2020 Northwest Ice Yacht Racing Association Information
March 13-15,2020
Lake Waconia, Minnesota
Regatta Watch: Nite National Called ON Feb 3-4 on Mendota
Photo: George Gerhardt Ready position!
This weekend, Lake Mendota will be the place to be if you embrace winter. The 2018 Nite National Regatta will be sailed on Lake Mendota February 3-4, 2018. All official information is posted on the Nite Class website.
The MARY B will be on display at the Clean Lake Alliance premier event, Frozen Assets Festival at the Edgewater Hotel. If that isn’t enough fun, UW Madison’s Hoofers Winter Carnival is also taking place. The 4LIYC will likely be club racing this weekend as well. We’ll have an announcement about 4LIYC racing by 5 PM on Friday.
Regatta Watch: Junior Worlds in Lithuania Feb 5-8
Video from DN Ice Sailing Lithuania Facebook page, January 31, 2018, Lake Rekyva.
The DN and Ice Optimist Junior World Championship will take place in Siaulai, Lithuania on Rekyva Lake.
Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club DNer, Thor Rosten, and his dad Ron, are leaving for the regatta today and taking Thor’s Meade Gougeon red DN acquired over the summer from Ron Sherry. Good luck, Thor!
Weather Watching
https://www.instagram.com/p/BdMIu8TjSdo/?hl=en&taken-by=verticalgranite
“A change in the weather is sufficient to recreate the world and ourselves.” Marcel Proust
Weather forecasting is part of the sport of ice yachting. Here are three weather websites that have been recommended and proved useful during this winter of the Zamboni:
- SpotWX: “…designed as a spot weather forecasting tool. There’s no shortage of sites out there, both government and private, which display weather maps from various models. However getting the actual numbers required for a spot forecast remains a difficult task without specialized desktop software. SpotWx was created to fill that void.”
- Tropical Tibits Forecast Models: Supplies graphical forecasts from numerical weather models.
- Windy: “Weather radar, wind and waves forecast for kiters, surfers, paragliders, pilots, sailors and anyone else.”
YOU Can Help Build a Fleet!
4LIYC DN/Skeeter sailor and UW Sailing Coach, Dave Elsmo, has been getting college age sailors into iceboats this winter but he needs your help! If you have an old DN hulls, chocks, or masts, please get in touch with Dave so he can put together some boats for these enthusiastic new ice sailors.. You can email to me debwhitehorse@iceboat.org if you don’t have Dave’s contact information.
We had 12 new sailors on the loaners boats between Saturday and Sunday. I have three students that are really interested in racing more and possibly building their own programs. I have two planks without chocks, an extra set of stays, 1 spare mast and three spare sails. Can the group find some old DN hulls,chocks, and a masts? Fun fact, Ben Witman was competitively racing on Sunday with an old fiberglass Sherry mast. Get your old parts on the ice!
Dave Elsmo
4LIYC Racing Scores Updated
Photo from the Yahara Project Instagram page, A documentary project on the Yahara Watershed.
After waiting out a snow flurry, the club was able to race on Sunday, January 28 on Lake Mendota and Tim McCormick has tabulated the standings.4LIYC Scores, Jan 30, 2018
A highlight of that day on Mendota was several college-age soft water sailors being introduced to our sport. Daniel Hearn put it best in his Facebook post:
Tip of the helmet to Dave Elsmo, who seemingly had the entire UW Sailing Team out taking turns and racing with us. Great exposure for our sport, due to Dave’s tireless ambassadorship!
2018 DN North American Championship
Photo: Gretchen Dorian
After a 5 day delay because of weather, the 2018 DN North American championship was sailed on Lake Charlevoix in Petoskey, Michigan January 24 -27. Congratulations to defending champion Ron Sherry for winning his 13th title in the Gold fleet and Steve Madden for winning the Silver fleet. Below is some drone footage from Jeff Kent.
You will find links to photos, videos, and news stories over at idniyra.org.
Results
Gretchen Dorian Photos
Sailing Scuttlebutt Report
Regatta Watch: Nite Nationals Called ON for Madison Feb 3-4
Nite Nationals called ON for February 3-4.
Via the International Nite Iceboat Association Website:
Several boats sailed a large sheet of ice on Lake Mendota today (1-28). Though the ice had a fresh 1/2″ of snow, it checked out fine. We’ll watch to be sure it doesn’t turn stiff.
Keep up to date by visiting the Nite website.
Regatta Watch: ISA Postponed
JD hikes out in a Class A Skeeter iceboat
Via Jay Yaeso:
The International Skeeter Association championship has been postponed. There are multiple lakes with club racing venues but ramps are all questionable at this time. Tune up and be set for a great championship!
Next update, February 4, 2018.
Regatta Watch: Northwest Postponed
Photo: Jeff Russell Dan Clapp sails his Class A Skeeter, INSANITY on Green Lake at the 2014 Northwest Regatta.
The Northwest Regatta has been postponed. Next update is Sunday, February 4, 2018.
Wisconsin Skeeter Racers Update
Class A Skeeter pilots Tom Hyslop & Ken Whitehorse
Wisconsin Skeeter Race results from Green Bay, Suamico, WI.
