The 2019 Junior World DN & Ice Optimist Championships got underway today on Lake Siemianowka in light air and sticky ice. Ron Rosten reported that the wind shut off during the day’s last race and they tore down their boats in the dark. Ron also praised Estonian DNer Rasmus Maalen C20, currently in first, who “went out of his way to give Thor [Rosten] advice and offer encouragement.”
Rasmus Maalen, it should be noted, won the first race of the European Championship 2 weeks ago and finished 6th overall. Another junior who competed at the Europeans, Zuzanna Rybicka P119, is in second place just 2 points behind Rasmus tonight.
In the Ice Optimist fleet, Estonian sailor Lisbeth Taggu C1 holds first with Poles Mateusz Gigielewicz P89 and Anielka Graczyk P375 tied for second. Aneilka’s father, Robert Graczyk, won the Polish Championship last Saturday. There are a combined total of 80 skippers registered for the regatta. Youth iceboating is doing well in Europe.
“Double ice [the Europeans’ name for shell ice], not frozen slush, and snow drifts” on Niegocin means the juniors are on the move today to greener iceboating pastures on Lake Siemianowka at Poland’s border with Belarus. Opening ceremonies and racing for the Junior World DN & Ice Optimist championships are scheduled for Wednesday Feb 6th. Previous: 2019 Junior World Championship Begins
The 2019 DN & Ice Optimist Junior World and European Championships were called on for Lake Niegocin in Gizycko, Poland for February 4-8. 4LIYC DN sailor Thor Rosten and his dad, Ron, are there and again traveling with the Swedish team. Ron reports that they may be looking at an alternative site because of a snowfall during the night. The opening ceremony is scheduled for Tuesday, February 5 at 10:00 with racing to follow. Stay tuned!
Nite Skippers
Nite Nationals has been tentatively called ON for February 9 & 10, 2019.
Potential locations are:
Madison area (Mendota, Monona or Kegonsa)
Pewaukee
Southern Wisconsin has experienced thawing conditions during the past 24 hours with another 12 hours of above-freezing temps and rain. Current forecasts call for a hard freeze and below freezing temps beginning on Monday. We expect that this may produce sailable ice on one of these four lakes. Ice scouts will be out the next few days and also Wednesday and after their reports and careful review of the forecasts we will make a final regatta call on Wednesday, February 6, by 9 PM CST.
Please check the class website for more updates. Pre-register for the regatta now on our class website and save the $10.00 late registration fee that will be charged those who register after 12 noon, CST on Friday, February 8.
Sunday morning’s bitter temperatures and no wind at the Northwest meant the regatta was called complete. Prize giving was set up in the parking lot. My phone’s camera did not appreciate the cold weather as you can see by the quality of the pictures. Congratulations to all who participated and to those who took home some hardware. Thanks to all who made the effort to come to this historic regatta which hadn’t been sailed in 3 years. Well done!
A Stern Steerer 1st & Stern Steerer Overall: Erik Sawyer & crew Rick Hennig
C Stern Steerer 1st: Mike Peters & crew Terry Reynolds
D Stern Steerer: 1st Joe Terry, 2nd John Davis
E Skeeter: 1st John Dennis, 2nd Jay Yaeso
Skeeter Triple Crown for winning both Northwest and ISA: John Dennis
Renegade: 2nd Daniel Hearn, 1st Tim McCormick
DN: 2nd Peter Orlebeke, 1st Daniel Hearn, 1st Junior Soren Hughes
