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Outdoor Sporting
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Iceboating - Sailing on Ice - Madison, Wisconsin
Iceboating December 29th 2007 Bass Lake
Iceboating in Wisconsin
Nite Iceboat on White Bear Lake: Short
Iceboating Photos
Jacobs Iceboating - 332006elk23.jpg
Iceboating on grand Lake - IMG_1786.jpg
Iceboating on Grand Lake - IMG_1794.jpg
Iceboating on Grand lake - IMG_1788.jpg
Iceboating News
The Icing on the Lake - Isthmus Daily Page
The Icing on the Lake Isthmus Daily Page, WI - Bill McCormick, patriarch of the biggest iceboating family in town, says it with understatement: “I know it’sa good basic design because Bill built it… ... Madison ice boating great Bill Mattison retires |
About Iceboating
An ice boat is a boat or purpose-built framework similar in appearance to a sail boat but fitted with skis or runners and designed to run over ice instead of water, known in the sport as "soft water." Iceboats commonly used for racing are usually only for one person, but several classes of two-seat iceboats are common. On some boats, a "side car" can be fitted to take others along for a ride.
Traditional iceboats from the late 19th century were used for transportation and racing. These boats reached lengths of 30 to 50 feet and were transported between sites on rail cars. Sailing was done in several locations where the sport continues today with active clubs, including the Hudson River, Long Island Sound, Detroit, Michigan, Sandusky, Ohio, Gull Lake, Michigan, Geneva Lake, Wisconsin, Oshkosh, Wisconsin, Ghost Lake, Alberta and others. These older large "stern steerer" iceboats can seat several in their "baskets." Several of these boats are maintained and raced today. The Northwest Ice Yacht Association sponsors an annual regatta that includes classes for these boats. This annual regatta recently celebrated its 100th anniversary.
Ice yachting is the sport of sailing and racing iceboats. A related sport, land sailing, are iceboats with wheels replacing the runners. A sport mostly practiced in the United States on the western dry lake beds and in Europe, Australia and New Zealand on wide tidal beaches.
Ice boats have their history in wide, stubby, multi-runner vessels used in the 1800s. These early vessels were capable of operation on both water and ice and were used primarily for winter transportation and ice fishing. In 1869 the largest yacht ever was built for racing on the Hudson River, called the Icicle.
Modern iceboat are supported by three skate blades called "runners" supporting a triangular or cross-shaped frame. Runners are sharpened to a fine edge which holds on the ice against the side force of the wind in the sails. The traditional stern-steered boats were largely replaced by front steering boats, following the development of this style in a boat named the Beau Skeeter. This yacht appeared in the 1930s and became a class which adopted the logo of a mosquito. This boat led to the "Skeeter" class which evolved into a very efficient aerodynamically clean machine. Most ice boats are rigged as catboats, with a single sail, though some older larger classes are rigged as sloops .
Contemporary ice boats were originated around 1933. Walter Beauvois of Williams Bay, Wisconsin designed and built the Beau-Skeeter with just 75 square feet of sail. At this time the Skeeter Ice Boat Club forms on Geneva Lake. In 1937 The Detroit News sponsored a competition for the best ice boat design, which became the International DN. In 1968 Dick Slates of Pewaukee, Wisconsin designs and build the Nite with two wooden prototypes. The design was refined and fiberglass production began in 1970. Modern designs of iceboats move as much as five times the wind speed and often achieve speeds of 45 mph and speeds as high as 100 km/h have been recorded on DN iceboats. Skeeters and older large stern steer iceboats can exceed 170 km/h . Rumored, but unconfirmed, top speed of an iceboat is 150 mph . The stern-steerer Debutaunte, currently being rebuilt, was timed over a measured mile at 143 miles per hour on the ice of Lake Winnebago, Wisconsin in 1938.
Iceboats are not produced commercially on a wide scale, but remain largely the province of hobbyists and enthusiasts building with high quality wood and plywood and more exotic materials such as foam, carbon fiber, and fiberglass. There are no known governmental licensing or registration requirements. Several classes are organized and boats must conform to the rules of the classes in order to race.
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