LATEST NEWS
First DN Regatta of the Season in Finland
DN Finland Facebook
Through our friend, Swedish DNer Dideric Van Reimsdijk, we have a look at the annual Week 46 regatta hosted by DN Finland. Located just above the Arctic Circle on the ice at Onkamojärvi, Finland, this event marks the beginning of the DN season. If you look closely at the sail numbers, you’ll notice an international crowd gathered on the first ice of the year.
And for those of us closer to home, the first informal DN gathering of the season, the Western Challenge, is coming up December 6-8 in Minnesota. Sharpen your runners and get ready to hit the ice!
2024 World Championship Video
Check out this video from the 2024 World Championship in Parnu, Estonia that dropped yesterday with appearances by several North America class members.
Video link.
Announcing the New DN European Grandmasters Regatta Website
PRO John Winquist sends them off at the 2022 DN Grand Masters .
DN Grand Masters Website
There’s a new dedicated website for the DN European Grandmasters regatta, designed specifically for DN sailors aged 60 and over. The website is live with event details, including the recently released dates for the 2025 regatta, set for January 28-30.
In other regatta news, the Junior DN and Ice Optimist World and European Championships will take place from February 7-16, 2025.
Junior Program Update
From left, Brett Husley, Maggie, Kayla, and Sam Bartel with the new Junior trailer donated by Brett.
Learn more about iceboating for kids.
Via Junior Sailing Director Sam Bartel US1011
Junior Program Update:
Mike Bloom, myself, Jillian McGary, and two junior sailors from MN (Maggie and Cayla) made the trip to Harken this past weekend. We had a BLAST! Thanks to the organizers of the celebration/program on Saturday night. It was fun to mingle with everyone, and hear from Harry and Kyle about their Youth America’s Cup experience.
I also want to extend a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone that supported the Junior Program at the swap meet!! I want to thank the following people in particular:
- To Brett Hulsey, for donating the enclosed box for our new junior program trailer (it can fit up to 4 boats inside and 1-2 on top!)
- To David Frost, for donating the funds that made it possible to buy the trailer for the enclosed box. Extra funds will be used to finish buying parts for our DNs and Ice Optis.
- To Peete Johns, for buying a DN from Bob Rast and then donating the entire program to the juniors.
- To Bob Cave, for donating a DN hull, plank, boom, and many other parts.
- To Mark Isabell, for donating a brand new Ice Opti hull.
- To Steve Orlebeke, for loaning his complete Ice Opti program.
- To John Harper, for donating a bunch of chocks, travel cover, and DN mast components.
- To Matt Meyer for donating a bunch of DN shrouds.
- And of course, to Mike Bloom for his endless support of myself and the junior sailors.
Our junior program now has 2 trailers, 4 Ice Optimists, and 3 DNs. Mike Bloom, myself, and the sailors in MN plan to take inventory of our gear this coming weekend. We’re also excited for the Western Challenge in just over a month, which will likely include the first Ice Optimist North American Championship in 10 years! If you know of other Ice Optimists and/or Ice Optimist sailors, please encourage them to attend. I’ll send an NOR out in the coming weeks.
Think Ice!
Sam Bartel US1011
Gearing Up the Next Generation of Ice Sailors: Junior Program Needs at Pewaukee Swap Meet
Help our junior sailors hit the ice! Your donated gear could make Ice Opti North Americans a reality.
Via IDNIYRA Junior Coach Sam Bartel US1011
Yo! This is your NA Junior Coach checking in. I’ll be heading to Pewaukee tomorrow/Sunday (October 26-27, 2024) for the swap meet to pick up some things for the junior program (a box trailer from Brett, as well as a DN hull and parts from Bob Cave and David Frost). Swap meet details here.
I have MANY eager junior sailors in MN. In particular, I have a number of Opti kids and parents interested in Ice Opti sailing. If we can pull together another 3-5 ice Optis in time for the Western Challenge, we could maybe have an Ice Opti North Americans alongside the DN event…??
If you have any of the following to donate (tax credit available via Deb Whitehorse), please send me a message via FB or text.
