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.
Rob Evans sails his A Class Skeeter on Lake Monona, January 15, 2022. Photo: Joe Berger
NORTHWEST: The NIYA is postponed one week to February 16th, 17th, and 18th 2024. Colder weather returning The week of the 12th should provide one or more viable locations.
Steve Schalk
Secretary/Treasurer
Northwestern Ice Yachting Association
ISA:
The ISA Regatta is postponed to February 16th, 17th, and 18th, 2024. Colder temperatures the week of February 12th will allow for multiple locations to become available.
No Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club racing this weekend, February 3 – 4, 2024.
We will wait for some colder temperatures to return.
This is Deb – posting while on the road in Latvia to Estonia for the 2024 DN World Championship. Stay tuned for reports.
