Matt Struble US183 – 2025 DN North American Champion

2025 DN NA RESULTS
Day 4 Report– 2025 DN North American Championship
Friday, February 7 – The Last Day of Racing
The final day of the 2025 DN North American Championship dawned cold but clear, with the sun shining and the winds finally calming down after Thursday’s wild storm. With the previous day’s 50 mph gusts still fresh in our minds, no one knew exactly what we would find at the launch. Big winds have a big effect on big ice, but fortunately, PRO Pat Heppert took an early 13-mile Dawn Patrol ride down the lake to ensure no wayward DNs had continued their solo journey overnight.

Back at the launch, local sturgeon fishermen were hauling their ice shacks back onto the lake, giving us confidence that the ice was safe. With temperatures low, it was clear that the final day’s racing would once again be scored from the warmth of cars.

“The wind was confused,” as Regatta Chair Peter Johanson put it, after blowing like crazy the day before. This meant constant adjustments—PRO Pat Heppert and his crew had to reset the starting line and marks after almost every race as the shifting breeze kept everyone on their toes. Fortunately, we were racing in a spot where sturgeon apparently don’t like to hang out, so there were no conflicts with fishing shacks on the course.

We needed six more races to complete the championship, and the fleet delivered with tight, competitive sailing. The racing remained intense, with different winners in almost every race, proving once again just how deep the competition runs in the DN class.

Matt Struble Defends His Title
In the end, Matt Struble successfully defended his championship, claiming victory as the 2025 DN North American Champion just days after winning his fifth World Championship. This marks his seventh North American title, further solidifying his legacy in the class.

Prize Giving & Final Farewells
The prize-giving ceremony took place back at the regatta headquarters, where a big group gathered to celebrate the competitors and wrap up an unforgettable week of racing. Competitors enjoyed pizza along with the trophy ceremony, giving everyone a chance to relax, share stories, and reflect on an incredible championship.

A huge thank you to Regatta Organizer and DN Central Region Commodore Peter Johanson for keeping everything on track, and to PRO Pat Heppert and his team for their tireless work in making this event a success. There are countless people who played a crucial role in making the regatta a success, from race officials and volunteers to ice scouts and supporters. A full thank-you post recognizing everyone’s contributions will be published soon—stay tuned!

To all the competitors who made the effort to attend both the Worlds and North Americans—thank you. We hope you had a great time, and we look forward to seeing you on the ice again soon!

Following the decision of a protest, Race 5 of the Silver Fleet in the 2025 DN North American Championship has been updated to reflect a disqualification (DSQ) for G390. However, this ruling did not affect the overall standings or race results beyond the individual DSQ. The updated results have been recorded accordingly.

• Website – Visit IDNIYRA.org for official announcements, race updates, and results.
• Website – Visit the New England Ice Yachting Association for race updates from the New England contingent
• Event Photos: Anna Suslova Gallery. Link Password: sail
• Gretchen Dorian Photo Gallery
• Instagram – Follow @idniyra
• Facebook – IDNIYRA – DN North America for live updates, videos, and community discussions.
• Results – View the full competitor list and follow live results
• New to Iceboat Racing? – Learn how it works by watching this short video:- How Ice Boat Racing Works.
• For media inquiries – Please contact secretary.idniyira@gmail.com. Or text 608-347 3513

Video above shows why we postponed racing today.
Via PRO Pat Heppert

Attention DN Racers!!

Due to today’s high winds, please read ALL of the following announcements:

1. Racing on Friday, February 7 will be held as scheduled, with a 9 AM skippers meeting and a 10 AM first race start. The starting order will be Bronze, Silver, Gold.
2. Today’s high winds resulted in many trailers and boats blowing around, even some that were tied down and anchored. Several parties have been at the lake to secure the trailers and boats in the launch area. We are confident that anything remaining in the launch area is now secure for the night, and the winds are decreasing. However, at least some boats were blown across the lake and will need to be retrieved tomorrow. PLEASE READ THE FOLLOWING BEFORE DOING ANYTHING.
3. The ice is assumed to not necessarily be safe, even in the areas we have been sailing. We are now completely starting over on ice scouting. Treat it like it’s a whole new lake that you haven’t been to before.
4. Do NOT immediately drive cars across the bridges in the morning. The ice has already shifted, and the pressure ridge is actively changing. The fishing club will inspect bridges in the morning, and we will have no trouble getting off tomorrow afternoon.
5. Do NOT go sailing before the skippers meeting. There are absolutely new cracks, holes, and heaves that the race committee will be inspecting at first light.
6. The race committee has several 4-wheelers with trailers to help search and retrieve boats and trailers as needed.
   • The Western region 4-wheeler will be utilized to set the race course.
   • The rest of the race committee 4-wheelers will be used to help search and retrieve boats and trailers as needed.
7. Many ice screws and ropes have been used to secure everything today. Please inspect your trailer and boat moorings, and bring all the ice screws and ropes that do not belong to you to the skippers meeting at 9 AM, along with any other lost and found items.

DN parking—high wind edition.

Though it’s officially Day 1 of the North American Championship, it’s Sailing Day 4 for all of us here, and the fleet is showing no signs of slowing down.

The ice has tightened back up with colder temperatures—11°F when we arrived at the lake—providing solid racing conditions. The scoring team had the luxury of scoring from inside cars driven to the starting line, which made a huge difference in staying warm and efficient. Thanks to this setup, we completed four races in each fleet, despite a 160-degree wind shift.

The qualifiers were sailed early, and once things were set, the race committee got into a groove, firing off 12 races under the direction of the maestro of ice, Pat Heppert. Racing was tight across all fleets, with plenty of different winners mixing it up. The Gold Fleet saw four different winners in four races, proving just how deep the competition runs. Silver and Bronze fleets were just as competitive, as the results show.

Looking ahead, the forecast is calling for heavy air tomorrow, with gusts—but we’ll see if the predictions hold.

In the meantime, here are some more photos from event photographer Anna Suslova. Stay tuned for updates as the championship continues!

Stay updated with the latest results, photos, and behind-the-scenes coverage:

• Website – Visit IDNIYRA.org for official announcements, race updates, and results.
• Website – Visit the New England Ice Yachting Association for race updates from the New England contingent
• Event Photos: Anna Suslova Gallery. Link Password: sail
• Gretchen Dorian Photo Gallery
• Instagram – Follow @idniyra
• Facebook – IDNIYRA – DN North America for live updates, videos, and community discussions.
• 2025 North American Championship Results – View the full competitor list and follow live results
• 2025 World Championship Results – View here.
• New to Iceboat Racing? – Learn how it works by watching this short video:- How Ice Boat Racing Works.
• For media inquiries – Please contact secretary.idniyira@gmail.com. Or text 608-347 3513