Get a real feel for what it's like to sail a DN with C2 components as you 
The Grosse Pointe Yacht Club, Grosse Pointe, MI, is hosting its 25th Annual Great Lakes Boating Festival from May 17 - May 19, 2013. Enjoy ice boating in warmer weather and come on out to see the Composite Concepts ice boat exhibit.
Event details here.
Ron in Russia
2 Stories In The Russian Media:
"Lake Baikal hosted international competitions in ice sailing. Five days in the Gulf of Kurminskom 50 riders competed with each other to become the owner of the Cup of Baikal. Was the most successful sailor from the United States Ron Sherry, who won almost all the races...." Click here to continue reading.
4-12-2013: DN Worlds to Baikal in 2016?
"Vladimir Silkin visited regatta in the class DN ice yacht on Lake Baikal
During President Vladimir Silkin RYF on "Cup of Baikal" by buernomu sport meeting of the heads of Russian Yachting Federation with Irkutsk Region Governor Sergei Eroschenko on which agreement was reached on the Baikal World Championship in ice boat in 2016." Continue reading.
RESULTS:
Asia Cup and Baikal Cup results are posted here.
The first video from Lake Baikal.
Click here to watch on Youtube.
Photo Credit: Alexandra Van Egmond
LAUNCHED on LAKE BAIKAL!
Click on the photo to see what Ron's steering runner shouldn't be doing.
Photo Credit: Alexadra van Egmond
Ron is back from Russia and has many stories, photos, and video to share on the blog. Inadequate internet access made it impossible to keep the blog updated while he was there but he did keep a record s and will be sharing that in the upcoming days. There will be a GoPro helmet cam video uploaded today.
DN Regatta on Lake Baikal in 2012
Photo Credit: Gareth Rowland K-11
April 2:
"All packed up and headed to the airport. The container bringing the boats has been delayed and will arrive in Irkutsk the same day as we do, Wednesday. We will spend the first night in Irkutsk rather than going straight up to Lake Baikal. This will be a chance to get used to the time change and spend one more night in a more western style of living."
Continue reading.
March 25
"The “ambassador of ice sailing”, European IDNIYRA Commodore Joerg Bohn, urged me to travel to Lake Baikal to compete in the 2013 DN Cup of Baikal regatta. Russian interest in ice sailing is experiencing a tremendous amount of growth right now and it’s exciting for me to be able to share my passion for the sport and share with them how to get their boats to go faster. Seeing my friend Gretchen Dorian’s breathtaking photographs from the 2012 regatta has me looking forward to sailing on Baikal in a big way."
Continue reading.
PREVIOUS:After competing in 5 major regattas this season, Ron will end the season in Sibera at the Baikal Pearl Cup April 8-12, 2013. Participants are expected from the United States, Switzerland, England, Germany, Holland and Poland for this international event on Lake Baikal, the world's largest fresh water lake.
Watch for more updates from Ron in Russia in April.
DN Russia website
List of Competitors
Sail With TJ Sherry
John Harper DN US60 attached his
Go Pro camera to TJ Sherry's Ice Optimist at the 2010 Ice Optimist North American Championship Regatta sailed on Lake Charlevoix in Michigan. Click here to watch on Youtube.
Sailing Skimmers at Leon's
"Though I'm no Dave Elsmo (University of Wisconsin Sailing Coach), we were able to get five people who had never experienced an ice boat sailing these past few days and hope to get more out in the Nite." Pictures here.
Ron Sherry
Ron's Race Start at 2013 Worlds
Click here to watch in full size on You Tube.
Opening Ceremony
The Russian and American flags are raised at the opening ceremony of the 2012 DN Worlds and North American Championship.
Click here to watch on Youtube.
2013 North Americans
Results from the North American championships.
2013 Gold Cup
Final Results Here.
Ron’s report from the 2013 Gold Cup:
Day 1 Report:
"
We got there on time and the whole team out to the race course in plenty of time. We had to make sure that Griffin was ready to sail in the mini qualifier with the right equipment. He wanted to stay with the full sail and I convinced him to put the flat sail on. I put on a set of Teutsch aluminum winged ¼” runners. We went out to the course but it was a bit short and it was moved to accommodate a longer course. We stopped where the old leeward mark but Griffin was already there changing his runners so I had him take off all the extra equipment and go out and test this set up. It felt really good to him and I wanted him to try it without there being too many people around. He liked the feel of the boat. It was blowing pretty hard and I wanted to make sure he was going to be in control. I wanted to make sure that Griffin was comfortable in his first Gold Cup.
