2023 DN Western Challenge Called ON for MN Dec 1 – 3

by | Nov 26, 2023 | 2023-2024, DN, Home Page


The informal first regatta of the season, the DN Western Challenge, has been called on for December 1 – 3, 2023. Primary site is Lake Christina in Ashby, MN. Final confirmation for regatta and site will be made on Wednesday, November 29, 2023. The DN Western Challenge is a fun regatta with no formal racing or scoring.
Next update will be Wednesday, November 29, 2023 by noon CT. 

First!

by | Nov 22, 2023 | 2023-2024, DN, Home Page


Staying true to our tradition of recognizing the first boat on the ice, we present Canadian DN sailor Paul Chamberland. Yesterday, he powered two DNs through the woods to get to Owlseye Lake near his hometown in Alberta, Canada. Paul reported that the lake is 5.5″ maximum depth, making it the perfect early season lake.

Announcing the DN Senior Shuffle Regatta!

by | Aug 15, 2023 | 2023-2024, DN, Home Page

Announcing the DN Senior Shuffle Regatta!

Get ready for North America’s take on the European DN Grand Masters Regatta.
It’s the first, maybe annual, no-running regatta for the “more seasoned” DN sailors. It will take place the three days following the Western Regional Championships, hopefully on the same ice.

TENTATIVE DATES

  • January 8 – 10, 2024, the three days after the DN Western Region Championship, which is scheduled for January 6 – 7.

WHO’S INVITED?

  • Open to Seniors (50-59), Masters (60-69) and Grand Masters (70+) who will race under Shuffle Rules with one start.
  • Open to “aspiring” Seniors (49 or younger) who will also race under Shuffle Rules with a separate start.

WHAT ARE THE SHUFFLE RULES?

  • No running. Not at the start. Not during a race. No track stars allowed in a Shuffle race!
  • Starting positions will be determined, in advance, by random draw for every race. No one is advantaged or disadvantaged with a starting position based on their previous race performance. It’s all luck of the draw.
  • Racers must start with one foot on their plank, and are limited to five kicks.
  • Racers must stay in their boats unless they come to a complete stop during a race. In that event, a racer will have one additional 5-kick opportunity to complete a race. A second stop is an automatic DNF.
  • No more than 4 races which count on any one day. Scrub racing may continue after official races for any who are interested.
    Maybe we’ll award prizes…maybe we won’t. But what we do know, is that this is all about fun and camaraderie.
  • Oh, yeah. And that means no protests. We’re going to race like a Wisconsin intersection. “You go. No, you go. Ohhhh, please, I insist der my friend. Oh, cripes, tanks, der good buddy!”

OTHER DETAILS

  • $50 registration fee to cover prizes and extras
  • All registration will be online. If you’re tech-challenged, ask a youngster for help.
  • Because we’re so green, race documents will only be published online.

EVENT CONTACTS

1954 Northwest History

by | Mar 8, 2023 | 2022-2023, DN, Home Page, NIYA

DN iceboat plan c1950s from the files of John Bluel

1954 Northwest Archives
Since we are on the subject of the Northwest regatta, Kenny Beal, great-grandson of a long-time 4LIYC member, John Bluel, shared some of his grandfather’s documents with the club, including a report from Northwestern Ice Yachting Association Secretary Frank Meyer about the 1954 Northwest.

Rather than the typical three-day event, the regatta was held over two weekends in Pewaukee because of challenging weather conditions. The 4LIYC’s Carl Bernard won the A Class Stern Steerer title in MARY B, competing against Skeeter Iceboat Club’s Lou Loenneke of Lake Geneva.

1954 was the first year that the DN Class competed in the Northwest. The DNs had one race in bad weather, and the Northwest officials decided that the fleet would sail the remainder of their races in the Detroit area “as all the entries were from that vicinity.” Skip Boston won that first Northwest DN title.

MacGyver of Madison

by | Mar 2, 2023 | 2022-2023, DN, Home Page


Even as we wait to get back on the lake, ice sailing shops have been keeping busy. The DN Western Region ATV gets a complete make over thanks to 4LIYC Skeeter sailor, Ken Whitehorse.
Via 4LIYC Commodore Daniel Hearn:

Not sure what it is about ice sailing that attracts people with little use for idle time and a penchant for ingenuity, but the sport is flush with such individuals. In Madison, Ken Whitehorse matches the profile perfectly. I always call him Kenny. Probably because it feels to me more fitting for his youthful spirit. He’s one of those guys who is older than he looks, with the same mischievous sparkle in his eyes that I see in my grandson. And a head of hair worthy of a rock star. Honestly, I don’t know Kenny well, but I know he’s got a huge heart. If it were not for Kenny, we wouldn’t get to see PK (Paul Krueger) on the ice ripping it up anytime 4LIYC is in action.

 

If you’ve ever been to Kenny’s shop, you’ll learn instantly that he is also Madison’s MacGyver. The “Past Champions Iceboat Shop” is housed in a building that used to be a Whitehorse Body Shop. Back in the day, I’m told it was stuffed with race cars, when the bill-paying cars were pushed out of the way. Now it’s stuffed with decades of ice sailing gear, each with a unique story Kenny would be happy to tell. And various motorized vehicles seemingly close to successful ignition, but just not quite there yet. Kenny has a very impressive “To Do” List.

 

I am certain his personal list would be shorter, if he weren’t doing stuff for others all the time. Over the last couple weeks he’s created the DN Western Region ATV Version 2.0. Thanks to Kenny, this machine will now be the envy of the ice sailing world. V2.0 is sporting a shiny new muffler, even though a local dealer told us it couldn’t be replaced. And that 4WD that wasn’t working? A new switch assembly made the orange 4WD indicator light shine like a Christmas tree. With the remaining maintenance items addressed, it was now time to macgyver. First up was the hitch. It’s always been kinda janky, so Kenny welded up a heavy duty reinforcement bracket. Even for “that-hurts-my-back” tongue weight, the hitch is now good-to-go. And for the “don’t-kid-yourself” tongue weight trailers, the Kenny Tongue Jack Sled, which he created last season, now has a rock-solid place for attachment.

 

Not satisfied with just rear-end upgrades, Kenny MacGyver decided V2.0 needed a combination boat pusher and fold up scoring table on the front end. This machine is now MONEY! If you’re a DNr, buy Kenny a PBR the next time you see him. If you’re not a DNr, buy him a PBR anyway. You’ll be particularly grateful when V2.0 shows up to push you back to the pits when the wind dies.

 

Thanks, Kenny!