INK FREE NEWS – KOSCIUSKO COUNTY’S ONLY DIGITAL DAILY NEWSPAPER
February 22, 2019
By David Hazeldine
SYRACUSE — A crowd of nearly 100 tired but jovial ice boat racers from all over North America and Europe gathered in the Oakwood Resort on Lake Wawasee in Syracuse Friday, Feb. 22, to honor the winners of the 2019 International Detroit News Ice Yacht Racing Association North American Championship Regatta. International DN-style ice yachts are the most popular ice racing boats in North American and Europe. Continue reading
Congratulations to the fleet winners of the 2019 North American Championship: Gold: USA Ron Sherry US44 Silver: Canada Jacek Marzenski KC5247 Bronze: USA Pete Johns US2360
Senior Trophy for Over 50 1st Gold – USA – US44 SHERRY RON
Masters Trophy for over 60 1st Gold – GER – G890 PETZKE HOLGER
Keeper for over 70 (Grand master) 1st Gold – GER – G551 SEEGERS CHRISTIAN
Elliot Sharp Trophy for Top Junior Skipper 1st Gold – EST – C20/US49 MAALIN RASMUS
Meade Gougeon Trophy for Top Woman 1st Gold – GER – G390 FIEDLER ANJA
Thank you to the Race Committee volunteers for dedicating a week of your lives to ensure that over 100 ice sailors from 10 countries had the best racing and social experience possible – Central Region Commodore and Regatta Chair Rob Holman, PRO John Atkins, PRO Bob Schumacher, Vice Commodore Dave Elsmo, Commodore Warren Nethercote (who tabulated and published race results off site – way off site – in Nova Scotia), the scoring, measuring, and weather mark team, and everyone else who helped.
Below is Jane Pegel US805’s North American regatta report:
Good evening iceboaters….
The 2019 DN North American Championship at Lake Wawasee, Indiana, has been completed.
U.S. sailors moved to the front of the fleet—
Ron Sherry won the Gold Fleet and attributes his success to taking time to tune against his son, Griffin, who
placed 18th. Ron previously won the North Americans in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2009,
2010, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018. Ron won the DN Gold Cup in 1998, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2011. He is a past
champion of the Renegade class and also borrowed a Skeeter to win the Northwest Free-For-All. Ron’s first regatta
race win came when he was twelve years of age and sailing in the Northwest on Mendota. He nipped me out at the finish.
The 2019 Gold Cup had 5 women competitors and 3 received women’s trophies. Renee Fields, an experienced land sailor who sailed and raced an iceboat for the first time, placed 27th in the Bronze fleet. The top ranked North American woman, Julie Richards, finished 25th in the Silver fleet. Germany’s Anja Fiedler finished 9th in the Gold fleet.
We had previously published that Anja was the first female to finish in the top ten of a World Championship but let the record show that Lake Geneva’s Jane Pegel US805 accomplished that feat at the first World Championship sailed in 1973 on Gull Lake in Michigan. Jane placed 8th in the Gold fleet at that inaugural Worlds.
You can read about Jane Pegel’s remarkable career as a top ice sailor back when there were even fewer women competing at championships in the December 2016 DN class Newsletter, Runner Tracks.
Jane sends along the following note:
Susie and I are pleased to congratulate the women who competed in the Gold Cup and wish them well in the North Americans. But here is a correction to your report:In Susie’s scrap book she has come across an article about the first Gold Cup at Gull Lake in 1973. Jane placed 8th in the Gold fleet. Susie placed 16th in the Gold fleet.
Gold Fleet: Michal Burczynski P114 Silver Fleet: Dave Clapp US5116 Bronze Fleet: Chad Coberly US1301
Congratulations to all sailors who competed in the 2019 IDNIYRA Gold Cup. There are so many dramatic stories to note from this regatta. Memorable moments include German sailor Anja Fielder’s G390 9th place finish in Gold which accomplished a couple of firsts – the first time a woman competitor has finished in the top 10 and the first time a husband and wife have both finished in top ten. Congratulations Anja Fiedler and Holger Petzke G890 for your 9th and 4th place finishes in the Gold fleet.
There were 9 Polish sailors who flew to Chicago last week ready to compete for the Gold Cup but there were 9 Polish boats stuck at Charles de Gaulle Airport without hope of getting to the regatta. The North American IDNIYRA community banded together and found boats for the Polish sailors. In fact, the winning boat was loaned to Michal Burczynski by Western Region Commodore Daniel Hearn of Madison, Wisconsin. Michal’s tribute to Daniel, cut and pasted with rough translation, is posted below.
“The Two World Champions”
Daniel Hearn! To dzięki temu przyjacielowi miałem szanse wystartować w tegorocznych Mistrzostwach Świata! Sprzęt nie doleciał na regaty wiec musiałem sobie jakoś poradzić. Warto podkreślić ,ze kolega oddał swój pierwszoligowy zestaw,a sam postanowił wystartować na zapasowym. Słowa uznania dla tego faceta za wielkie serce i 100 % fair play! W tym roku mamy dwóch mistrzów swiata: to Daniel Hearn i Ja;)
Daniel Hearn, thanks to him I had the chance to compete in the Gold Cup 2019! Our equipment did not arrive for regatta. Daniel was supported me with all his best equipment and he took his practice boat. There are no words to express the amount of appreciation I have for this guy. He has a great heart and 100% honest game! This year we have 2 world champions: Daniel and Me! Thank You!
Daniel Hearn! It’s thanks to this friend I had the chance to launch in the year The equipment didn’t make it to the regatta so I had to deal It is worth highlighting that a colleague gave his-Set and himself decided to launch on backup. Words of appreciation for this guy for a big heart and 100 % fair play! This year we have two world champions: it’s Daniel Hearn and I 😉
Just in time for the Gold Cup, the mid-season February edition of the class newsletter, Runner Tracks. This issue focuses on the scoring side of the class which is a perfect time to note that the Sherry sisters are celebrating 30 years of scoring regatta for the class in 2019. The next issue in May will have regatta reports, regatta results, and much more. See you at the Gold Cup!
Results
The Junior DN & Ice Optimist European Championship concluded on Friday at the Siemianówka Reservoir in Poland.. Congratulations to all juniors who sailed in this event including Anton Didenko R166 of Vladivostok, Russia winner of the DN class and Estonia’s Andrias Sepp C3 winner of the Ice Optimist Class. Top placing female sailors were Anielke Graczyk P1581 in the Ice Optimist Class (8th) and Zuzanna Rybicka P119 in the DN Class (2nd).
Congratulations to the race organizers DN Jégvitorlás Osztályszövetség / Hungarian DN Ice Yacht Racing Class and Idniyra Europe, the race committee, and European Junior Sailing Secretary Stan Macur for running such a successful event for 80 junior ice sailors.
Photos below from the Giżycka Grupa Regatowa Facebook page.
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.
