Watch: ISA & NIYA Postponed
The International Skeeter Association (ISA) and Northwest Regattas are postponed because all of Wisconsin and Michigan are snow covered. Next update for both regattas is Sunday, February 18.
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4LIYC Scoring & Banquet Update
Tim McCormick has tabulated the club scores to reflect last weekend’s racing. See results here.
Trophy Chair Jori Lenon has made arrangements for the club’s annual spring awards banquet to be held at Springer’s. Please save the date of April 21, 2018.
2018 Junior Worlds Video: We Sail
While ice sailing is on temporary hold here in Wisconsin because of too much snow, here’s a video to brighten your day. Despite the snow, these kids at the 2018 Junior World Championship are eager sailors having fun.