DN Regatta Reports
2023 DN World Championship Opening Ceremony
Photo: Ethan Brodsky
2023 World & North American Championship Information
4LIYC Members:
As you may have heard, the DN World Championships are landing here in Madison. You are cordially invited to join us for the Opening Ceremony on Saturday. The event begins at 8 PM and will take place at my office at 1352 E. Wilson St. There will be an open bar and a charcuterie board worthy of a world championship. Please plan on joining in the fun.
Daniel Hearn
4LIYC Commodore
C-Skeeter Polish Championship
The Western Region of the DN Class (WI, MN, IL, IA, IN, UP of MI) is hosting the DN World & North American Championship in just a few days. Ice sailors from Poland and Sweden are here to train on Lake Kegonsa. The regatta site information will be announced on January 18, 2023, on idniyra.org. Regatta information.
Boat preparations are underway for the first-ever C-Skeeter Polish Match Racing Championship. Current DN World Champion, Robert Graczyk, will face off with former DN World Champion, Tomek Zakrzewski, on Lake Kegonsa in Stoughton, Wisconsin this Wednesday, January 18. Weather permitting, of course. At stake is a meal of Polish delicacies including pirogies and Polish sausage. But none of that cold soup. The loser will treat the winner and the boat owners/race committee at the prize giving ceremony, which will take place sometime during the ‘23 DN Worlds/North Americans.
To date, only the Black Ice/Loren ipsum camp has responded to requests for information about boat prep. The Drifter camp remains shielded under a cloak of secrecy, no doubt working on another traveler-like innovation to create an unfair advantage.
To make sure the race track is level, the two competitors will trade boats after each race, and the championship will conclude after an even number of races. Clearly the Drifter camp strategists have failed to read the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions.
DN Western Region Championship Update
Pat send them off.
Provisional Results
A quick update about the DN Western Region Championship in Clear Lake, Iowa. 4LIYC Commodore Daniel Hearn found the shifts and grooves to take three bullets today. There were three races before the winds built too much to sail on the rougher ice safely. 4LIYC Junior sailor, Thor Rosten, missed the second race because of a rig change. Tomorrow’s winds look better. Follow the provisional results tomorrow because they are updated quickly by Ann and Bob Foeller in Toledo.
Regatta Watch: DN Westerns On for Clear Lake, IA
“If you scout it, they will come…”
Finally, there’s some good regatta news to report rather than what seems to be perpetual postponements. The DN fleet is heading west this weekend to Clear Lake, Iowa, for the DN Western Region Championship. On Thursday, Belle Plaine DRIFTER, Pat Heppert, sailed his freeskate windsurfer around Clear Lake and made a detailed map. Ice thickness is 20″ except for the open water from the two large permanent aerators on the lake which are detailed on the map. He rates it a 4.5 and says it’s rough, though sailable. See the IDNIYRA website for more information and registration.
Sail Australia in Montana
Speaking of Montana, Canyon Ferry Nite sailor Dave Gluek checked in with some news about a new DN sailor there. Michael Dunston joins two other Australian DN sailors that I know of here in the states.
Attached is a photo of Michael Dunstan, the Australian sailor who recently moved to Montana. He purchased Dale Livezey’s DN. Michael is a quick learner and sailed very well. Michael’s dad (age 79), the 1981 overall winner of the Sydney Hobart soft water race, paid a visit to his son here in Montana. I sailed with him in the Nite and we hit 52 mph. Last weekend Michael/skipper and his mates won the VX One Fleet Winter Series in Pensacola Florida. They will all be at Canyon Ferry this weekend for some iceboating.
Dave Gluek
Lake Monona & DN Racing Drone Video by Sean R. Heavey
Enjoy the beauty of ice sailing with Chris Gordon, Paul Krueger, and Ken Whitehorse as they sail on Lake Monona with Madison’s skyline in the background. Then stay tuned for some serious DN racing action on Lake Senachwine in Putnam, Illinois. Watch it here.
Sean R. Heavey website
On The Cold Road
Choosing weapons.
Good morning from Putnam, Illinois, the 2022 DN U.S. Nationals site. Senachawine Lake is about 2.5 hours south of Madison, WI and being south, 10 degrees warmer than Madison. But the difference between -16F and -5F is negligible. The Skipper’s Meeting is scheduled for 11 AM, with racing at 1 PM. Follow the regatta on the IDNIYRA page, where updates will be posted. Provisional results are here.
Christmas Eve Reflections
Erin Bury took advantage of glass ice in this unusual video perspective. On Christmas eve, she and Alex Peterson sailed DNs on Lake Minnetonka in Minnesota. Watch closely!
Picture of the Week
Through the Harken Looking Glass…
Polish DN sailor Tomasz Zakrzewski P55 shot this clever photo at the Swedish DN Championship which was held over the weekend (December 18-19, 2021) on Lake Ymsen. Tomek placed 4th in a very competitive field. Results here.
Western Challenge Photos by Sean Heavey
The great thing about the Western Challenge is that Lake Christina is a day’s drive from Glasgow, Montana, home of photographer Sean Heavey.
He sends his apologies for not getting everyone because he spent a lot of time practicing flying the new drones and figuring out to cover the action with them. See the photos here.
Online Ship’s Store
National Iceboat Authority Web Page
4LIYC Governing Documents
Click for 4LIYC Meeting Dates
- November 8 Zoom
- November 22 Elections
- December 6
- December 20
- January 3 Honor Roll Nominations
- January 17 Deadline for By-Law or Racing Rules Amendment Submission
- January 31 – in person, no Zoom
- February 15 Business Meeting – Zoom only
- March 6 – in person, no Zoom. Last meeting of the season.
Location: In person at Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club or Online using the Zoom App Members please email debwhitehorse@iceboat.org for the link.
Time: 6:30 PM
YOU ARE SKIPPER NUMBER
TO ROUND THE MARK SINCE NOVEMBER 1999.
