Sailors from Europe, Russia, and North America raced DN iceboats in an annual regatta held on Siberia’s Lake Baikal last week. North American IDNIYRA member Chris Berger US5166 of Chicago, IL won the Baikal Cup on Friday, March 24. CBS national news has been running footage from the regatta. Even the Olympic Channel has noticed DN iceboat racing! Event website Photographs from Baikal Ice Yacht Racing
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Via Mike Madge KC5449:
Champagne sailing, sun, wind, nice ice, and close fast racing. The wind was a pretty steady 10-12 knots all day out of the east and slowly clocked southeast. The racing was fast as the ice stayed hard and the top 6 boats were finishing within a minute of each other. Mark Christensen US4824 and Mike Bloom US5432 were tied going into the final race. Mark made a few adjustments throughout the day and along with some great starts and smart sailing, that gave him the edge.
Mark Christensen US4824 MN
Even with 9 races, we had nice breaks during the day where we where entertained by Pat Hepper’s C Skeeter, DRIFTER, sailing less then 2 minute lap times on his Skeeter over a 3/4 mile course. We finished early enough for some competitors to cruise around and check out the scenery. Some lucky sailors even had the opportunity to try out DRIFTER. All I can say about that is “Wow what an experience.” Also the famous old tandem Skeeter THUNDER JET, was out all day giving rides.
It was such a perfect day for sailing that the competitors agreed to just keep racing and complete the regatta in one day.
The after regatta party was hosted by a great sailing sports bar, On Deck, where for the first time in 2 years, the prestigious Canadian DN trophy was presented.
The ice is still here and the sailors who are sticking around are going to race again today. Many thanks to all the competitors that made the effort to come up and sail with us. All were very helpful and supportive of our new fleet members. Also special thanks to my wife and kids that volunteered for Race Committee Duty.
Canadian DN Champs results (9 races)
Via Peter Van Rossum
The Canadian Championship regatta has been called on for Lake Superior at Thunder Bay, Ontario for March 25-26, 2017.
CANADIAN CHAMPIONSHIP REGATTA Dates: March 25 – 26 , 2017
Launch:UPDATE: New launch location as of 7:30 PM CST March 22
2823 Eldorado Beach Rd
Shuniah, Ontario, Canada P7A
One half hour drive from Thunder Bay
Lodging:
Prince Arthur Waterfront Hotel & Suites
17 Cumberland St N
Thunder Bay ON P7A 4K8 Canada +1 807-345-5411 Website
$89 a night Canadian, includes breakfast. Please mention Mike Madge’s name and ice boating group rate.
“We will have food and beverages at the launch site and an ATV lined up for launching DNs Friday from 1:00 until dusk. We also have arranged a place to eat Saturday night.”
NOTICE OF RACE
Canadian DN Championship Regatta
Thunder Bay, Ontario
March 25-26, 2017
Canadian Region IDNIYRA
Organizing Authority
International DN Ice Yacht Racing Association, Canadian Region
Launch: See Above Lodging: See Above
1. Rules:
All races will be governed by the Racing Rules of the National Iceboat Authority; the By-Laws of the IDNIYRA, and Official Specifications of the DN Ice Yacht; the Notice of Race, including any amendments to the Notice of Race, (except as any of these are altered by the sailing instructions) and the Sailing Instructions. The Sailing Instructions can be modified at the Skippers Meeting and by a notice posted on the official notice board.
Nine race regatta format – three race minimum will constitute the regatta. Discard race after six races sailed. One fleet is anticipated, but if a gold/silver split is required it will first be based on IDNIYRA rankings, with assignment by race committee thereafter.
2. Eligibility:
All DN class yachts meeting the requirements of the Official Specifications and whose skippers meet the requirements of the By-Laws of the IDNIYRA as stated in the section IDNIYRA Regattas are eligible to enter and race in the championship.
