Get a real feel for what it's like to sail a DN with C2 components as you 
2-2-2012 PROVISIONAL DN GOLD RESULTS
'Watch Ron Sherry's interview with Swedish TV.
Composite Concepts is attending the 2012 DN Gold Cup & European Championships January 28-February 4, 2012. Read World's updates here.
Gretchen Dorian Western Region Regatta Photos
See them all on Gretchen's website.
2012 IDNIYRA Western Region Regatta
The 2012 IDNIYRA Western Region Regatta was sailed December 7-8 on Green Lake in Spicer, Minnesota. The 59 skippers including 3 Ice Opt sailors enjoyed three days of excellent conditions on 10" of snow-free ice that was hazard free and basically smooth with a slight amount of texture. The warm conditions made for excellent grip as well as no complaints of being cold. On Friday's training day, the wind was blowing 25 knots which made for exciting conditions with a few spin outs and break downs. It was good to get practice in those kind of conditions so that when they come up on race day you have the confidence to compete. It was really great to get a chance to work with all the top ice boaters of the Western Region. Working on our tuning together will only make me more competitive at the Worlds in Germany at the end the month. Quite a few Spicer residents came down to the ice to see what the excitement was about and learn about ice boating. Congratulations to Hal Bowman
DN US1277 for taking first in the Silver fleet.
Results here.
Gold Cup Recaps
Read the second Gold Cup recap about the 1999 DN Gold Cup World Championship sailed at Montreal.
Read the first Gold Cup recap about the 1998 DN Gold Cup World Championship regatta sailed in Finland.
Ice Optimist Race Start
Saturday, December 4, 2011 on Lake Christina in Ashby, MN at the Great Western Challenge.
Click to watch in full size window.
Wendell's DN
Components for Sale
The following DN components belonged to Wendell Sherry and are available for purchase:
3 teflon-coated snow plates perfect Opti runners. $ 300.00 SOLD
3 old Jablonski 3/16 inserts $ 1000.00
2 1/4 440c prepreg side inserts w/aluminum wings c2 $ 1000.00
2 3/16 soft 36 inch press mold no wings 1 std front c2 $ 1500.00
1 runner box with wheels $ 50.00
1 runner case strong $100.00
1 gun case runner box $150.00SOLD
c2 Runner liners with bag $250.00 SOLD
Boston Fol no battens $ 400.000
SOLD
All checks made out to Helen Sherry, sent to:
Saf-t-lok
300 Eisenhower
Lombard Il 60148
"Helen is very glad to know that Wendell's toys are going to be used.
All equipment is at Composite Concepts and will be delivered to events, or shipped."
C2 Mast Design
Composite Concepts has adapted to innovation with masts that are two thirds of the costs of the competition and have won the last nine North American DN ice boating championships and four out of the last five DN World ice boating championships
On Board the New Equation: The 2011 Mackinac Races
Photo by Gretchen Dorian
"Equation is a Farr designed Trans Pac 65 owned by Bill Alcott, Fast Eddie Palm, and Tom Anderson. We sail the boat with 16 crew including Stu Argo, project manager; Stu Thompson, boat captain; Mike Rehe, first mate; Chris Clark, navigator; and I steer the boat.
Equation is a very complex machine capable of doing amazing things as she does battle with the wind. In reaching conditions in light wind, Equation will sail 3.5 to 4 kts. faster than the wind speed. Sailing up wind, the Equation's target speed is 10.2 kts. and tacks inside of 65 degrees including leeway." Continue reading.
Latest Batch of C2 DN Runners on the Table
This month Velocitek, a company that manufactures GPS speedometers for racing sail boats is hosting a "speed challenge" for ice boaters. The premise - ice boaters send in videos of their top-speed run of the day and at the end of the month, the entry with the highest speed wins a Velocitek sweatshirt and is entered into a 3 month contest to win one of their Speedometers. "We believe it will be a fun contest that will highlight the excitement and speed of ice boating, while at the same time, the contest will introduce the sport to many people." Read more about it here.
Thoughts On Tuning From the 2012 DN Western Regionals
By Ron Sherry, DN US44
I believe you need a looser rig when you are having a hard time getting the boat going.
I mean so light and/or sticky that you might have to push more than once. After that, you need to tighten the rig as the breeze starts to build. Then when it is really windy, you need to loosen the rig again so that you have more control and do not spin out.
On Green Lake in Minnesota at the 2012 DN Western Regionals, we had excellent ice
conditions with 4-9 kts of breeze. I think this is the condition when you want to have the rig set as stiff as you will ever need it. These conditions are when you want to get the boat to hike so that you can make sure you are pointing high enough upwind and low enough
downwind.
Don't get me wrong, it is still possible to make the boat too stiff. When you get the boat set up the way you like it, try making small rig adjustments and see if you can feel the difference in how quickly the boat hikes.
