The Nite Class held their 2021 Nationals last weekend, March 6-7, on Green Lake in Wisconsin. Saturday’s lack of wind made for a day spent visiting and weighing boats. The wind arrived on Sunday and they completed ten races total, five in each fleet. Photographer Jim Koepnick captured the action and posted it in his website.
The 4LIYC Renegade fleet visited for some of their own sailing and regatta viewing: Jeff Russell, Damien Luyet, Don Anderson, and Jim LaFortune
For all the marbles, the Gold fleet took to the 14″ thick ice on Green Lake, WI for the 2021 Nite National Championship. Conditions caused 0 races on day 1 due to no wind and warm temps. Day 2 forced an early start to get 5 races in with winds 8-13mph. The ice started off hard and slowly softened by 1pm. Chad Rechcygl and Mike Jankowski each sailed away with 2 race wins along with 11x champion Tom Sweitzer flying in from the right side of the course at the finish line to win race 5 and to solidify him as the G.O.A.T. (greatest of all time). Chad grabs his 2nd championship in a row. Mike Jankowski takes 2nd and Top Master. 4 days later with 60 degree temps and high winds, the ice is now gone and the lake is ready for summer sailing. Wow that was close!
Dick Grota once again takes home the Charlie Miller Trophy for 1st place Silver fleet at the 2021 Nite National Championship on Green Lake, WI followed closely behind by Don Sanford. John Mason closed off the day with his 1st race taking 3rd overall.
Mark Prange 550 and Mike Peters 544 battling it out. Photo: John Hayashi
The Nite National Championship has been called on for March 6-7 on the west end of Green Lake in Wisconsin. See the Nite class website for more information.
“When you’re bored and you have iceboating on your mind, you build crazy trimming contraptions in your basement. Lo and behold, Tom Sweitzer sends me a picture of the one he had already made except it was on his porch overlooking the British Virgin Islands! #iceboatLife”
2020 Nite Nats champion Chad Rechcygl explains how he went from “seeing how long he could stay in a hike” to winning the Nite Nationals. He set goals, took to heart what his fellow Nite sailors and mentors told him, tracked his progress, and committed to an off season physical regiment. Chad’s article is a glimpse into the mindset of serious iceboat racers.
I appreciate those who reached out to me and asked me to write an article on my path to winning the 2020 Nite National Championship. To be able to do this means a lot to me and it is still so surreal. It is nice to look back and see the progression. Over the years I made note of my mistakes and implemented solutions. I watched footage to see where I could improve performance. I also tracked my races using the Ski Tracks App on my phone to study laylines, boat speed and buoy roundings.
To simplify I followed 3 simple rules:
1) Learn Something from Every Race
2) Never Quit a Race
3) Apply new knowledge
From the Facebook page of photographer Rob Resnick, Nite sailor Tom Sweitzer rounds the weather mark on Green Lake at the 2020 Nite Nationals. Check out Rob’s photos from the regatta on his website.
Saturday at the Nite Nationals was a perfect combination of steady wind, sunshine, and fast racing. Congratulations to Chad Rechcygl who won the Gold fleet in a rather dramatic way and to Dick Grota, a literal Grand Master, for his Silver fleet win. It was an early-to-sleep Friday night in order to make Sunday’s first race scheduled for 8 AM. Despite my own groaning at having to get seriously moving before sunrise, it was the right call. Getting on the lake at 7 AM ensured that trailers were able to easily leave the landing before the ice softened too much, unlike last year’s Nite Nationals on Kegonsa where a bridge over troubled landing waters had to be deployed.
Lively winds and rutted ice put tremendous loads on the boats. Other than rigs coming down and a few mast failures, the competitors used good judgement and kept the racing safe. In race eight,Chad Rechcygl, who was leading the Gold fleet in points at the time, had something happen at the worst possible time, his hull broke. As the Silver fleet raced for the last time of the day, Chad faced the prospect of not being able to complete the regatta. However, Nite Class rules allow for equipment substitution. When Toledo Ice Yacht Club’s Alex Chabalowski finished Silver fleet race nine sailing in Nite Commodore John Hayashi’s canary yellow boat, Chad jumped in the boat for the last Gold fleet race, finished fourth, and won the regatta. During prize-giving, Chad credited the help he received from Tom Hyslop for his victory and what it meant to be able to sail with Pewaukee Nite guys Tom Sweitzer and Mark Prange. Another Pewaukee sailor, Dick Grota, made it look easy in both light and heavy air with his Silver fleet win. Also of note was the top female sailor, TIYC’s Anita Bersie Chabalowski, who placed third in the Silver fleet. I don’t think she ever stopped smiling all weekend.
The 4LIYC was represented with Daniel Hearn, Brad Wagner, Lars Barber, and Don Sanford. Daniel finished 3rd in the Gold fleet sailing Joe Norton’s boat. Brad Wagner, who is new to racing this season, won race four on Friday, placed fifth in the Silver fleet, and walked away with the top rookie award. Lars Barber’s mast was one of the casualties of the regatta but he was already making plans to check on the Sitka supply at McCormick Lumber this week for the next one. A big 4LIYC congratulations to Don Sanford who won two races in the Silver fleet and placed second overall.
Thanks to all the competitors, the Nite Class, the Green Lake Ice Yacht Club, John Hayashi, Joe Norton for everything, and to Todd Morgan who helped scout ice and gave a film crew a ride out to the course in his beautiful B Skeeter. A special thank you to Mary Jane Schalk who tabulated and published all the live results from the offshore office!
Don Sanford at the one block where it’s always busy with spectators and paparazzi.
Todd Morgan’s B Skeeter and Tom Sweitzer’s Nite ready for action. Photo: Jim Gluek
Mark Prange 550 and Mike Peters 544 battling it out. Photo: John Hayashi
