DN Regatta Reports
A New Ghost in the Machine: AI Designs a DN Plank
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.
The Bubble Expands & a World Champion Joins the Skeeter Fleet
Two Clapp-built Class A Skeeters with deep pedigrees.
The world’s fastest iceboats, the Class A Skeeters, the Formula One of iceboat racing, have grown their fleet this season with two new Clapp-built additions. Both boats come from the shop of Dan Clapp, innovator of the renowned bubble boat design that transformed Skeeter performance back in the 1990s.
PREDATOR Finds a New Home
The Class A Skeeter PREDATOR has a new owner, Fritz Good of Pewaukee, well known in Scow sailing circles from his years sailing on Pewaukee Lake. PREDATOR was most recently owned by Rob Evans, from whom Good acquired the boat. Welcome to the fleet, Fritz, and congratulations on bringing PREDATOR back on the ice.
Clapp shared some of the boat’s storied history:
“PREDATOR was the first bubble boat, COMING ATTRACTION. I won my first ISA with this boat on Lake Geneva in 1991. Afterwards, I sold it to Art Apy, who renamed it GOTCHA. A few years later, the boat was sold to Rick Stavola and became MONA LISA. Rick raced it successfully for many years before selling it to Rob Marsh, who renamed it ILLUSION and modified the rear deck to match the newer slant-back design. Eventually, the boat was sold out West.”
Struble Steps in to the Bubble
Perhaps the biggest buzz of the season comes from the DN ranks. DN World Champion Matt Struble has thrown his helmet into the Class A Skeeter ring, purchasing the bright yellow AMPHETAMINE from Pewaukee’s Tom Hyslop.
Clapp recalls building the boat:
The yellow boat was built for Jack Jacobs. It was the first slant-back-deck bubble boat. I built it alongside BALLISTIC (for Bill Stavola) and MADJAKE (for myself) around 1998. It originally had a 26-foot mast and 22-foot plank. Later, Jack bought my all-carbon MADJAKE and renamed it MERLIN. He wanted both boats to be identical, so I built him a new mast and plank for MERLIN that matched the carbon boat. I then took the original shorter mast and plank in trade, painted them orange, and used them on INSANITY for many years. Tom Hyslop bought MERLIN from Jack and renamed it AMPHETAMINE II or III. He experimented with mast and plank lengths before settling on a setup with a new mast by Jay Yaeso and a 22-foot plank I made for him.
Now the distinctive bright yellow Skeeter returns to the line with Struble at the helm, a DN sailor stepping up to the elite level of A Skeeters. Struble’s arrival in the Skeeter fleet is sure to turn heads and raise the competitive bar.
Dan writes, “Here’s a Gretchen Dorian photo of me at Lake Geneva following Buddy around in the Northwest. I ended up 2nd. No matter what I did, I couldn’t beat him that day….on his home ice. Jack (Jacobs) owned the boat at the time. I was “testing” the new 30’ mast and 25’ plank.”
PREDATOR (Rob Evans) and HELLSBELLS (Mark Isabell) sailing on Lake Monona, a living bubble boat history lesson.
Video by OVJ Photography. Link to video.
Skoda Meets Iceboating
Iceboats in Advertising Archives
Marketing cars with iceboats has a long history. Even the DN itself is named after The Detroit News, and over the years this site has shared plenty of examples from the “Mad Men” era, when Detroit advertisers paired cars with wind power to sell speed and style.
This video came out today from Skoda featuring a well-known Polish DN champion, Łukasz Zakrzewski, who has sailed our own lakes more than a few times.
Video link.
Summer Solstice: Countdown to Ice Begins
Sunset over Lake Mendota, early 1970s. Bill Mattison’s HONEYBUCKET DN, built for his children and photographed by Bill himself.
As we mark midsummer this weekend, iceboaters know we’re one step closer to ice-making.
In about 20 weeks, DNs will gather in Finland for the annual Week 46 regatta. Just four weeks later, the DN Western Challenge kicks off the North American season on the first weekend of December in Minnesota.
That’s less than five months until we line up on the ice again. The season is turning. Time to check your gear—winter is coming.
If you are new and want to try ice sailing, get in touch with us!
Ron Sherry to Headline 4LIYC Banquet – RSVP by April 22!
We’re thrilled to announce that Ron Sherry, one of the most accomplished and respected DN sailors in the world, will be our guest speaker at the 4LIYC Spring Awards Banquet!
Ron will host a Q&A session during the banquet — an opportunity to ask questions, hear stories, and learn from a true legend of the ice.
The banquet is Saturday, April 26 at Mariner’s Inn
RSVP Deadline: Tuesday, April 22
Don’t miss your chance to be part of this special evening — sign up today and come celebrate one of our best seasons in years with great company, great food, and a great guest!
March 16, 2025: DN Mast in WI
DN Mast from Moore Brothers Company
Gen 6 – carbon + glass
Good for 190-210lbs sailor weight
One owner (C-53)
Mast is stored in Madison, WI
Price $2200
Contact: joonas.kiisler@gmail.com
March 15, 2025: DN in Ontario, Canada
DN. Well maintained. Always kept covered on shore and in garage in summer.
