Western Region DNer Matt Schmidt US5536Â shares some family Ice Optimist news
My youngest Robin (4 1/2) is helping get his Ice Optimist ready for the first freeze! We were given an unfinished hull a few weeks ago and scrambled to build a plank and sort out steering gear. The second clear coat is on tonight. Hoping that he, his brother Caleb (7), and sister Sarah (7) will put it to good use!
Hoping for ice in Pewaukee,
Matt
In case you didn’t know, Ice Optimists were created specifically as a youth trainer, designed to be easy to build using commonly available materials and to keep costs minimal. It uses a standard Optimist dinghy sail plan (hence the name), so youth sailors can use much of the same equipment in summer and winter if they sail/race in both seasons. Learn more about Ice Optimists and the DN Youth program from our North American Junior Sailing Program Director, Sam Bartel.srbartel4@gmail.com
As we approach Minnesota’s Western Challenge in 37 days, here’s a practical article on DN iceboat plank deflection recently forwarded to a new DN builder and sailor by Warren Nethercote KC3786.
John Jambock’s article was published in the 1991 DN Newsletter. Deflection is a critical factor in improving the performance of an iceboat, and it determines how well the boat handles on the frozen surface. John Jombock’s article provides valuable insights into the optimal thickness and materials for planks that can achieve the required stiffness.
If you’re interested in exploring more articles with technical and sailing tips, check out our archive from the original DN class website originally created by Paul Goodwin. There’s a wealth of knowledge waiting for you there. IDNIYRA Website Articles Archive
DN class members have been doing a lot of ice thinking this summer. Brian and brother Bruce Jones are making dust, mixing glue, and giving their clamps a work-out while building 2 DN hulls in steamy Florida. The IDNIYRA Facebook community has been following along, asking questions, and giving suggestions.
DNer Mike Miller has been dreaming of Minnesota’s Lake Christina, site of many Western Challenges, the first unofficial DN gathering of the season. Mike posted a short video from Lake Christina on the IDNIYRA Facebook page, reminding us what’s “coming soon.” I can’t embed it, so here’s one from Jim McDonagh US5213.
This website has a new page, the Runner Tracks Library, where you can see all the covers of our class newsletter since it went electronic in 2013. Runner Tracks Library
How To Build a DN Composite Mast
For all you DN home-builders out there, Bob Rast of RKR Composites has uploaded an instructional manual “How to Build a DN Composite Mast” in a Google Doc. Click here to access the document. Bob and Mark Isabell show you how it’s done in a YouTube video posted a few years back.
P55 hit the road and visited Karol Jablonski P36. Karol, a 12 time DN Gold Cup champion, knows a thing or two about runners. Rumor has it that Tech Talk is working on having an American guest star talk about his runner philosophy. If you have questions or comments about this video, please leave them on DN Tech Talk’s Youtube page.
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.
