UPDATE: July 17,2018: The boat has found a home on Lake Como. Thanks to all who helped with this rescue.
Skeeter Iceboat Club sailor Steve Schalk recently came across the proverbial barn find near Delavan, Wisconsin that dates back to the beginning of the Skeeter class.This 1930s iceboat was home built and patterned after Walter Beauvaix’s early open-back Skeeter design. Just the hull and plank remain and It’s always been stored in a dry barn waiting for either the woodpile or for someone to restore her. If you’d like to save the boat from the burn pile and take on a restoration project, contact i546@charter.net to arrange pick-up. Andy Gratton has offered to donate a sail for the boat.
To learn more about the history of Beau Skeeters, read “A New First“, about the Goes family’s original Beau Skeeter PIKE, and “Wish You Were Here: Skeeter Iceboat Club History“.
Early Beau Skeeter PIKE, on the left with the P sail.
The Skeeter IBC 85th annual trophy dinner took place on May 5th.
Winner of the various completed series were presented their trophies.
Boe Craft B Skeeter:
Championship Series – Steve Schalk
Saturday Morning Series – Rick Pappas
Wednesday Series – Steve Schalk
DN Saturday Series – Pat Fitzgerald
The Nite fleet did not have a completed series, but Kyle Navin was recognized
as the winner of the races that had been sailed.
Two former Commodores were granted Life Membership status –
Chuck Kaye and Steve Schalk. They both have performed outstanding
service to the Club as equipment maintenance men, ice checkers, rescue team, and as members of the sailing committee.
The current existing Life Members who were present to express their welcome to Chuck and Steve included
Burly Brellenthin, Bud Melges, and Jane Pegel. Life Member Spark Lundberg was unable to attend the event.
The Boehmke B-Skeeters held their championship regatta on Geneva Lake over the weekend. Check out the Boe-Craft website for results and photos. Congratulations Rick Pappas on your win!
PIKE an early Skeeter iceboat owned by the Goes Family
From the Skeeter Iceboat Club on Geneva Lake, Jane Pegel sends this photo with a note:
Here is a photo of Chris Goes sailing January 12, 2018, on Delavan Lake in the Beau Skeeter “Pike”. This boat has been owned and given loving care by the Goes family since 1935. With Harry Melges, Sr. at the helm, “Pike” won the Northwest in 1935, the first year that Class E Skeeters raced in the regatta as a separate fleet. This is what the boats looked like when the Beau Skeeter Ice Boat Club (now the Skeeter Ice Boat Club) was organized in 1933.
Jane’s information puts the Skeeters in the Northwest one year earlier than records had indicated, a date confirmed by this Oshkosh Northwestern newspaper article from 2-28-1935. That’s not the end of the story because it appears the Skeeters first sailed the Northwest in 1933 at Oshkosh but that regatta was cancelled for reasons likely related to weather. The Northwest regatta officials must have embraced the new Skeeter class the same year it was organized at Lake Geneva. Related: Northwest Regatta Winners
Wisconsin State Journal, Feb 23, 1933. The “mosquito class” is now known as the Skeeter class.
The rain stayed away for the Skeeter Iceboat Club’s annual swap meet. The swap meet always provides the perfect venue to catch up with old friends and meet new people who are interested in ice sailing. We hope to see all of you out on the ice this season! Thank you Jane and Suzie Pegel for organizing the swap meet and handling the traditional raffle.
