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.
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.
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.
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.
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
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