We sailed down to the new pits and got ready for the first Silver fleet qualifier. You just can’t imagine how excited I was when I saw Griffin round the first leeward mark in a 62 boat race in first place! He held the lead through the second lap but ended up third and qualified for the Gold fleet. The wind got a little lighter on the third lap and the 15 lb. Teutsch runners might have held him back a little bit but he qualified for Gold. I actually prayed to Art to take care of Griffin and I think he helped. When Griffin finished he was upset that he lost the race but I told him that it didn’t matter because he qualified for Gold and that score goes away and he’s tied for first with me right now!
I changed runners on my own boat to 3/16” with carbon wings and low pro front runner. I went out for a quick test sail and the boat felt good. The wind seemed to keep getting lighter so just before the start of the Gold fleet race I switched to the FO1 sail. I actually got a good start and held my lane. I was in the top three at the first weather mark but got passed by a couple boats and dropped to fifth. Griffin ended up 42nd. It was very tough conditions with rain coming down, zero visibility, and the window completely covered with ice, and having to keep rubbing my goggles to keep them clear. Griffin was having the same trouble and worked very hard just to be safe. After we finished racing the precipitation increased and the race committee called the raced for the day. We changed back to our travel runners and sailed back to the pits, loaded everything in the pits, went back to the hotel, and now our room is completely covered with sails and all of our gear drying out."
Great story in the Houghton Lake Resorter about the 2012 DN Centrals. Check it out here.
2013 Western Regionals
See results and photos here.
Top 5 Gold Results
1 |
US44 | Sherry, | Ron |
2 |
US4824 | Christensen, | Mark |
3 |
US4691 | Dennis, | John |
4 |
US4926 | Orlebeke, | Steve |
5 |
US5014 | Isabell, | Mark |
Top 5 Silver Results
| 1 | US5501 | Orlebeke, | Peter |
| 2 | US5430 | Cutting, | Bill |
| 3 | US5486 | Elsmo, | Dave |
| 4 | US4602 | Kickhafer, | David |
| 5 | US5508 | Sugar, | Tim |
Detroit Ice Yacht Club
12-12-12 @ 12:12 PM
The Detroit Ice Yacht Club gathered at Hooters to celebrate the day.
2012 Great Western Challenge DN Regatta
Photo by Chris Clark- Ron takes pictures as Griffin gets ready to race his Ice Optimist
Michigan DNer and photographer Chris Clark DN US4789 captured some fantastic shots at the Great Western Challenge. See his photo gallery here.
Click here to link to full size video.
The first North American ice sailing regatta of the season was held on Pelican Lake in Minnesota December 1-2, 2012. The North American Ice Optimist Championship was sailed in conjunction with the Western Challenge. Congratulations to Griffin Sherry for winning the Ice Optimist championship and for placing second in the DN Silver Fleet.
Results posted here.
Used DN Components
A big inventory of DN parts and a DN from the late Don Vercruysse are posted on the Used Ice Boats page.
2013-2014 Season
Western Challenge
December 6-8, 2013 in MN
2013 Central Regionals
December 14-15, 2013
Western Regionals
January 4-5, 2014
Western Region
North American Championship
January 19-25, 2014
Western Region
Registration, check in, and opening ceremonies are Saturday, January 18 with first mini qualifier Sunday morning, January 19.
2014 Central Regionals
To Be Announced
Gold Cup & European Championship
March 1-8, 2014
Poland
Baikal & Asia Cup
April 5-15, 2014
Lake Baikal, Siberia, Russia
Gretchen Dorian's Northwest Regatta Photos
Johb Dennis at the weather mark.
Be sure to take a look at Gretchen Dorian's photos from the Northwest 100th Anniversary regatta. There are four days worth of amazing photos shot in different conditions. 
Ken Whitehorse
Equation
Here's nice highlight reel of Equation in Tortola. See all the photos and stories about Equation here.
Racing on Anchor Bay
For the first time in several years, the Detroit Yacht Club raced for the Strat Hendrie memorial trophy on Anchor Bay on March 3, 2013.
