Here is an excellent photo from Poland that I’ve been waiting to use for a while, proving how far the obsession can go: a commercial ice cream freezer repurposed to keep runners cold during sharpening sessions. Brilliant!
It is no secret that DN sailors are obsessive about runners and keeping them sharp. For nearly 200 years, the explanation for why runners slip on ice was simple: pressure and friction melt the surface. But new research from Saarland University in Germany shows the real story. It is molecular dipoles, tiny electrical charges in the runner metal interacting with the ice, that disrupt the crystal structure and create a thin liquid film. If you want a deep scientific dive into why things like runners glide on ice, check out the full article on phys.org.
To get a better understanding of what is going on, it helps to know how ice is structured. Below zero degrees Celsius, water molecules (H₂O) arrange themselves into a highly ordered crystal lattice in which the molecules are all aligned neatly with one another, creating a solid, crystalline structure.
When someone steps onto this orderly structure, it’s not the resulting pressure or friction of the shoe that disrupts the top layer of molecules, but the orientation of the dipoles in the shoe sole interacting with those in the ice. The previously well-ordered structure suddenly becomes disordered.
Labor Day is behind us and the countdown to ice has begun. Thirteen weeks remain to get your gear ready for the Western Challenge, December 5, 2025 in Minnesota. If Finland is on your calendar, the first gathering of the season arrives even sooner in Week 46 this November. In this month’s Runner Tracks, dive into rules at the leeward mark and enjoy our feature interview with World Champion Matt Struble.
Photo: Gretchen Dorian. Right: Hal at the Grandmasters Regatta in Sweden.
The DN community is saddened to share the passing of Hal Bowman US1277 on August 22, 2025, at the age of 91.
Hal’s DN career spanned more than 50 years, starting before the first DN World Championship held in Gull Lake, Michigan, in 1973. In the decades that followed, he became a welcome and familiar face on the ice across North America and Europe, and even as far as Russia, where he raced in both St. Petersburg and on Lake Baikal.
Hal’s final accomplishment on the ice came this year at the 2025 DN World Championship on Lake Winnebago in Fond du Lac, Wisconsin. His goal was simple but meaningful: to pull the sheet for one last race. In doing so, he showed the determination and passion that defined his sailing life.
In the last 21 years, Hal and his wife, Mercedes Auger, became a familiar team at DN regattas around the world. While Hal raced, Mercedes contributed behind the scenes, often assisting with scoring and race administration.
Friendship is at the heart of iceboating, a trait shared by ice sailors everywhere, and on a personal level I found that traveling with Hal and Mercedes to Lake Baikal, Europe, and regattas across North America was as much about the camaraderie, meals, stories, and laughter as it was about the racing.
Off the ice, Hal could always be relied upon to share fascinating stories about his diverse interests, including flying, golfing, music, and even sheep shearing. Kent Baker speaks for all of when he wrote, “I got to meet the ‘most interesting man in the world.’ Not just a fascinating person but very down to earth and calm.”
Beyond racing, Hal gave back to the class by donating his equipment for use by youth and aspiring iceboaters, ensuring the next generation could experience the sport he loved.
The DN class has lost a steady presence on the ice, a sailor who carried our history forward from the DN Class’s earliest international days through more than five decades of racing. The friendships formed on the ice last forever, and Hal Bowman’s presence will continue to be felt each time we gather to sail.
Sam Bartel US1011 pushes off at the start of the Gold Qualifier. Photo: Anna Suslova
The 2026 International DN Rank List has been calculated and is now available.
Special thanks to Ann Foeller, our Regatta Registration Manager, Scorer, and Tabulator, for her continued support and assistance in compiling the data used to calculate the rankings.
As stated in the IDNIYRA Regatta Management Agreement (RMA):
14. DN Split Fleet Ranking
The Continental Secretaries shall maintain a fleet ranking. This ranking shall be updated yearly and shall be published by October 15 using regatta results from the previous two GCs (Gold Cup), NACs (North American Championships), and ECs (European Championships). This ranking shall be the lessor of the following:
Best finish in the Gold fleet in the previous two WCs, NACs, and ECs.
22 plus your best finish in the Silver fleet in the previous two WCs, NACs, and ECs.
40 plus your best finish in the Bronze fleet in the previous two WCs, NACs, and ECs.
58 plus your best finish in the Aluminum fleet in the previous two WCs, NACs, and ECs.
In the event of equal ranking for more than one sailor, the ranking which is based on the most recent race result will be considered higher.
All corrections must be submitted to the respective Continental Secretary by November 15. The list becomes final on December 1.
The DN is most popular iceboat in the world. Whether you are a racer or cruiser, your $25 membership in the IDNIYRA helps to promote the art and skill of DN ice yacht construction and the sport of ice yachting on all the hard waters of the world.
2026 REGATTA DATES
North American Championship
January 24 – 31
World & European Championships
Feb 14 – 21 idniyra.eu
