The Skeeter Ice Boat Club (SIBC) of Lake Geneva, WI, has shared a new resource for the ice sailing community: a YouTube playlist breaking down the National Iceboat Authority’s Racing Rules of Iceboating into easy-to-digest sections.
Edited by SIBC member Dave Navin, these videos provide a guide to understanding and applying the racing rules, helping sailors of all experience levels navigate the course safely and confidently. Whether you’re looking to refresh your knowledge or learn the rules for the first time, this playlist is a valuable tool for anyone passionate about iceboating.
With the help of Deb Whitehorse, the NIA now has its own web page to make it easier for sailors to find information related to the racing rules. The page is pretty simple but it meets the following goals:
1. Share the purpose of the National Iceboat Authority which is to advise sailors on how to conduct iceboat races through an established set of racing rules and to provide a venue for appeals and rules interpretations.
2. Provide a location for the current version of the Constitution & Racing Rules of the NIA.
3. Provide a contact email for inquiries.
4. List current and former Directors of the NIA so sailors can easily associate a name with a face.
In addition, the Racing Rules of the NIA have been updated to clarify:
1. When and how to ABANDON a race.
2. The compensatory points which may be awarded to an assisting yacht. We’ve also added appeal decision #9 related to filing a protest in a timely manner. A detailed list of the changes can be found in the revision history on the last page.
We hope you find these updates useful and that we’ll all be a part of iceboat racing which is safe, fair, and fun!
“Your sail came down because the mast exploded!”
The December 1957 ISA News & Views covers a variety of topics including a discussion of the complications of ice boat racing rules in the years before the National Iceboat Authority was established. There were rules of the Northwest, the ISA, the DN60 fleet, and the North American Yacht Racing Union.
Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant: There are some historic photos from the 1952 Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant which was the second time it was sailed in the west after Ed Rollberg went out east and won it in 1952.
4LIYC News: “Our old member but new Skeeter skipper, Paul Krueger (17) has built himself a new Skeeter with a 23′ rig.” Read it all here.