- Complete Ice Opti programs (hull/spars/blades/plank/etc.)
- Chocks and stud plates for DN plank (we are building planks for our juniors!)
- Carbon DN masts (mainly for small people 100-140lbs)
- Decent DN runners (plates/inserts)
- DN shrouds
- Aluminum DN booms
- Other DN hull/plank fittings appreciated
Respectfully, please do not donate your old clothing… it will likely end up in the garbage or at Goodwill 🙂
Sam
Looking for a DN Iceboat? Come to a Swap Meet!
Photo: Hannah Noll/Harken
Looking for a DN Iceboat? Come to a Swap Meet!
Swap meets are the best way to get started in DN ice sailing—second only to actually being on the ice! At these events, you can find a DN, meet experienced ice sailors, and get advice on equipment and racing. It’s also a great opportunity to join a local club and become part of the ice sailing community. Don’t miss your chance to dive into the fastest sailing on the planet!
NEW ENGLAND
NEIYA Swap Meet, Lunch & Meeting Information:
When: Saturday, October 26th, 10:00am
Where: Thompson Speedway Golf Course, 205 E Thompson Rd, Thompson, CT 06277
Information:Â New England Ice Yachting Association
WISCONSIN
Southern Wisconsin Iceboat Swap Meet
Date: Sunday, October, 27, 2024
Time: 9 AM – Noon
Location: Harken parking lot
N15W24983 Bluemound Rd, Pewaukee, WI
Information
MINNESOTA
Hosted by: Tim Carlson and Sailcrafters Loft and Rigging ((952) 540-7474)
Date: Saturday, November 2
Time: 9 AM – Noon
Location: 7450 Oxford Street St. Louis Park, MN 55426
Information:Â Minnesota Ice Sailors Facebook page
Minnesota’s annual iceboat swap meet is a great opportunity to buy and sell used iceboat gear. Or, just spend time meeting local iceboaters and asking questions about our sport. Anyone interested in iceboating is encouraged to attend.
MICHIGAN
2024 Western Michigan Iceboat Swap Meet
Date: Saturday, November 2nd
Time: 9 am to 2 pm
Location: Muskegon Yacht Club., 3198 Edgewater Street. Muskegon, Michigan.
ANNUAL COMBINED SWAP MEET
Three West Michigan Clubs: West Michigan Ice Yacht Club, Gull Lake Ice Yacht Club, Grand Traverse Ice Yacht Club
Information:Â Gull Lake Ice Yacht Club Facebook Page
2025 Notice of Dues
Support the Fastest Sailing on the Planet: Renew Your IDNIYRA Membership Today!
Membership Page
Attention all DN sailors! It’s time to renew your membership for the 2025 season. Your membership is more than just dues; it’s a contribution that helps keep the world’s most popular iceboat class alive and thriving. Your support enables us to maintain our website, create our Yearbook and Runner Tracks newsletter, organize world-class regattas, and keep our safety equipment in top condition.
Annual memberships are available for $27 for the year, but we also offer sustaining memberships at three levels for those who want to give a little extra to support the class:
- Bronze: $40
- Silver: $50
- Gold: $100
A sustaining membership is for those who love the sport and want to contribute more toward its success. Every dollar beyond the standard membership fee goes directly back into the class, helping fund everything from event logistics to the promotion of DN ice sailing. It’s a way to give back and ensure the continued growth of the sport.
Click here to renew or begin your membership.
Thank you for supporting the IDNIYRA!
Runner Tracks Newsletter September 2024
Runner Tracks
The Online Magazine of the International DN Ice Yacht Racing Association
Current Issue: September 2024
Whether you are an experienced ice boater or a newcomer, Runner Tracks newsletter is the ultimate resource for everything related to ice boating. Check out the complete online library here.
RUNNER TRACKS IS AVAILABLE IN THREE DIFFERENT FORMATS:
Flipbook Magazine
Download pdf file (best for tablets)
Download single page pdf (best for phones)
IN THIS ISSUE
- Remembering Stan Macur P111
- Let’s Try Random Starts by Robert Cummins
Get this issue in a full color soft cover book for $20.
