2026 DN ICE SAILING NORTH AMERICAN & NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP REGATTA
January 24 - 31, 2026Home Page
2026 DN North American & National Championship
Hosted by the Western Lakes Region, USA
US Nationals – Day 2 Report
Sebastion Sørensen US Nationals Silver Fleet Champion. Photo: Rachel Bartel for @harken_inc
The Final Day U.S. Nationals and the Long Goodbye
Saturday marked the final day of a long and demanding DN North American Championship week at Green Lake. By then, the North Americans were decided, the awards presented, and the fleet had a choice to make. Pack up or keep sailing.
Many chose to keep sailing.
In 2025, the DN class voted to change the format of the North American Championship from a fourteen race series to seven races, followed by an optional nonranking regatta for those who wanted to continue the week. The idea was simple. Crown the champions, then let sailors sail if the ice allowed.
Green Lake delivered.
Light air arrived for the U.S. National Championship, just enough to get racing started. Gold Fleet completed three races. Silver Fleet completed two before the wind finally shut down. A third Silver Fleet race exceeded the time limit and was black flagged. By midafternoon, it was clear the week had run its course.
U.S. National Championship results LINK
Gold Fleet Champion James “T” Thieler
Silver Fleet Champion Sebastian Sørensen
Sebastian Sørensen’s week deserves special mention. Still a junior sailor, he has had a breakout season, showing composure, speed, and consistency well beyond his years.
Thanks Where They Are Due
A regatta of this scale depends on people who show up early, stay late, and work in difficult conditions.
Host Western Region Commodore Tim Mower took on his first major organizing role and saw it through. We are grateful for his steady hand and willingness to step up.
PRO Pat Heppert beat the sunrise each morning, scouting the lake to find the best possible course. He did it every day, even in bitter cold, adjusting continually as conditions changed.
Measurers and line helpers Dave Ryan and Paul Hickman, both from the Toledo Ice Yacht Club, accepted every challenge with good humor and professionalism.
Scoring on the ice was handled by Nina Fleming and Anne Foeller (with myself as caller.) Tabulation in the back office was handled by Bob Foeller, keeping results accurate and timely as racing progressed. Nina hails from Maine and has extensive experience with land sailing officiating. Bob and Ann are long-time Toledo Ice Yacht Club members.
At the weather mark, Fred Stritt from Lake Delavan, WI ran his command post, in constant communication with Pat, tracking wind changes and confirming that all competitors made the course. He was assisted throughout the week by Dan Williams.
Thanks to Maureen Bohleber, Green Lake Ice Yacht Club member and Nite Fleet Commodore, for local knowledge and onsite support when it mattered.
Thanks to Greg Mullett of the Gull Lake Ice Yacht Club for line technical support.
4LIYC member Daniel Hearn deserves special recognition. He does whatever is asked, often before it is asked. He also played an important mentoring role for Sebastian Sørensen. When Sebastian was on the line, Daniel was there with a quiet word of advice and support.
Thank you to the Green Lake Ice Yacht Club for hosting us, for an unforgettable social event, and for making sure we always had what we needed.
Thanks to Joe Norton for opening his shop for a tour on our cold lay day and for lending the scoring team his Ranger.
Thanks to Ron Sherry, T. Thieler, and Chris Berger for staying late to answer questions at an evening clinic organized by Tim Mower, after already putting in long days on the ice.
Special thanks to Brian Jones for a memorable sing along of a song he wrote about iceboating, which set the tone for an evening that brought the DN and ISA communities together.
Thank you as well to the governing board for being available throughout the week for decision making and guidance. Commodore Rob Holman, Vice Commodore Karen Binder, Eastern Region Commodore James T. Thieler, Mountain Lakes Region Commodore Paul Chamberland, and Central Region Commodore Peter Johanson.
Finally, thank you to every competitor who made the choice to join us for this week. We faced some challenging days. We adapted. We persevered. And once again the DN class brought a championship week to a proper finish.
HOW TO FOLLOW:
Regatta Information Page
US Nationals Results
North American Results
Facebook
2026 DN North American Awards Photo Gallery
Frederik Lonegreen S8, Karol Jablonski P36, and Chris Berger US5166 push off the line. Photo: Rachel Bartel for @harken_inc
North American Championship awards were presented at Friday’s night Green Lake Ice Yacht Club social event at regatta headquarters. These photos capture the sailors who earned fleet trophies during a demanding week on the ice.
