Looking to attend an iceboat swap meet? We’ve got you covered across iceboating country, from east to west. If you are new to the sport or a seasoned veteran, swap meets are the perfect place to kick the tires, shop for parts, and meet ice sailors. Have a boat or parts to sell? Take them to your local swap meet.
EAST:
New England Ice Yacht Club
Saturday November 2, 2019
10 AM with lunch at noon
Hudson-Concord Elks Hall
99 Park Street, Hudson, MA 01749 More information.
CENTRAL:
West Michigan Swap Meet at the Muskegon Yacht Club Saturday, November 2, 2019
9 AM – 1 PM 3198 Edgewater St, Muskegon, MI 49441
WEST
Skeeter Iceboat Club Swap Meet
Sunday, November 3, 2019
9 AM to Noon
Lucke’s Cantina
220 N. Elkhorn Rd. (WI Hwy 67), Williams Bay, WI. More information
FAR WEST
Minnesota Ice Sailors Swap Meet
Saturday, November 2, 2019
9 AM – Noon
Sailcrafters
7450 Oxford St., St. Louis Park, MN 55426 More information
To get one of these cool membership cards, join or renew your class membership for the upcoming season. Go to the Membership Page to renew and help support the most popular iceboat class on the planet.
NEW FEATURE! IDNIYRA MEMBER ONLINE ACCOUNT ACCESS!
Question about when your membership expires? Need to change your email, phone, or address? Back by popular demand, paid members will now have the ability to log in to this website, edit their contact information, and learn when their membership expires. You have to join or renew your membership to access this feature.
IMPORTANT: Members who have previously purchased a 2 or 3 year membership (in other words, your membership is expiring on Oct 31, 2020, 2021, 2022, or 2023) will receive an email with your password so that you access your account online. You will receive this email in a few days.
The September issue of Runner Tracks has been uploaded. The Technical Committee reviewed Peter Hamrak’s proposals, previously published in the May issue, and working with Peter, have submitted the ballot language. Then, we go back to 1971 for a look at what was then called “the championship”, a regatta held at Geist Reservoir in Indiana.
North America’s most famous early season DN fun-regatta will take place December 6-8, 2019 on the best ice in Minnesota. This annual regatta draws ice sailors from around North America, Europe, and Russia. The relatively new Mini-Skeeter class will also be joining the fun this year. Start sharpening your runners! Further information will posted on the Minnesota Ice Sailing website.
The IDNIYRA maintains a fleet ranking based on regatta results for continental or higher regattas for the past two years. This ranking shall be the lessor of the following:
Best finish in the Gold fleet in the previous two years.
22 plus your best finish in the silver fleet in the previous two years.
40 plus your best finish in the bronze fleet in the previous two years
58 plus your best finish in the aluminum fleet in the previous two years
DN sailors Jan and Meade Gougeon, inventors of WEST SYSTEMS Epoxy, enjoying a day of iceboating.
Congratulations to the Gougeon family and WEST SYSTEM employees literally being the glue (well, 2 part epoxy) that has been used in all iceboat builds for the past 50 years. The DN class and Gougeon (how most iceboaters refer to WEST SYSTEM) have grown up together. From the WEST SYSTEM website:
Brothers Meade and Jan Gougeon begin building DN class iceboats with wood and epoxy, selling 200 iceboats between 1969 and 1974. “Where we got really lucky in our quest for epoxy technology was to be located 17 miles east of Dow Chemical Co. We introduced Herbert Dow (an avid sailor and the grandson of Dow Chemical’s founder) to iceboating. Herb made it possible for us to work with chemists in Dow’s epoxy lab, helping us to develop resins and hardeners we could use as both an adhesive and a coating,” company founder Meade Gougeon says. With Dow’s help, the Gougeon brothers develop the formulations WEST SYSTEM epoxy products are based on.
Jane and Mead have passed but their legacy lives on in every iceboat being made or repaired. Mead and Jan’s good friend, Ron Sherry, attended the 50th Anniversary party at WEST headquarters in Bay City, Michigan on August 3rd. Ron writes, “Great 50th anniversary party last weekend at the Gougeon brothers plant. Wonderful party filled with food, drinks, boats, and lots and lots of great friends all together to celebrate 50 years of making it easy for anyone to build their ultimate toys.” Ron shared the photos below:
Two great champions, Jan Gougeon US1183 and Poland’s Karol Jablonski P36
Jan Gougeon’s first DN, HOT CANARY
Meade (second from left) and his wife, Janet, when they met with the United States Commission on Energy to discuss making wind turbines.
Jan and Meade taking a moment on their catamaran powerboat.
WEST SYSTEMS company portrait when Jan and Meade were still involved.
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.
