by Deb Whitehorse | Nov 17, 2025 | 2025-2026, DN, Home Page
Iceboating has seen its share of firsts, and this may be another one. In the 1930s the stern-steerer DEBUTANTE showed up with the first aluminum runners, and Chuck Kotovic Jr. won the 1954 ISA with one of the first Dacron sails.
Now a new kind of experiment is underway. Tomasz Zakrzewski, a Polish DN sailor who has raced many championships on our lakes, has built what may be the first runner plank designed entirely by artificial intelligence. It was not a shortcut. Tomasz spent hours feeding the system with detailed files and measurements to train it. With enough data, the machine can analyze patterns and generate something that has never been built before.
This week marks a milestone for me — and possibly a first in the history of iceboating.
I have just finished building a runner plank designed entirely by artificial intelligence.
Over the past days, I trained an AI model by feeding it detailed information about more than 100 runner planks built over the last decade — including materials used, layup schedules, structural failures, stiffness measurements, field results, and performance notes. Based on this dataset, ChatGPT proposed its own optimized layup concept… and the design was so interesting that I decided to build it. Continue reading.
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by Deb Whitehorse | Nov 17, 2025 | sell
Arrow #175
Boat was restored in 2024- Like new Ullman Sail, new plank and springboard, Sarns runners, Harken Carbo blocks. Boat also has new tiller and cockpit cushion.
No trailer
$4000
Located in Lake Fenton, MI
Contact Peter 920-379-1451
by Deb Whitehorse | Nov 16, 2025 | sell
DN equipment for sale:
North MP excellent condition $600
North/Boston FO1 Brand new never used-$800
New and lightly used ID sails avalible
Sherry clone fuselage $1800
Kent/CSI molded fuselage $2500
Plank w/ Jablonski cutaway chocks $700
Plank w/ chocks- $300
MBC All Carbon mast-$2500
MBC Hybrid mast-$2300
Other parts and pieces
Renegade equipment off Blade Runner #500-
Runners, sails, mast, boom, plank, springboard shrouds, extra hardware, parts and pieces all off R-500 Blade Runner. Send a note and we can figure it out.
Located in RI with delivery west possible.
Chad Atkins
Catkins4487@gmail.com
by Deb Whitehorse | Nov 15, 2025 | sell
DN
Striper wood bendy mast, lower safety shrouds for beginner, 2 nice sails North & Shore, Sarns runners and box. Early Sherry Insert runners, hull 65 lbs.
Trailer and enclosed box, new tires, room for 2 DNs. More pics available.
Columbus, OH
$1500
boucher3717@yahoo.com
614-989-0549
by Deb Whitehorse | Nov 15, 2025 | Sold, sold-1
SOLD! C Class vintage side-by-side Mead Skeeter with trailer.
$500
Southern WI
Iceboating has seen its share of firsts, and this may be another one. In the 1930s the stern-steerer DEBUTANTE showed up with the first aluminum runners, and Chuck Kotovic Jr. won the 1954 ISA with one of the first Dacron sails.