$2500 CAN
$1500 CAN
Thunder Bay, Ontario
Willing to deliver to Pigeon River, MN border for a US sale.
glenclova54@gmail.com
sale
Snow Got You Down? Tune In to Matt Struble’s Podcast Interview
Matt Struble US183. Photo by Anna Suslova.
With the 4LIYC racing on pause thanks to all this snow, it’s a great time to catch up on some ice sailing talk. Sailing Anarchy just dropped a new podcast featuring none other than 2025 DN World & North American Champion Matt Struble! Fresh off his dominant performance at Lake Winnebago, Matt sat down with host Scott Tempesta to break down the regatta. While his scores made it look effortless, Matt shares just how tough the conditions were and what it took to come out on top. As Scott put it: “I just chatted him up, and I can tell he is going to be a great guest!” The episode is available this afternoon—perfect listening while we wait for sailable ice to return.
Listen here: https://sailinganarchy.com/sailing-anarchy-podcast/ Or check out the SA podcasts on Apple, Google, or Spotify podcasts.
Stay tuned, and hopefully, the Big Zamboni will arrive and we’ll be back on the ice soon!
In the News: The 2024 Northwest
Minnesota station KARE joined us at the 2024 Northwest in Waconia, Minnesota last season. Check out their coverage at the 8 minute mark. Watch here.
Lake Winnebago – The Place to Be for Ice Sailing
4LIYC Commodore Daniel Hearn takes first in Silver at the DN Worlds.Not pictured, second place Dave Elsmo. Photo: Anna Suslova
Lake Winnebago – The Place to Be for Ice Sailing
Lake Winnebago has been the place to be for ice sailing this season. From the Northwest Regatta to the Wisconsin Stern Steerers Association Regatta, the DN Western Region Championship, and now the DN World and North American Championships, it has been an incredible stretch of racing on one of the best venues in North America.
It’s great to be back on Winnebago for the DN Worlds and North Americans and even better to drive on the ice, making race logistics easier for sailors and officials. These back-to-back regatta weeks can be exhausting, but ice sailors have been waiting for years for this kind of ice. Beyond the racing, seeing everyone socializing at the hotel and gathering for a banquet at Sunset on the Water has been fantastic.
DN World Championship Recap
The World Championship is now complete, and congratulations to five-time champion Matt Struble. Watching the best ice sailors in the world at work is always incredible. Right behind Matt, the Polish sailors continue to be a massive force, along with the Swedes and Estonians, who have all shown their skill and consistency. The top Swedish sailors in this competition have a long history with my brother, Ron Rosten, who has followed their progress from junior racing all the way to the Gold Fleet. Ron attends the Junior World Championship held in Europe every year, and it has been amazing to see these young sailors grow into top competitors.
North American Championship Begins
Now, the focus shifts to the North American Championship, where four races have been completed. Every race has been like a high-speed chess match, where every move counts, and the slightest mistake can cost positions. The competition has been fierce, with no easy wins.
Today’s forecast calls for strong winds, and I’m sure PRO Pat Heppert is already driving to the lake to check conditions as I type this.
4LIYC Sailors at the DN World Championship
Closer to home, our Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club (4LIYC) sailors had strong performances at the DN World Championship, battling through some of the toughest competition in recent memory. The Silver Fleet raced at a Gold Fleet level, and Bronze felt like Silver, making every finish hard-earned.
- Chad Atkins finished 14th in Gold Fleet
- 4LIYC Commodore Daniel Hearn won the Silver Fleet, securing an automatic spot in the Gold Fleet for the championship
- Dave Elsmo was right behind him, taking 2nd place in Silver Fleet
- Dale Gordon finished 20th in the Bronze Fleet
Great racing from our club members—congratulations to all!
It has been an incredible week, and we are hoping to finish out the North Americans with a complete seven-race series. Stay tuned for updates!
Stay updated with the latest results, photos, and behind-the-scenes coverage:
- Website – Visit IDNIYRA.org for official announcements, race updates, and results.
- Website – Visit the New England Ice Yachting Association for race updates from the New England contingent
- Event Photos: Anna Suslova Gallery. Link Password: sail
- Gretchen Dorian Photo Gallery
- Instagram – Follow @idniyra
- Facebook – IDNIYRA – DN North America for live updates, videos, and community discussions.
- 2025 North American Championship Results – View the full competitor list and follow live results
- 2025 World Championship Results – View here.
- New to Iceboat Racing? – Learn how it works by watching this short video:- How Ice Boat Racing Works.
- For media inquiries – Please contact secretary.idniyira@gmail.com. Or text 608-347 3513
Photo Gallery by Anna Suslova – Gallery Link Password: sail
Online Ship’s Store
National Iceboat Authority Web Page
4LIYC Governing Documents
Click for 4LIYC Meeting Dates
- January 2 THURSDAY Honor Roll Nominations
- January 15 Deadline for By-Law or Racing Rules Amendment Submission
- January 29
- February 12 Business Meeting
- February 26
- March 12 Last Meeting of the Season
Location: In person at the Elks Lodge 711 Jenifer St, Madison, WI 53703
Time: 6:30 PM
YOU ARE SKIPPER NUMBER
TO ROUND THE MARK SINCE NOVEMBER 1999.
