Just got to find the ice

The iceboating season in North America is a year-round sport… just not all of it is on the ice. With significant activity occurring in garage and basement workshops, the first weekend in December has been the season opener for the DN Class for well over a decade now. Just got to find the ice as James Thieler reports:

The event is known as the Western Challenge, and it is sailed on the best ice in Minnesota or further south and east if possible. For the 2023-24 season, it was on December 1-3 on Lake Christina at Ashby, MN. At least 70 boats showed with lots of new faces and a great time and great racing had by all.

Friday had us skunked for breeze so not much to report as far as sailing goes. It was a total bummer but it gave everyone plenty of time to hang out and catch up which, in a group like this, is always great to do.

In 25 years of DN sailing, I’ve always been amazed at the scope of vocations, avocations, and personalities of the people who are involved in this class. Boat captains, doctors, pilots, engineers, musicians, artists, landlords, composite experts, sailmakers, lawyers, boatbuilders, at least one plumber…. The list goes on and on!

Where are these people from? I chatted with people from Minnesota, Maryland, New York, Maine, Wisconsin, Ohio, Illinois, Rhode Island, Michigan, Massachusetts, California, South Carolina, Georgia, Florida, Canada, Germany, Sweden, and Australia. Freaking AUSTRALIA! All hanging out in a lake in northern Minnesota. Not bad!

We have even spotted a smattering of women and younger sailors in the group, which is good to see but would be great to have more of both…. Please recruit more women and children into this little cult. Did I mention some night owls saw the Aurora Borealis on one night?

Thankfully, Saturday and Sunday saw plenty of breeze and great scratch racing; I I think 21 races per fleet were rattled off. Not bad! Great time had by all. Think ICE!

• Photos and video: https://www.idniyra.org/2023/12/09/relive-the-2023-western-challenge/
• How to get started: https://www.idniyra.org/getting-started/