Good luck and great sailing.
Click here for printable pdf file.
Read complete DN Tuning Guide here.
Sarah Somes 2011 IDNIYRA Centrals Recap
By Sarah Somes, pictured above
"I have spent many winters waiting for the ice to melt and feel the first splashes of spring, but on December 28 I received an invitation that opened new doors to my world of sailing. George Peet invited me to meet up with Ron Sherry and Mike Rehe on Lake Missaukee, Lake City, MI for IDNIYRA 2011 Central Lakes Championship."
With eight hours to pack and sleep, I scrounged up all the warm gear I could get my hands on and started my adventure. I originally planned on learning the boat and playing around on the ice, but the incredible support and encouragement from all of the competitors, event organizers, and volunteers gave me the courage to register and race.
We left early Thursday morning and were registered and racing in 6 hours. When we arrived the temperature was in the 20s and blowing about 15 kts. We jumped right into action rigging the boats Ron Sherry supplied for Charlie Trost, another new ice boater, and I. In the morning Ron, Mike, and George helped Charlie and I learn the rules, sail with proper form, rig our DNs, and gave a short tutorial as we sailed to the starting line.
The ice was wavy but had no pressure ridges or obstructions on the race course. Throughout the day we experienced a steady shift east from the southeast, lighter pressure with gusts in the teens, and periods of snow and low visibility. Gold Fleet kept a fresh level of intensity and excitement while the rest of the Silver Fleet and I watched and learned, patiently waiting for our turn to feel the rush and hear our runners glide over the ice.
I was one among six new racers, of the 14 in Silver Fleet, and all of us were greeted with excitement and advice after every race making all 5 races thrilling and fun.
My favorite part of the race is after the finish, when all the boats stop and the skippers hop out to meet the other fleet waiting for their start; I saw joy on everyone’s face. After racing we all walked to a nearby restaurant where I got the chance to meet many other competitors. The atmosphere among the members of the IDNIYRA was very enjoyable and inviting for newcomers like myself.
In one day I learned how to sail, rig and derig a DN, stone and grease the runners, read the ice and the conditions, sail with apparent wind angles, starting, finishing (without cutting the starting line), the differences between hard water and soft water racing rules, ice boating safety, and most importantly the joy of the sport and sharing the experience with friends.
I’d like to thank Rich Potcova, Eric Lind, Ron Sherry, George Peet, Mike Rehe, Loretta Rehe, and the Traverse City guys that found the ice for making this opportunity possible. I appreciate you welcoming me into iceboat racing and making it a great first experience.
December 29, 2011: Collegiate sailor, Sarah Somes, sailing an ice boat not only for the first time, but in her first regatta at the DN Centrals on Missaukee Lake near Cadillac, Michigan. She's in 4th place in the Silver fleet after the first day! Photographer Gretchen Dorian captured the day's sailing and has posted pictures on her website.
2011 Centrals Results
Click here to see results.
Great Western Challenge
Ice Optimist skippers at the GWC
"The first regatta of the season was sailed on Lake Christina in Ashby, Minnesota, December 2-4, 2011. Over 70 DNs and 3 Ice Optimists sailed in this non-sanctioned tuning regatta, some sailing a DN for their very first time.
Friday's high winds limited racing to the truly brave (or crazy) with winds blasting over 30 kts. Several sailors who attempted to sail on the hard fast ice and big breeze found themselves spinning out. The harsh conditions put a premium on mainsheet maintenance. Joerg Bohn DN G737 remarked, "We'd better race again before the wind completely dies." Friday was Joerg's day and he fully tortured his new Composite Concepts hull and mast and loved every minute of it.
Saturday was just a perfect day with hard, fast ice and 8-12 kt winds. We sailed 5 races each in the Gold and Silver fleets and 4 Ice Optimist races. After 5 races in the Gold fleet, second, third, and fourth were separated by only 1 point. It was truly perfect conditions where everyone had control, speed, and fun. The level of equipment on display at this regatta gave everybody a chance to win.
Griffin Sherry waits for the start of the Silver Fleet race. Photo Credit: Kent Baker
Sunday's wind conditions were much lighter and there was only one race each in the Gold and Silver fleets. The best part of Sunday was when Skip Dieball had 120 lb. Griffin Sherry race his DN in what was the last race of the Silver fleet and he finished second.
The good news is that all the Europeans have called me to tell me that they've made it home safe and sound. A big thanks to all of them for making the trip and making it a truly international event."
Ron Sherry DN US 44
Regatta results
Hal Bowman DN US 2177 3rd Silver fleet
Joerg Bohn DN G737 7th Gold fleet
Wolfgang Butlger DN G597 13th Gold
Uwe Dieckmann DN G600 25th Gold
Composite Concepts European Dealer
