Greetings DN racers,
Welcome to the 2025 World and North American Championships hosted by the Central Region. Only 6 days to the start of racing, and the regatta crew and scouts have been hard at work finding a suitable location for the event. We know everyone is anxious to start making travel plans so I wanted to update everyone on current thoughts.
At this time, we are focusing on ice in Wisconsin, specifically Lakes Winnebago and Monona. We are fortunate to have many options and are watching back up locations in Minnesota, Indiana and Detroit. Scouts and Volunteers have already spent hours of time and miles of driving scouting ice in Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, Wisconsin, New York, Vermont and New Hampshire… So please!- when you run across someone who scouted ice for us, give them a big thank you!
Stay tuned. The next update will be Wednesday night, January 29, with the final confirmation for the location.
Drive safe and sail fast!
Sincerely,
Pete Johanson US5633
Central Region Commodore
US Sailing – Event Recap: 2025 DN Eastern Regional Championship Posted on January 22, 2025 at 11:19 AM by Abigail Shanahan Results
The 2025 DN Eastern Regional Championship, held this past weekend at Lake Winnipesaukee in Gilford, New Hampshire, was an exhilarating event showcasing the rapid growth and excitement surrounding ice sailing. The inaugural championship for the DN class, the most popular iceboat in the world, drew the ice-sailing community from across New England to compete for the title of Eastern Regional Champion. Continue reading.
2025 WORLDS HOME PAGE
We’re gearing up for an exciting DN World Championship! Here’s what you need to know about registration, check-in, the opening ceremony, and the racing rules review:
Registration
Registration is ONLINE ONLY and must be completed by the deadline of 5 PM local time, February 1, 2025.
Late registration will also be online and closes at 5 PM local time.
No in-person registration is permitted at check-in.
Gold Cup World Championship mandatory check-in for competitors will take place on February 1, 2025, from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM local time.
The location for check-in will be listed on the IDNIYRA website.
During check-in, all registered competitors will pick up their packets, including their stickers.
Opening Ceremony
The Opening Ceremony will follow check-in, officially kicking off the championship and welcoming all participants.
Racing Rules Review
After the ceremony, a Racing Rules Review seminar will be held. Attendance is voluntary, but we encourage all sailors to join and brush up on the rules.
Note: The location for registration, the opening ceremonies, and the rules review will be announced closer to the event date, based on where we will be sailing.
We look forward to seeing everyone there—let’s make it a great championship!
WHAT TO KNOW 2025 DN Eastern Region Championship Date: January 18 – 19 Location: Lake Winnipesaukee in New Hampshire Launch:
Ellacoya State Park
280 Scenic Dr, Gilford, NH 03249 Map Lodging: Fireside Inn & Suites
17 Harris Shore Road RT 11 & RT, B Lake Shore Rd #11,
Gilford, NH 03249
+16032937526
Yvan Desy, Les Druiven, John Curtis, Robin Lagraviere, Peter Van Rossem Sr., Jacek Marzenski
Via Mike Druiven
The 2025 DN Canadian Championship regatta this past weekend on Hay Bay, Napanee, Ontario started Saturday without enough wind to sail until 1pm. In very light winds the field managed 3 races before a wind shift shut down racing for the day. On Sunday we waited for wind until noon with no breeze transpiring and no wind in the forecast. The regatta was concluded with the minimum 3 races achieved. Congratulations to Robin Lagraviere 5629 for taking home the Canadian trophy. The results page is here: https://www.sailwave.com/results/2025-DN-Canadian-Championship.htm
Thanks to Peter Van Rossem Sr. 2766, John Curtis 5514 and Jim Foster 5515 for scouting the region during the prior week, setting the course and Jacek Marzenski 5247 helping with marking hazards. The regatta races were managed by Mike Druiven 5992. Peter Van Rossem Sr. 2766 and John Curtis 5514 managed safety. Thank you to our volunteer scorers/starters Sue Fraser, Roger Bowes, Ali Meller and Jim Foster. Thank you to Lana Butler and Kathleen Curtis for handling registration and Deb Whitehorse for posting our results.
RESULTS
DN sailors gathered on the big ice of Lake Winnebago in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin, for the two-day Western Region Championship. Sailors from Lake Minnetonka, Michigan, Illinois, Wisconsin, and Pennsylvania joined the action.
This year’s regatta highlighted family connections, with father-son teams David and Matthew Kickhafer and David and Cooper Frost, as well as father-daughter duo John and Maggie McGary, all competing together.
Lake Winnebago is famous for being home to the majestic stern steerers, and it was a real treat to see the ROSEMARY and FLYING DUTCHMEN sailing around during the regatta.
The launch site was ideal, conveniently located next to Sunset on the Water, a bar and restaurant—similar to Minnesota’s 2024 Western Region Championship. Coming off the ice for a hot lunch and a beverage made the weekend even better.
On Saturday, the weather tested both sailors and the race committee. The forecast predicted light winds, and while conditions were tricky, PRO Pat Heppert set up a race course about two miles from the launch. With the help of Dan from the Fond du Lac Yacht Club and Greg Mulliet from Michigan, the race committee ran an efficient and well-organized event. Special thanks to Fred Stritt, who monitored the weather mark and ensured the racing went smoothly—we all greatly appreciated it!
The light breeze on Saturday allowed for two Silver Fleet races and one Gold Fleet race before the wind completely died. The scene at the launch that day was busy, with motorcycles and quads tearing around a track nearby, adding an unusual backdrop to the regatta. There were also powered paragliders flying overhead, adding to the spectacle.
A large group gathered for dinner at The Sunset to catch up on the day’s sailing. The evening was made even more special by the surprise appearance of Anja Fiedler and Holger Petzke, who traveled from Germany and are here for the 2025 World Championship.
Sunday brought a dramatic change in weather, with enough breeze to keep everyone moving. However, freezing rain presented a new challenge, making visibility difficult. The decision was made to complete two more Gold Fleet races and one Silver Fleet race to wrap up the regatta.
Many thanks to Ann Foeller who tabulated scores from our satellite office in Toledo, Ohio.
2025 DN Western Region Championship Gold Fleet Top 5. From left: Dave Glick 5th, Mike Bloom 4th, Ben Witman 3rd, Daniel Hearn 2nd, Chris Berger 1st.
2025 DN Western Region Championship Silver Top 5: From left, Maggie McGary 5th, Pete Johns 4th, Erin Bury 3rd, Bill Eklund 2nd, Matt Myer 1st.
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.
