DN sailors Jan and Meade Gougeon, inventors of WEST SYSTEMS Epoxy, enjoying a day of iceboating.
Congratulations to the Gougeon family and WEST SYSTEM employees literally being the glue (well, 2 part epoxy) that has been used in all iceboat builds for the past 50 years. The DN class and Gougeon (how most iceboaters refer to WEST SYSTEM) have grown up together. From the WEST SYSTEM website:
Brothers Meade and Jan Gougeon begin building DN class iceboats with wood and epoxy, selling 200 iceboats between 1969 and 1974. “Where we got really lucky in our quest for epoxy technology was to be located 17 miles east of Dow Chemical Co. We introduced Herbert Dow (an avid sailor and the grandson of Dow Chemical’s founder) to iceboating. Herb made it possible for us to work with chemists in Dow’s epoxy lab, helping us to develop resins and hardeners we could use as both an adhesive and a coating,” company founder Meade Gougeon says. With Dow’s help, the Gougeon brothers develop the formulations WEST SYSTEM epoxy products are based on.
Jane and Mead have passed but their legacy lives on in every iceboat being made or repaired. Mead and Jan’s good friend, Ron Sherry, attended the 50th Anniversary party at WEST headquarters in Bay City, Michigan on August 3rd. Ron writes, “Great 50th anniversary party last weekend at the Gougeon brothers plant. Wonderful party filled with food, drinks, boats, and lots and lots of great friends all together to celebrate 50 years of making it easy for anyone to build their ultimate toys.” Ron shared the photos below:
Two great champions, Jan Gougeon US1183 and Poland’s Karol Jablonski P36
Jan Gougeon’s first DN, HOT CANARY
Meade (second from left) and his wife, Janet, when they met with the United States Commission on Energy to discuss making wind turbines.
Jan and Meade taking a moment on their catamaran powerboat.
WEST SYSTEMS company portrait when Jan and Meade were still involved.
Before the ice Opti… this “junior” DN was attempted.
A look back 35 years ago through the lens of Henry Bossett’s camera at the 1984 DN Worlds in Krynica Morska, Poland. The IDNIYRA Yearbook entry for that year reads: “The Gold Cup was sailed at Krynica Morska, Poland. The race was extremely well organized. Hot soup was served on the ice at noon. The ice was good quality salt ice. The winds were moderate.” T. Haagma of the USSR won the Gold Cup in 1984. Henry writes:
With Worlds and NA’s just completed, this came up as a memory of mine today [on Facebook]. Ten, either World or European Champions show up, as well as Wim VanAcker and Skip Boston – Piotr Burczynski, Ron Sherry, Endel Vooremaa, Vaiko Voorermaa, Bogdan Kramer, Matti Kullmann, Vello Kuusk, T. Haagma, Ain Vilde, Henry Bossett. Also a Polish business introduction of a Junior DN that never gained traction.
Congratulations to the fleet winners of the 2019 North American Championship: Gold: USA Ron Sherry US44 Silver: Canada Jacek Marzenski KC5247 Bronze: USA Pete Johns US2360
Senior Trophy for Over 50 1st Gold – USA – US44 SHERRY RON
Masters Trophy for over 60 1st Gold – GER – G890 PETZKE HOLGER
Keeper for over 70 (Grand master) 1st Gold – GER – G551 SEEGERS CHRISTIAN
Elliot Sharp Trophy for Top Junior Skipper 1st Gold – EST – C20/US49 MAALIN RASMUS
Meade Gougeon Trophy for Top Woman 1st Gold – GER – G390 FIEDLER ANJA
Thank you to the Race Committee volunteers for dedicating a week of your lives to ensure that over 100 ice sailors from 10 countries had the best racing and social experience possible – Central Region Commodore and Regatta Chair Rob Holman, PRO John Atkins, PRO Bob Schumacher, Vice Commodore Dave Elsmo, Commodore Warren Nethercote (who tabulated and published race results off site – way off site – in Nova Scotia), the scoring, measuring, and weather mark team, and everyone else who helped.
Below is Jane Pegel US805’s North American regatta report:
Good evening iceboaters….
The 2019 DN North American Championship at Lake Wawasee, Indiana, has been completed.
U.S. sailors moved to the front of the fleet—
Ron Sherry won the Gold Fleet and attributes his success to taking time to tune against his son, Griffin, who
placed 18th. Ron previously won the North Americans in 1989, 1991, 1992, 1999, 2002, 2003, 2006, 2009,
2010, 2012, 2014, 2017, 2018. Ron won the DN Gold Cup in 1998, 1999, 2002, 2005, 2011. He is a past
champion of the Renegade class and also borrowed a Skeeter to win the Northwest Free-For-All. Ron’s first regatta
race win came when he was twelve years of age and sailing in the Northwest on Mendota. He nipped me out at the finish.
The Western Region regatta was concluded on Sunday in much colder and faster conditions compared to Saturday’s Miami-beach like weather. Ron Sherry (Michigan) and John Dennis (Minnesota) each scored 13 points in the Gold fleet. The tiebreak went to Ron Sherry. Matt Schmidt (Wisconsin) won the Silver fleet. Grand Master winner was Bruce Williams(Michigan), Master was Jim Grogan (Michigan), and University of Wisconsin sailing team member Soren Hughes won the junior division. Congratulations to all who competed in this event and to Western Region Commodore Daniel Hearn for his efforts to make this regatta happen. Final results are here.
Via Stan Macur, a long time Polish ice sailor, PRO of many European regattas, and current European Junior Sailing Secretary:
Pete Johns US2360 and Ron Sherry US44 were awarded by the Polish DN board a medal of 50th anniversary of Polish DN Fleet for special merits and efforts for Polish ice sailing over the years. Congratulations my friends!
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
