Listen to a D1D Podcast with Bill Mattison and Zack Clayton... 

Bill Mattison is a name that just about every iceboater knows. From the beginning DN sailor to the world-class champions, many can backtrack their roots to iceboating to much of the time and effort Bill has put into the sport. Bill’s home base is Madison, Wisconsin and the Four Lakes Iceboat Club. Bill has been involved in iceboating for five decades, but unlike many of his contemporaries, Bill is still building and racing his beloved Honeybuckets. Just this season, Bill has built a new mast for one of his skeeters and has worked with Jim Gluek and the team at Quantum Inland Sails to produce two sails for his speed machine. The evolution of the iceboat has been, in many cases, directly attributed to Bill and his wonderful craftsmanship.

The following is a bit from Greg Whitehorse, a local Madison Iceboater that took a bit of time to tell me about some of Bill’s sailing achievements. As Greg wrote, “Throughout the sixties and seventies, Bill Mattison continued to win regatta after regatta. A succession of Skeeter iceboats named 'Honeybucket', each one faster than the previous, brought Mattison ISA World Championships in 1962,1963, 1966, 1968, 1969, 1971, 1973, and 1977, along with a Northwestern Regatta win in 1969. He was also a member of five successful Ice Yacht Challenge Pennant of America teams during this period.

Bill Mattison was always a firm believer in ice yacht evolution, not revolution. He stayed away from radical changes from year to year and focused instead on making a continued series of small improvements. He also believed in what he called "building for the average". While some yachts were built for optimum performance in high winds, and others made for light air, Mattison built his Honeybuckets to perform well in a wide variety of conditions. Mattison seldom finished a regatta race so far down that one race could cost him the regatta title. Despite building for the average, Mattison's boats were very capable of winning races in nearly all conditions. At the end of a three-day regatta Bill Mattison would often find himself at the top of the overall standings. He would go on to post several more regatta wins in the eighties and nineties.” 

 

This says much about the great sailor that Bill is, but it is only a part of the story. Bill has a wealth of knowledge and experience in many other pursuits away from the iceboating arena that the can be supremely proud of. You can hear from Bill, in his own words some of the events that got him started towards iceboat fame, the evolution of his boats and building, his thoughts on the world of iceboating today as well as some great stories from his

iceboating past, present and future plans for this iceboat icon. Download the podcast today at www.destinationonedesign.com and listen to why Bill is hooked on iceboating and will be on the ice for years to come.

by Zack Clayton  - Middle Photo above by David Travis

Listen to a D1D Podcast with Bill Mattison and Zack Clayton...