One especially meaningful presentation was the JR Francis Memorial Trophy, awarded to the winner of the first race of the North American Championship. The Francis family recently deeded the trophy to the DN class in JR’s honor. The bowl was made by JR himself while he was still in high school, making it a deeply personal piece of DN history.
The inaugural recipient of the trophy is Steve Orlebeke, winner of the first race of the 2026 North American Championship.
HOW TO FOLLOW:
Regatta Information Page
US Nationals Results
North American Results
Facebook
Bronze Fleet: From left, Sebastian Sorensen 5th, Robert Haag 19th, Peter Shorett 4th, Peter Nordquist 8th, Tim Ballerd 2nd, Mike Rian 1st, in front Csilla Gal 7th, and Martha Croasdale 3rd. Martha was also the top placing female.
Silver Fleet: From left, Cooper Frost 10th, Ryan Kyle 9th, Jim Grogan 1st, 8th Keith Schwark, 6th Jake Skala, 7th Edward Demerest, 4th David Frost, 3rd Paul Chamberland, Rob Holman 2nd
Gold Fleet: From left Jeff Roseberry 10th, John Curtis 9th, Peter Van Rossem 8th, Nicholas Mabboux 7th, Chris Berger 6th, James T Thieler 5th, Steve Orlebeke 4th, Karol Jablonski 1st, Ron Sherry 3rd, front Matt Struble 2nd
DN North American Championship: Day 3 Report
Gold fleet champion Karol Jablonski
HOW TO FOLLOW:
Regatta Information Page
US Nationals Results
North American Results
Facebook
What kind of sport allows someone in their 60s, still fit, still sharp, to win at the highest level in conditions that punish mistakes?
Iceboating.
This week belonged to Karol Jablonski. Twelve World Championships. Seven European titles. Now his third North American Championship He doesn’t just win races, he defines Polish iceboating.
The final race began without a clean start for Karol. With the top sailors closely grouped on points, there was no margin to give away. He stayed composed, recovered quickly, and won the race.
Last night, he was at the Green Lake Ice Yacht Club party. The club allowed the DN Class to hold its awards ceremony as part of their scheduled event, bringing together the largest social gathering of ice sailors in North America this season.
Brian Jones kicked off the evening with a song he wrote about iceboating, and the room joined in. It set the tone right away.
Sailors from the International Skeeter Association regatta were also in attendance. It has been a long time since the DN and ISA communities have converged like this.
On the ice, the wind returned for the last day of the North American regatta, though in its usual cranky fashion. It couldn’t decide what it wanted to do, forcing several course changes throughout the day. Despite that, all North American Championship races were completed.
North American Championship results:
- Gold Fleet Champion: Karol Jablonski
- Silver Fleet Champion: Jim Grogan
- Bronze Fleet Champion: Mike Rian
- Women’s Trophy: Martha Croasdale
- Junior Trophy: Sebastian Sørensen
- Rookie Trophy: Ryan Kyle
Sebastian Sørensen deserves special mention. He has won every race he has finished during this championship. A boat problem kept him out of the early North American races, but once back on the line, his trajectory was impossible to ignore.
The race committee was extraordinary. Led by Pat Heppert, they braved bitter cold and snow to keep racing fair and safe. I will acknowledge them in a future post.
We finished early enough to begin the U.S. National Championship, squeezing in two races, one for Gold Fleet and one for Silver. No one wanted to quit while the ice was still giving.
Today is the final day of the regatta, with racing focused entirely on the U.S. Nationals. I’ll have more photos from the awards ceremony in a few days. It’s been a long week of travel and ice.
Brian Jones kicked off the awards ceremony with an iceboating song.
DN North American Championship: Day 2 Report
Another aerial from Jeff Russell that captures the glare on Green Lake.
DN North American Championship Day 2
GREEN LAKE, WI
Regattas are supposed to offer a range of conditions, and the second day delivered exactly that. Light air that could not make up its mind.
We were able to complete three races for each fleet, starting with Gold.
Canada’s John Curtis won the Gold fleet race. It was good to see his persistence pay off. The Canadian contingent has logged the most miles over the past week, from Wawasee to Green Lake, and they did not let the brutal cold slow them down. If anything, they seemed to thrive. They must have antifreeze in their veins.
Another Canadian followed with a win in the Silver fleet. Paul Chamberland took the victory there.
The Bronze fleet race was won by junior sailor Sebastian Sorensen, and that result brought a lot of smiles. It has been great to watch his progress. Sebastian sails under a U.S. sail number, but he is also from Denmark and splits his time between the two countries.
