A very quick update from Parnu, Estonia where the 2024 DN World, European, and Junior World Championship is taking place. The course a bit over 4 miles from the launch, quite a hike on this big ice. Took a few pictures on the way in yesterday of a Gold fleet race from a view rarely seen. Back with more later – it’s a whirlwind of activity at a regatta as you all know! DNIYRA European Website for official information IDNIYRA Europe Facebook IDNIYRA Europe YouTube for daily reports Gilles Morelle Images – Professional Photographer
Winnebago ice sailor Andy Gratton checks in while we wait for the ice to return.
Here are a couple shots of rough ice on Winnebago from last Monday, Jan 29. The ice is sailable with a small maneuverable boat if one follows the right path. The boat was sailed to that position.
Despite the vast postponing of most regattas due to warm weather this weekend, the first annual “Minnesota Mini-skeeter Mayhem” regatta was completed as scheduled on 2/3/24. The warm humid weather sure does bring out the skeeters! The small fleet size of three Minnesota boats, piloted by Bruce Wegger, Tom Kvale and Pat Heppert were fully dialed in and wound up around a 0.5 mile course on tiny Lake Riley, Eden Prairie, MN. The small lake size in a metro area seriously did make for a lot of tactical decisions with plenty of shifts, gusts, and shoreline effects, which was super fun. The mini-skeeters shared the course concurrently with about 10 boats total from around the lake including DN’s, Nite, JX-14, and Skimmer. The PRO, race committee chairman and venue provider John Bushey took great care in ensuring a safe, fair competition among a competitive fleet. The 12” of flat black ice with zero obstacles stayed hard until 2 PM, which was plenty sufficient to get the regatta completed in one day. Boat speeds were so blazingly fast that I thought the loud “crack” I heard was me breaking the sound barrier, but it turned out to be a broken bulkhead apparently from builder error. No problem, kept sailing. The scoring team had incredible difficulty writing finishing numbers at the speed and tight formation of this group, but the conclusion of the day was that everybody was a winner, and the trophy awarding is being held off until next year.
During the nationally televised Purdue v Wisconsin basketball game yesterday, Greg McCormick glided across the screen in his Renegade sailing on Lake Monona.
The 2024 Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been tentatively called on for February 3 and 4. The site selected is Waconia, MN. Final confirmation will be made by 1 PM Thursday, February 1. Check back here after that time. If the Northwest Ice Yacht Association has scheduled their regatta for the same weekend, that regatta takes precedence.
The Northwest Ice Yachting Association Regatta is called on for Lake Waconia, Minnesota for February 2nd, 3rd and 4th, 2024. The final call will be made by noon on Wednesday January 31st.
The International Skeeter Association and Renegade Championship are also called on for the same location and date. If the Northwest is called on Wednesday, the ISA & Renegade Championship will be postponed. If the Northwest postpones on Wednesday, the ISA Race Committee will determine if the ISA & Renegade Championship can proceed or be postponed. That decision will be announced at noon on Wednesday January 31st as well.
