International Skeeter Association Regatta
The International Skeeter Association (ISA) was organized in the late 1930s and the first ISA regatta was sailed in 1940. Skeeters were developed on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin. They are piloted by a single skipper and steer from the front of the boat as opposed to the original iceboats which were crewed by two or more and steered from the rear.
The Skeeter is the “Formula One” of ice yachting, a wide open development class where state-of-the-art sailing is seen annually. The only restriction on the Skeeter builder is a 75 square foot sail maximum sail area. While the basic configuration for successful E Skeeters has long been established, significant design improvements have been developed within the Four Lakes fleet. Taller rigs and rear seat Skeeters designed and built by 4LIYC members Bill Mattison and Paul Krueger have brought world championship titles to Madison skippers. In 1989, New Jersey’s Dan Clapp took the ice boating world by storm with his first front-seater and dominated the ISA regatta during the 1990s. Skeeter builders are adept with high tech materials like carbon fiber, and Kevlar. The super powerful Skeeters are the fastest boats on the ice. Sufficiently committed skippers find the greatest challenge in these boats, where design, building, and maintenance skills share equal roles with sailing ability
INTERNATIONAL SKEETER ASSOCIATION DUES NOTICE
NEW! Pay your ISA dues online here.
Or pay through the U.S. Mail: CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD AND PRINT AN ISA MEMBERSHIP FORM
President Jason Thompson
jsthompsdds@hotmail.com
Vice President Pat Heppert
Pat.T.Heppert@saint-gobain.com
Secretary/Treas. Steve Schalk
W6001 Brick Church Rd
Fontana, WI 53125
262-275-2871
I564@charter.net
The annual dues are $25.00 for the 2023-2023 season, payable to:
International Skeeter Association
Steve Schalk, W6001 Brick Church RD, Fontana, WI 53125
December 1st, 2023 is the deadline for new items to be placed on the 2024 agenda.
January 12, 13, & 14, 2023 (Friday, Saturday, & Sunday) is the first scheduled weekend for the 2024 Regatta.
Video of the Day: Skeeter Race
Hang on as you ride the plank with Steve Orlebeke back in 2016 on Lake Kegonsa.
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.
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.
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
Regatta Watch: ISA, Northwest, and WSSA Postponed
Stern Steerer: TWIN BEDS Peter McCormick
The ISA and Northwest Championship Regattas have been postponed to March 13th, 14th and 15th 2020. Sites under consideration are still either snow covered or too thin to be viable. It is expected that more locations will become available as we melt down this week.
Steve Schalk
ISA & NIYA Secretary/Treasurer
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to March 14 and March 15. The Northwest Regatta is scheduled for the same weekend and will take precedence. The next update will be Sunday, March 8. Check back here at that time. Still too much snow though it is melting.
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasurer
Regatta Watch: ISA Called ON for Feb 7-9; NIYA Postponed
Renegades rounding the weather mark at the 2013 ISA regatta on Lake Kegonsa
The Northwest Regatta has been postponed to February 14th, 15th and 16th, 2020.
The ISA is called on for the Four Lakes of Madison for February 7th, 8th and 9th, 2020. Potential sites are Lake Mendota at Middleton Bay and Lake Kegonsa.
The final call will be made by noon CT on Wednesday February 5th, 2020.
Steve Schalk
ISA and NIYA Secretary/TreasurerOn behalf of the NIYA and ISA Race Committees
Regatta Watch: ISA & NIYA Postponed
Photo: Jeff Russell
Via ISA and NIYA Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk:
The Northwest and ISA race Committees have postponed to next week. The Regatta dates are: February 7th, 8th and 9th, 2020. As always the Northwest takes preference over the ISA as they are now scheduled on the same dates.
There are no sailable sites at this point. Large portions of Green and Geneva remain open and many slush covered lakes may become sailable when colder temperatures occur.
Regatta Watch: ISA, Northwest & WSSA Postponed
Via ISA & NIYA Secretary Steve Schalk:
Green and Geneva are both wide open with only a little ice in the east end of each, so there is hope in two weeks. No place to go for January 24th. Both regattas are postponed until January 31, February 1 – 2, 2020. Next update Sunday, January 26, 2020.
WSSA Postponed:
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to February 1 and 2. The next update will be Sunday, January 26. Check back here at that time. Perhaps Green Lake or Lake Geneva will be ready by then.
Andy GrattonWSSA Secretary/Treasurer
Regatta Watch: ISA Postponed
Via International Skeeter Association Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk:
The ISA Championship Regatta is postponed to January 24th, 25th and 26th 2020. There are no sailable locations at this time. There are many sites with open water that will freeze after the upcoming snowfalls. The Northwest Regatta takes precedence now that both are scheduled on the same weekend. Next update is on Sunday, January 19, 2020.
ISA News & Views
Fresh off the virtual printing press via ISA Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk, here’s the latest edition of News & Views, the International Skeeter Association’s newsletter.
ISA News & Views Jan 2020
Regatta Watch: ISA Postponed
A Class Skeeter Photo: Jann Klin
Via International Skeeter Association Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk:
The ISA regatta is postponed until January 17-19, 2020. Check back on Sunday, January 12, 2020 for the next update.
Regatta Watch: 2020 ISA Tentatively Called ON for Jan 10-12
A Class Skeeters Photo: Jann Klin
Via International Skeeter Association Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk:
The ISA is considering Lake Puckaway for the January 10th start of the ISA, with the call to be made and available at 6 pm Sunday January 5th.
Boxing Day Skeeter & 4LIYC Ice Checkers Have the Day Off
Waiting for the Great Ice Maker.
Ken, Paul, Daniel Hearn, and Ron Rosten took advantage of the 48F weather here on Thursday, December 26 to assemble Ken’s Class A Skeeter, WARRIOR to learn how the components and sails fit together. Everything went well and now we wait for an ice-making cold snap to get runners on the ice here in the Four Lakes area.
Needless to say, there’s no ice check scheduled for today. We’ve learned that Kegonsa had between 3.5 – 4″ of ice a few days ago but the warm temperatures do not inspire confidence. Rain is in the forecast as well. So, we continue to wait.
When the Stars Align
Things got a little scientific next door at the Whitehorse/Krueger Skeeter shop today. Ken set up his newly painted Class A Skeeter and he and Paul spent the day getting the runners aligned just perfectly.
Welcome to the Machine: New Class A Skeeter Sailor Joins the Fleet
Leon LeBeau, long time DN and Renegade sailor from the Detroit, Michigan area, has joined the ranks of the bubble boat sailors. Leon chased the storm and made a quick trip to New Jersey this week to pick up his new Dan Clapp-built Class A Skeeter, which was formerly owned by Rick Stavola. Leon is looking forward to joining his DN friends who have also made the switch to Skeeters and the rest of the fleet. See you at the ISA and NIYA, Leon!
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