About

The IDNIYRA (International DN Ice Yacht Racing Association) was incorporated as a Non-Profit Corporation in the State of Michigan in 1962 for the following stated purpose: “To promote, protect and perpetuate DN one design iceboating, to advance the art and skill of the DN ice yacht construction and sailing as well as the future development of the DN class ice yacht and the sport of ice yachting on all the hard waters of the world.

Early History
By Paul Goodwin US46
The DN is the largest iceboat class in the world, so named because it was the winner of an iceboat design contest sponsored by the Detroit News in 1937. That year the newspaper opened up it’s shop to 50 builders who assembled the first fleet of “Blue Streak 60” iceboats (as it was originally named).

Read more about the history of the DN iceboat.
A Brief History of the DN by Don Daller
The Blue Streak 60: The Original DN Iceboat by Paul Goodwin

IDNIYRA Class History
On February 21 and 22, 1953 the Detroit Ice Yacht Club sponsored a regatta to bring the DN skippers together to help form an association. A meeting of the skippers was held at this regatta and two representatives from each club present were chosen to outline a constitution for the association.

North Star Sail Club was represented by John Liston and Fred Kagel; Anchor Bay Ice Yacht Club by Tom King and A. J. Walker; Detroit Ice Yacht Club by William Sarns and Clifford Cartwright. The representatives met at the home of the Cartwrights the following Sunday afternoon and briefly outlined a constitution. William Sarns was elected to serve as temporary secretary and to compose the constitution.

The secretary prepared a constitution and sent out copies to the representatives in the following fall. They were returned to the secretary along with desired changes. The changes that the majority wanted were incorporated and 200 copies were printed. A copy was sent out to each individual who attended the first regatta and others who were interested.

On January 17, 1954 the Northwestern Ice Yachting Association passed a resolution that they would accept the DN Association’s specifications for their DN races which are now included in their annual regatta.

On January 7, 1954 the North Star Sail Club offered to be host for the annual regatta. There were no other offers so theirs was accepted. Sixty-two programs were sent out on February 1 for the regatta scheduled for February 20 and 21. On February 19 the regatta was transferred to Cass Lake because of poor ice at the North Star Club House on Lake St. Clair. The first five DN’s in this regatta were: (1) Jack Moran, (2) Skip Boston, (3) Paul Eggert, (4) Bill Sporer, and (5) Bill Sarns.