Interview with PJ Dwarshuis and Mischa Heemskerk: Exploring the DNA ‘DN’ Rig Design
Discover how the innovative new A-Class catamaran mast design was heavily influenced by the DN iceboat rig. (With a shout-out to Robert Gracyk P31.) For more insights, don’t miss the Runner Tracks article detailing the history and evolution of the DN mast. Link here.
Influenced
Photo left from Dutch A Division Catamaran Facebook page. Photo right from 2021 DN Nationals by Gretchen Dorian. Chris Berger US5166
As we approach the upcoming ice sailing season, there’s plenty to share about what’s been happening in the DN class over the summer. From cutting-edge developments in other sailing classes inspired by DN rigging to exciting news from the America’s Cup and the growth of our youth programs, this summer has been anything but quiet.
DN Influence on A Class Catamaran Masts
The A Class catamaran community is embracing innovation inspired by iceboating, as seen in the recent Dutch Nationals. Photos from the event, shared on the Dutch A Division Catamaran Association Facebook page, highlight the “DN-mast” fitted on the DNA F1X catamarans of Mischa Heemskerk and Pieterjan Dwarshuis. Pieterjan commented on this groundbreaking rig:
“Without any doubt the future for the foiling A’s. More automatic, easier to handle, more stable to foil, and faster—just like the DN rig. The tuning process is still a challenge, but this innovation will make foilers easier, safer, and more fun.”
This DN-inspired mast design, which ditches traditional diamonds and spreaders for lowers, is being hailed as the future of foiling A Cats. As the tuning evolves, we may soon see these rigs making waves in the A Class World Championships which take place September 7 – 14 in Punta Ala, Italy.
DN Class Ties to the America’s Cup
The America’s Cup is in full swing, and we have a special connection to the action this year. Maxime Bachelin, helming for the Swiss team Alinghi Red Bull Racing, has deep roots in the DN class. His father, Pierre Bachelin Z25, has been an active DN sailor for many years, competing in North America multiple times. Meanwhile, in the Youth America’s Cup, Fontana, WI sailors Harry Melges IV, Kyle Navin, and Finn Rowe—who all have DN seat time and sail Nites—also represent the USA. Ice sailing has helped shape these sailors into the top competitors they are today.
Junior Sailing: Building the Future of Ice Sailing
Our North American Junior Sailing Director, Sam Bartel US1011, has been busy fostering the next generation of DN sailors this summer in Minnesota. Sam shared some great photos of junior sailors hard at work making their runner planks and learning valuable skills that will serve them well in the future.
Eight Bells: Remembering Mike Madge, DN Sailor, and Ice Sailing Advocate
Obituary
With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Mike Madge KC5449, a DN sailor from Thunder Bay, Ontario. Mike was a tireless promoter of the DN class in Canada, and his death leaves a significant void in the Thunder Bay ice sailing community.
His enthusiasm helped introduce many to ice sailing in Thunder Bay. Beyond his local efforts, Mike was also known for his excellent YouTube interviews, where he engaged with the rock stars of DN sailing. He asked insightful questions, providing a platform for these sailors to share their experiences and knowledge, which enriched the ice sailing community worldwide.
Mike’s contributions to the DN class and spirit will be greatly missed. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Mike’s family during this difficult time. Rest in peace, Mike Madge.
YouTube Videos
Oskar Svensson – the 18 year old future of Ice Yachting
Ron Sherry – Back up to Full Speed in the DN Ice Yacht
3x DN World Champion Matt Struble: Get your DN Ice Yacht up to race pace
Current Newsletter
DN VIDEOS
iceboat.org
- November 20, 2024: Nite in WI November 20, 2024
Minnesota Ice Sailing Association
- NW Regatta February 25, 2024
Chickawaukie Ice Boat Club
- Finnish First 2 November 15, 2024
New England Ice Yacht Association
- Helpful times on the ice. November 4, 2024