2025 Worlds & NA Home Page
Registration for the 2025 DN Gold Cup World & North American Championship, hosted by Central Region Commodore Peter Johanson, is officially open, along with the release of the Notice of Race. This is your opportunity to secure your spot in one of the most exciting events on the DN calendar.
This year, we’ve made some updates to streamline procedures and make the event run as smoothly as possible. Here’s what you need to know about registration deadlines for inclusion in the starting position draw:
Key Date: To be included in the random draw for starting positions, competitors must register and submit proof of $300,000 liability insurance by January 30, 2025. Submit your insurance early by emailing to secretary.idniyra@gmail.com
If you register or submit proof of insurance after this date, don’t worry—you’re still welcome to compete, but starting positions will be assigned instead of being part of the random draw.
European and Junior Skippers:
European and Junior skippers are not subject to a late fee penalty.
European competitors are not subject to registration deadlines but must attend Check-In at the regatta site.
European competitors are requested to notify the Class Secretary at secretary.idniyra@gmail.com that they will be attending.
We hope these updates will make planning easier for competitors and ensure a smooth kickoff to the event.
Friendly reminder: Don’t wait until the last minute—get registered early and take care of your insurance requirements so you can focus on what really matters: getting on the ice!
Stay tuned for more updates as we get closer to the event.
2023 World Championship. Photo: Catherine Firmbach
2025 WESTERN REGION CHAMPIONSHIP NOTICE OF RACE – Click here to download NOR in pdf Dates: January 4 – 5, 2025 Location: The primary site is within the North American Western Region. (Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, UP of Michigan, Wisconsin)
Stay tuned to this website for further announcements.
DN Senior Shuffle
Following the 2025 Western Region Championship, the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club is excited to try the Senior Shuffle once again! This fun, age-friendly regatta will take place three days after the Westerns, offering an additional opportunity to enjoy the ice.
Eligibility:
• Open to Seniors (50-59), Masters (60-69) and Grand Masters (70+) who will race under Shuffle Rules with one start.
• Open to “aspiring” Seniors (49 or younger) who will also race under Shuffle Rules possibly with a separate start.
For more information and to register, visit iceboat.org.
DN Finland Facebook
Through our friend, Swedish DNer Dideric Van Reimsdijk, we have a look at the annual Week 46 regatta hosted by DN Finland. Located just above the Arctic Circle on the ice at Onkamojärvi, Finland, this event marks the beginning of the DN season. If you look closely at the sail numbers, you’ll notice an international crowd gathered on the first ice of the year.
And for those of us closer to home, the first informal DN gathering of the season, the Western Challenge, is coming up December 6-8 in Minnesota. Sharpen your runners and get ready to hit the ice!
PRO John Winquist sends them off at the 2022 DN Grand Masters .
DN Grand Masters Website
There’s a new dedicated website for the DN European Grandmasters regatta, designed specifically for DN sailors aged 60 and over. The website is live with event details, including the recently released dates for the 2025 regatta, set for January 28-30.
In other regatta news, the Junior DN and Ice Optimist World and European Championships will take place from February 7-16, 2025.
Junior Program Update:
Mike Bloom, myself, Jillian McGary, and two junior sailors from MN (Maggie and Cayla) made the trip to Harken this past weekend. We had a BLAST! Thanks to the organizers of the celebration/program on Saturday night. It was fun to mingle with everyone, and hear from Harry and Kyle about their Youth America’s Cup experience.
I also want to extend a HUGE THANK YOU to everyone that supported the Junior Program at the swap meet!! I want to thank the following people in particular:
To Brett Hulsey, for donating the enclosed box for our new junior program trailer (it can fit up to 4 boats inside and 1-2 on top!)
To David Frost, for donating the funds that made it possible to buy the trailer for the enclosed box. Extra funds will be used to finish buying parts for our DNs and Ice Optis.
To Peete Johns, for buying a DN from Bob Rast and then donating the entire program to the juniors.
To Bob Cave, for donating a DN hull, plank, boom, and many other parts.
To Mark Isabell, for donating a brand new Ice Opti hull.
To Steve Orlebeke, for loaning his complete Ice Opti program.
To John Harper, for donating a bunch of chocks, travel cover, and DN mast components.
To Matt Meyer for donating a bunch of DN shrouds.
And of course, to Mike Bloom for his endless support of myself and the junior sailors.
Our junior program now has 2 trailers, 4 Ice Optimists, and 3 DNs. Mike Bloom, myself, and the sailors in MN plan to take inventory of our gear this coming weekend. We’re also excited for the Western Challenge in just over a month, which will likely include the first Ice Optimist North American Championship in 10 years! If you know of other Ice Optimists and/or Ice Optimist sailors, please encourage them to attend. I’ll send an NOR out in the coming weeks.
Help our junior sailors hit the ice! Your donated gear could make Ice Opti North Americans a reality.
Via IDNIYRA Junior Coach Sam Bartel US1011
Yo! This is your NA Junior Coach checking in. I’ll be heading to Pewaukee tomorrow/Sunday (October 26-27, 2024) for the swap meet to pick up some things for the junior program (a box trailer from Brett, as well as a DN hull and parts from Bob Cave and David Frost). Swap meet details here.
I have MANY eager junior sailors in MN. In particular, I have a number of Opti kids and parents interested in Ice Opti sailing. If we can pull together another 3-5 ice Optis in time for the Western Challenge, we could maybe have an Ice Opti North Americans alongside the DN event…??
If you have any of the following to donate (tax credit available via Deb Whitehorse), please send me a message via FB or text.
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.