3. Site Information and Postings:
A. The regatta site is approximately one-half hour of Thunder Bay, Ontario
B. Site and Headquarters Information will be posted on the DN Bulletin Board.
C. Official regatta information, updates and accommodations:
see na.idniyra.org or http://www.dnamerica.org/forum/
4. Entry and Fee:
Register in the pits Saturday morning
$20 registration fee (Canadian or US funds accepted at par)
5. Schedule of Events:
•Sat 9:15-10am on ice registration
•Sat 10am Skippers Meeting
•Sat 11am First start
•Sunday 10:00am First start. No race will start after 3PM
6. Sailing instructions
Official Sailing Instructions will be provided at registration.
7. Proof of Insurance
Proof of personal or race liability insurance ($300,000 minimum)
Sailing Instructions
Canadian DN Championship Regatta
March 25-26, 2017
Canadian Region IDNIYRA
1. The Race Course will be three laps of the National Iceboat Authority INLINE Course. Marks will be described at the skippers’ meeting.
2. The first race of the day will start at 11:00AM on Saturday, and at 10:00AM on Sunday. Subsequent races each day will start as soon as possible after starting positions are available, but a yacht shall not be required to start sooner than 15 minutes after finishing. No race will be started after 3:00PM on Sunday.
3. A rope or wire starting line may be used: DO NOT SAIL OVER THE LINE! Each yacht’s leeward runner shall be positioned at her starting number.
4. The starting signal shall be the rapid lowering of the starter’s arms (or flag) after he/she raises his arms (or Flag) to signify the preparatory signal. If the start is to be delayed after the preparatory signal, the starter will slowly lower his arms (or flag).
4. The finish of the first boat will be indicated by the display of a flag at the leeward end of the finish line. When a flag is so displayed the Bart rule is in effect. The flag will be displayed until all yachts have finished or the time limit has expired, whichever is sooner.
5. The time limit for the first finisher in a race is 6 ½ minutes per mile of rhumb line course length (e.g., for a 1 mile course, 3 laps x 2 legs per lap x 6 ½ minutes = 39 minutes). Any yacht not finishing within 20 minutes of the first yacht shall be scored DNF.
6. There will be a maximum of nine races, with three races required to constitute a series. There will be one discard if six or more races are completed.
7. Intention to protest must be reported to the race committee immediately after the race in question. A written protest must be filed with the race committee at the launch site within two hours of the finish of the last race of the day.
The latest edition of Runner Tracks has been posted.
Please take the time to read Dave Elsmo’s timely article about growing the fleet. His role as head coach of the University of Wisconsin sailing program and as head of the UW’s 1400 member instructional program give Dave a unique perspective on how the class can improve attracting and keeping up and coming younger sailors involved with DN racing. Read it here on the Runner Tracks newsletter page.
There’s also a worthwhile reprint of an article, written by Ken Smith in 2002, addressing the rules while rounding the Leeward mark.
Did you know that Runner Tracks is available in three different electronic formats and you can also order it in a print version? Flipbook magazine: Best for laptops and desktop computers PDF: Best for tablets PDF Single Page: Best for mobile devices
The last five races ( which turned out to be races 4-8) of the European Championship count towards another regatta known as the European CUP. Congratulations Chris Berger US5166 for placing 9th in the European Cup. European CUP Finals Results
*This is a correction to a previous (now deleted) post that said the European Championship results had been corrected. The European Championship standings are correct. Apologies for the error and confusion.
Ice conditions deteriorated overnight on Lake Balaton in Hungary and the regatta was called complete after two days of racing and 27 total races. Congratulations to Poland’s Karol Jablonski for winning the A fleet championship and capping another incredible season, to Latvia’s Artis Berzins for winning the B fleet, and to the Netherland’s Jan Heida for winning the C fleet. Final Results
The DN is most popular iceboat in the world. Whether you are a racer or cruiser, your $25 membership in the IDNIYRA helps to promote the art and skill of DN ice yacht construction and the sport of ice yachting on all the hard waters of the world.