1- Ron Sherry 5pts
2- Jim Grogan 14pts
3-George Peet 19pts
4-George Reese 20pts
5-Griffin Sherry 24pts
6-Jody Kjoller 29pts
7-Don Jones 38pts
8- Don Niles 40pts
"Clinton Township ice boat racers among nation’s best"
By Tom Watts
For Journal Register Newspapers
"Griffin Sherry is only 15 years old, but the Clinton Township teenager raced with the big boys and finished in fifth place out of 42 competitors at the North American Gold Fleet Ice Boating Championship held on Lake Pepin in Lake City, Minn."
Continue reading.
Ron Interviews Griffin
Ron interviews his 15 year old son, Griffin, before his first DN Worlds start. Click here to watch on Youtube.
2013 North Americans
2013 Gold Cup Photos
Photos from sailing and awards here.
Jan Gougeon
Butch Babcock, Ron Sherry, and Jan Gougeon at the Bay City Yacht Club Great Lakes Multi Hull Championship in August 2012.
Four time DN World champion, seven time DN North American champion and Ron's mentor, Jan Gougeon, passed away December 18, 2012.
Ron relates, "He was a mentor in the truest form, from when I started ice boating as a 'red headed snot-nosed kid' all the way throughout my life. I'm so glad I got to sail with him last summer on his catamaran, Strings." Announcement on the West System website.
Lessons Learned from Jan Gougeon
By Ron Sherry
"
If every one followed Jan’s example of how to live life and treat people the world would have a lot more fun. I could write a book titled “What I Learned
From Jan Gougeon” but it would take volumes. So I am going to tell you a few stories about building, racing, and dealing with people that we all need to
remember and try to live by." Continue reading.
2012 Central Regionals
The 2012 DN Central Regionals were sailed on Houghton Lake in Michigan.
Gold fleet December 29-30, 2012.
Top 5 Gold Fleet
1 44 SHERRY, RON(S) 1 1 1 1 1 2 ( 6) 7.00
2 183 STRUBLE, MATT 2 2 (3) 2 2 1 2 11.00
3 5224 THIELER, JAMES 3 (25) 2 3 10 3 1 22.00
4 60 HARPER, JOHN (S) 4 3 4 5 5 (9) 5 26.00
5 216 POTCOVA, RICHARD 6 4 7 6 (8) 4 4 31.00
See all final results here.
Meanwhile in the Western Region, there's another regatta being sailed, the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club Grand Slam where the "Doctor", Mark Christensen, has four bullets. Results after day one here.
More Baby Pics
Here's the latest picture of Merili Randma's baby girl, Daniella.
"The 'Estonian Princess', ice sailor Merili Randma, gave birth to a baby girl on October 12, 2012 at 9:18 AM. Daniella weighed in at 3.9kgs. or 8 pounds 9 ounces.
Mom, Dad, and baby are all perfect.
After 16 hours of labor Merili asked her husband if he was glad he is a man!
HUGE CONGRATULATIONS!
They are very very happy."
Ron Sherry
UPDATE: From Merile" Here she is
:D :D :D, 2nd day of life!!!
She is perfect. We are very happy and have almost forgotten those 16 hours. I guess it would have been much more difficult right now if she would have been smaller, right :)
Thank you very much for being happy with us :D. "
Minnesota ice sailor Pat Huttner enjoying early season sailing with his new Composite Concepts DN on Lake Christina in Ashby, MN.
At the SIBC Swap Meet in Williams Bay, WI
Ron and Loretta attended the 27th annual Skeeter Ice Boat Club's Swap Meet in Williams Bay, Wisconsin.
What Ron Did This Summer
Ron spent his second summer as the Sailing Director for the Grosse Pointe Yacht Club in Grosse Pointe, Michigan. Here he is with his instructors and some of the 114 students who participated in the GPYC sailing program. Read more about the program in Ron's 2012 GPYC Junior Sailing Report.
Regatta Memories from Gull Lake, Michigan
Ron's father, Lorne, sailing his Renegade Startdust.
Shirley Cross Fortune was kind enough to share with us this fifteen minute video from the 1958 Northwest Ice Yachting Association Regatta sailed on Gull Lake in Michigan. Shirley grew up ice boating with her father, Wally Cross (look for the guy in the cowboy hat). The regatta received a lot of press coverage. Jane Pegel DN805, competed in this regatta, winning the NIYA Womens DN trophy along with placing second in at least two races, shared her archives relating to this regatta here.
Fresh Runners
A new batch of runners at Composite Concepts.
Composite Concepts European Dealer
