One of our most esteemed members, Renegade champion and Honor Roll member, Jack Ripp, was celebrated recently with a big bash thrown for his 90th birthday. Jack still attends our bi-weekly club meetings during the season and has a wealth of knowledge about Renegade sailing and iceboating history. Several 4LIYC members attended the party and enjoyed catching up with Jack and eating a JACK FROST birthday cake. Happy birthday, Jack!
JACK RIPP CHAMPIONSHIP TITLES
International Skeeter Association 1961
Western International Skeeter Association 1981
Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant of America 1964 1966 1967
International Renegade Ice Yacht Association Regatta Championship 1987 1988 1991 1996
Two legends, Bill Perrigo IOU and Elmer Millenbach RENEGADE III
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.”
MICKEY FINNMICKEY FINN, either Harry or Buddy Melges. Boat in the back right is Frank Trosts’s TUSCARORA. He and Bill Perrigo had matching tandem Skeeters back then.
25 SkeetersI-38 is Stan Johnson, Williams Bay, I-51 is Don Krause, Williams Bay. Though frequently Buddy raced Don’s boat so Buddy may have been the skipper in the photo.
From the University of Wisconsin Digital Collections: “Lake Mendota ice rink” Photographer: Meuer, William Date: 1919-02 ,
While we wait for the Great Zamboni and for the big Wisconsin lakes of Green and Geneva to come online, enjoy these images Peter Fauerbach found in the University of Wisconsin Digital Collection.
The forecast looks encouraging for iceboating in Wisconsin.
Jack Ripp’s MISS FORTUNE on Lake Monona,, January 18, 1952.
A man identified as “Grede” lays in an iceboat on Lake Mendota. 1916-02-26
Madison-style stern-steerer on Lake Mendota in 1895
The Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club has been sailing Madison’s lakes since the 1860s.
An 18 year old Jerry Simon with his first Skeeter.
Jack Ripp’s Skeeter at the 1952 Northwest on Lake Monona in Madison.
Sailing builds long lasting friendships. 4LIYC Renegaders Jack Ripp and Jerry Simon have known each other for over 60 years. Jerry bought his first Skeeter from Jack back in 1957. Jerry’s first Skeeter was the second Skeeter that Jack built. Jerry explains:
[The] picture is me in my first Skeeter I purchased from Jack. It was Jack’s second skeeter as the first had a deck mounted tiller for steering as seen in the picture [from the 1952 Northwest]. Mine only had a steering wheel mounted under the deck. My first modification was to put in foot peddles, which didn’t work very well.
What is interesting is the sail number on my purchased boat was M8, which is the rig on Jack’s first tillered Skeeter photo [from the 1952 Northwest]. The picture of me standing next to my Par-a-dice boat with the sail number
M14 is off of Jack’s third Skeeter. I purchased it later and took off the number 9 from is famous M149 number.
During this time period skeeters changed every year so lots of cheap used gear available.
Harry Melges at the 1952 Northwest on Lake Monona.
A Surprise in the Mail: Part 3
Renegader Jerry Simon had a look through the scrapbook that I recently received and spent a few enjoyable hours identifying boats and putting the photos in context. We’ve concluded that the scrapbook did indeed belong to Herb Krogman who sailed Renegades and Skeeters with the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club in the 1950s. There are quite a few pictures from the 1952 Northwest which was sailed on Lake Monona. History records that Bill “Curley” Perrigo won the Skeeter title that year in THUNDERJET. The 1950s were a time of rapid technological development in the Skeeter class and a transition from Skeeter to what would become the Renegade class.
Jack Ripp’s Skeeter at the 1952 Northwest on Lake Monona in Madison.
Elmer Millenbach’s RENEGADE III
Spike Boston’s miniature Skeeter, PINK PINK
Skeeter class line up. IOU is regatta winner Bill Perrigo, V80 Frank Trost.
