Obituary
With deep sorrow, we announce the passing of Mike Madge KC5449, a DN sailor from Thunder Bay, Ontario. Mike was a tireless promoter of the DN class in Canada, and his death leaves a significant void in the Thunder Bay ice sailing community.
His enthusiasm helped introduce many to ice sailing in Thunder Bay. Beyond his local efforts, Mike was also known for his excellent YouTube interviews, where he engaged with the rock stars of DN sailing. He asked insightful questions, providing a platform for these sailors to share their experiences and knowledge, which enriched the ice sailing community worldwide.
Mike’s contributions to the DN class and spirit will be greatly missed. Our heartfelt condolences go out to Mike’s family during this difficult time. Rest in peace, Mike Madge.
Stan walking out to start a World Championship Gold Fleet race.
It is with deep sadness that we learned of the passing of Polish ice sailing legend Stan Macur. Stan played a crucial role in the international ice sailing community, shaping the sport for future generations of sailors.
For 20 years, Stan served as the IDNIYRA European Junior Sailing Director. His contributions to the sport went beyond his administrative roles. As a competitor, Stan was formidable, placing third in the World Championships three times, securing second place in the North Americans, and winning the European Championship in 1993.
Stan’s tools of the trade, his loud hailer and horn.
His generosity also marks Stan’s legacy. Pete Johns shared his story about meeting Stan for the first time at a regatta on Hamilton Bay in Canada, before the Iron Curtain fell. Stan, touring with Russian minders, struck up a friendship with Pete and promised to build a boat for him so that Pete could compete in Europe at the next World Championship. Pete never heard from Stan during the year and didn’t know he’d have a DN waiting for him at the Worlds. Despite the communication challenges of the time, Stan kept his word. When Pete arrived in Europe, he found that Stan had built and set up a boat for him, helping him place well in the regatta. This gesture marked the beginning of a lifelong friendship between the two sailors.
Stan served as the Principal Race Officer (PRO) for many DN World Championships in Europe, where his signature battered horn would signal the start of each race.
The ice sailing community has lost a giant in Stan Macur. His legacy will continue to inspire future generations of ice sailors. The IDNIYRA extends our sympathies to Stan’s family and the Polish DN Association. The worldwide ice-sailing community will miss him.
Stan’s Obituary:
To our deepest sadness, Stan Macur P-111, a Polish iceboater and a multimedalist of ice-sailing regatta on both national and international level, passed away on July 19th 2024. Stan started his sailing adventure in his teenage years. When he discovered ice-sailing, it became his life passion. Already as a junior, he won senior Polish DN Championships in 1972. Then he achieved many more successes in ice-sailing, among which there were three bronze medals in DN World Championships and a golden medal in DN European Championships in 1993. For most of his sailing career he represented the AZS Olsztyn sailing club.
After finishing his career as a competitor, he devoted himself to work for the ice-sailing community, which included being a board member of IDNYIRA-Europe and leading the Professional Race Committee that conducts the main ice-sailing events: DN World and European Championships. Stan also tried to spread his passion for ice-sailing to young people. For many years he was the IDNYIRA-Europe Junior Programme Manager and also worked as a trainer.
His professional life was also connected to sailing, as he constructed boats and other sailing equipment. Even though ice-sailing was his life passion, he was first of all devoted to his family and friends. He valued time spent together and his closest ones -wife Joanna and daughters Kasia, Julia and Sylwia; could always count on him.
Stan, thank you for all your contributions. We will miss you a lot.
The funeral will be held on July 27th 2024 in Olsztyn, starting at 12 pm in St. Francis Church (Olsztyn/Kortowo), and then at the Communal Cementery Poprzeczna in Olsztyn.
Mark Kiefer, aka “The Ice Maker,” passed away on March 9, 2024, at the age of 71, after a short illness.