1st Ken Whitehorse
2nd Tom Hyslop
3rd Jay YaesoShort track racing, 7 races completed.
Nice day to sail, if you like to sail..
Jay
In Case You Were Wondering
Here’s a big picture ice report from the Lake Geneva area via Jane Pegel
Iceboaters.
Here are lakes Geneva and Como in spectacular photos and videos contributed by Peter Shumway 1-27-2018.
Be aware that there are also open areas hidden along the shorelines. Video shots.
And finally, if you’ve ever wanted to see a hovercraft rodeo, look no further than this video link from Jane. (What’s the plural of hovercraft?)
4LIYC Mendota Racing Update for Jan 28
Tim McCormick reports that several Renegade races took place out in the middle of Lake Mendota today. The launch site was moved from Lot 60 to the Baker Street landing which is not in optimal condition. Caution must be used while rolling on trailers on there. Today’s warm weather softened the ice. There was also some shell ice which we hope will freeze solid during tonight’s cold temperatures. Racing will begin at 10 AM in the middle of Lake Mendota tomorrow, Sunday, 27, 2018.
Wisconsin Skeeter Racers Gather on Green Bay
Wisconsin Skeeter Racers Smoker banquet hosted by the Windjammer Ice Yacht Club in Suamico.
The Wisconsin Skeeters gathered today in Green Bay for some racing. The conditions quite breezy and racing was cancelled due to high winds but some amount of sailing was had by all. The tourney will resume Sunday morning.
4liyc Racing Called On for Jan 27-28
Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club racing has been called on for Jan 27 – 28 on Lake Mendota. Launch out of Lot 60. Trailers will be pushed on. First race is 10 AM.
Regatta Watch: NIYA Postponed
Via Northwest Ice Yacht Regatta Race Committee chairman, Tim McCormick:
The NIYA has been postponed. Next update is January 28.
ISA Postponed
The ISA regatta has been postponed because the Northwest regatta has been called on and takes precedence. Next update January 28, 2018.
Northwest Regatta Called ON for Jan 26-28
Photo: Joe Stanton
Via NIYA Race Committee Chairman Tim McCormick
“The Northwest Regatta is tentatively call ON for January 26-28. The primary site is Lake Winnebago and we’re holding Madison and Green Bay as backup sites. Final confirmation will be made by Wednesday, January 24th at Noon CST.”
4LIYC Racing Update for Jan 21
Coming to a lake near you soon….
Via Vice Commodore Tim McCormick:
No club races on Sunday, January 21, 2018.
Drifts are still too tall (6-8”) for racing on Mendota. Middle of the lake is better than Middleton bay. Daniel said he checked all 4 lakes and Mendota is the best. Need some rain to knock the snow down.
102.6 Miles of Winnebago Memories
Photo: Gretchen Dorian Andy Gratton’s WISCONSIN
Via stern-steerer skipper Michael Kroll:
A great day of sailing on Lake Winnebago! Andy Gratton and I set sail at 10 am this morning, sailing the famous Wisconsin, from Oshkosh on one of the best Lake Winnebago excursions ever.
We headed south to David L Lallier’s house in mind for our first stop. As we passed the wayside, we saw 2 sails near shore. We sailed into the way side to find Mark Wiener and Dan Tess sailing DN’s. After a brief chat we continued on to Dave’s house. Mark and Dan followed. We arrived at Dave’s house to find him working in his shop. After a slight arm twisting, he decided to come sail with us. He sailed Mr. Dass. His friend Rob showed up and sailed Ella. I was told both those boats are Don Ward built boats. George Gerhardt also showed up at Dave’s House. At this point George hopped in Wisconsin with Andy and I sailed with Dave in Mr. Dass.
What great fun. We all sailed the south end of the lake for awhile and ended up at the FDLYC. I took my spot back on Wisconsin and we parted ways. Andy and I headed north with the intent to make it to the north shore. After navigating the cracks and rough ice we ended up turning back for Oshkosh at Garlic Island just north of Oshkosh at around 3 pm. We figured we would run out of daylight if we continued North. We made it back to Oshkosh around 4 pm. I rigged the Flying Cloud and we continued to sail in the bay until after dark. We needed 10 more miles in the bay to reach our goal of 100+ miles. We sailed a total of 102.6 miles. After this long and fun filled day of sailing we walked off the ice to the SSIYC for a well deserved fish dinner and a couple of beverages. Words just can’t describe the memories this day of iceboating I will have forever.
WISCONSIN on Lake Winnebago in 2017 in similar conditions.
4LIYC Racing Update for Jan 20-21
Middleton Bay on Lake Mendota was inspected Friday, Jan 19, 2018. There are 12″ drifts that make the lake unsailble today. There will be no club racing on Saturday, January 20.
The lake will be inspected again at 4 PM on Saturday, January 20 to make a decision as to club racing for Sunday, January 21. Next update is Saturday, January 20 before 5 PM. We are hoping that the warm weather in the coming days will knock the drifts down to make is raceable. read more…
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