The sunshine was welcome, but it came with a tradeoff. As the day wore on, glare off the ice became a real factor. By late in the day the weather mark was positioned directly into the sun, making it difficult to see and adding another layer of challenge for the sailors.
Off the ice, the speed clinic held Wednesday night was well attended. About 30 sailors gathered to ask questions and dig into technique with Chris Berger, Ron Sherry, and T. It was an engaged group and a good reminder of how much shared knowledge exists in this class.
Looking ahead, conditions are expected to change dramatically. As PRO Pat Heppert shared in his message last night, Friday is shaping up for good winds and continued fast ice.
Once the North American Championship concludes on Friday, we will move directly into U.S. Nationals racing as time allows. Sailors have been asked to self select their fleet preference.
This year marks the first time the class has tried this format. On off Worlds years, the class voted to hold both the North American Championship and a separate U.S. Nationals. The Nationals are a non ranking regatta, which allows us to skip qualifiers and go straight into racing.
Another major regatta also gets underway, with two courses running on the lake. The International Skeeter Association regatta begins, with A Class and B Class Skeeters, along with Nites and Renegades, all sailing.
Nina Fleming and I are staying on to help with that event on Sunday, because apparently we just cannot get enough of brutal cold.
After two days of contrast, we are ready for fast races and higher winds.
HOW TO FOLLOW:
Regatta Information Page
US Nationals Results
North American Results
Facebook
US Nationals Check In Tonight Thursday & DN North American Schedule for Friday
We anticipate a great day of racing on Friday, January 30, with good winds, and continued fast ice. As a result, we are going to have registration and check-in for the US Nationals TONIGHT, Thursday night, January 29, at 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., in the hotel lobby. Once we complete the North American Championship tomorrow, we will proceed directly into US Nationals racing as time permits. Instead of qualifiers, be ready to choose your fleet preference.
DN NORTH AMERICAN SCHEDULE: The racing schedule for Friday will be Skippers meeting at 9:00 a.m. at the launch, and first race will be at 10:00 a.m.. the fleet rotation will be Gold, Silver, Bronze. Please note that there will be two race courses on the lake tomorrow. The DN course will be the one that is closer to the launch, roughly in the area where we were today.
Regatta Update – GREEN LAKE, WI
Regatta Update: 2026 DN North Americans & U.S. Nationals Called On for Green Lake, Wisconsin
2026 DN North American & U.S. National Regattas – Green Lake, WI
The 2026 DN North American & U.S. National Regattas have been called on for Green Lake, Wisconsin.
What to Know
Schedule
Wednesday January 28, 2026
North American Championship first race at the time stated in the Sailing Instructions.
Lodging – Official Regatta Hotel
Heidel House Hotel & Conference Center
643 Illinois Avenue
Green Lake, WI 54941
Room Block & Rates
Heidel House is offering the DN Class a 35% discount off best available rates. Standard Double Queen and Standard King rooms start at $104/night with the group discount.
Taxes: 12.5%
Resort fee: $21/night
Rates are per room, per night, subject to taxes, fees, and availability. The total will show when booking the reservation.
Please note: Room inventory is being released in phases. If guests are not seeing availability, check back as additional inventory is added to the block.
How to Book
Online booking link:
https://www.choicehotels.com/reservations/groups/BR32W4
Hotel phone:
920-807-0300 (option 2, then option 2 again)
Request to book in the DN Ice Regatta block.
Reminder: Outside food and beverages are not permitted in meeting spaces. Waves Pub & Grill is next to this space and is open daily.
Dining
Oakwood Restaurant breakfast hours:
Daily: 7:00 am – 10:00 am
Saturday: until 10:30 am
Sunday: until 11:30 am
Breakfast buffet: $14.99 plus tax (beverages not included).
Amenities
Two onsite restaurants and a coffee shop, indoor pool and hot tub, gift shop, and fitness center.
Alternative Hotels
Acorn Ridge Motel
W3910 WI-23
Princeton, WI 54968
Phone: 920-295-6533
Mecan River Outfitters
WI-23
Princeton, WI 54968
Phone: 920-295-3439
Cobblestone Suites
2 Westgate Drive
Ripon, WI 54971
Phone: 920-748-5500
Ripon Welcome Inn & Suites
240 E Fond du Lac Street
Ripon, WI 54971
Phone: 920-896-0413
Launch & Parking Information
Dodge Memorial County Park – Public Boat Launch
Markesan, Wisconsin
This will be the primary launch site for the 2026 DN North American and U.S. National Championships at Green Lake.
COURSE DIAGRAM
Regatta Merchandise