Mark was a passionate sailor and a long-time iceboater. He sailed out of the Wayzata Yacht Club and, in his younger days, raced a DN. Mark will always be known in the DN iceboat community as co-founder of the Great Western Challenge and the short-lived World Ice Racing Circuit. Mark served two terms as Commodore of the IDNIYRA from 2000 – 2001.
Mark grew up in Moorhead, MN, but spent many early winter days on the lakes of west-central MN, including Lake Christina in Ashby, MN. Mile Marker 8, along Christina’s northern shore, became the famous launch site of the Great Western Challenge.
Iceboaters have always considered plowing a track to race when snow prevented sailing. The Icemaker took that vision to the next level and founded the World Ice Racing Circuit. He enlisted a few sponsors and got enough funds to plow two tracks on Lake Phalen in St Paul, MN. Mark envisioned four abreast NASCAR-style racing with TV coverage. He even convinced the Paul Winter Carnival to make it an official carnival event with boats in the parade and a sideshow of a petting zoo!
Mark mentored many newbies into the DN sport. He freely shared his knowledge and often let newcomers take their first rides in his boat. His later years were spent without a suitable boat but he always championed his Great Western Challenge.
On a more personal note, I have fond memories of scouting ice with Mark. He taught me how to assess ice and introduced me to the numerous northern lakes suitable for racing. I think of Mark often as I have taken over his scouting duties.
We extend our deepest condolences to Mark’s family and friends during this difficult time. A private funeral is being planned.
The DN Community mourns with the family and friends of Bob Dill US3904, who passed away on October 28, 2023.
Bob served as IDNIYRA Class Secretary from 1988-1991 and Class Treasurer from 1988-1989. He has been nominated to the U.S. Sailing Hall of Fame.
Via Bob Schumacher, Bob’s DN road-warrior and land-yacht-speed-record colleague:
With much sadness I have to report that Bob Dill passed last night after a battle with Alzheimer’s disease. I am at a loss for words but Don Brush said it well.
‘A sad struggle for a unique person. He is, I am sure, in a better place now. He would not have wanted to be the person he had become. We all were better for knowing Bob. I don’t think I ever met a more inquisitive person with a passion for details. His passion for documentation assures his legacy will live on! It was an honor to know and have him as a friend.’ Don Brush
Bob Schumacher
Bob used his sharp engineering mind to quantify wind, ice, land, and speed in several articles. One of his most famous projects was designing and building the land sailing yacht IRON DUCK with his friend, Bob Schumacher. Together, they set a land-speed record.
Buddy Melges adjusts his sail at the 1975 IDNIYRA North American Championship on Lake Geneva. Photo: Henry Bossett
The IDNIYRA extends our deepest sympathies to the family of Buddy Melges US2974, one of the most incredible soft and hard water sailors of all time.
Buddy raced in nearly every class of iceboat, including the DN. He competed in two DN regattas in 1975, one of which involved Coast Guard helicopters and ice floes on Saginaw Bay in Michigan. See the stories and results below.
Sailors from all over have shared their stories about Buddy Melges on social media. DN class sailors have many of their own. Joe Norton US781 recalled the 1975 North American Championship qualification races when Buddy searched for the correct settings for sticky snow. Joe suggested a few and, in the next race, Joe started in the one or two blocks. Joe had a decent lead, and suddenly there was Buddy windward of him like a fast freight train and went on to win the race. Joe also recalled, “as much as Buddy loved iceboating, it didn’t hold a candle to his passion for duck hunting.”
Ron Sherry US44 won the 1997 Renegade Championship thanks to Buddy’s advice on easing the side stays on his Renegade. Ron commented, “If you make the people around you faster, you will also become quicker. Buddy followed this principle.”
1975 Worlds Report
1975 Worlds Report
1975 Worlds Results
1975 North American Report
1975 NA Report p 2
1975 NA Results A Fleet
1975 NA Results B Fleet
Harry Melges, (unidentified), Buddy Melges, Hans Melges, Dan Bierman, Dan Hill, and Joe Norton at the 1979 Northwest on Lake Geneva. Photo: Ron Sherry
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.
