iceboating.net Minnesota Ice Sailing Association

        2006 The Great Western Challenge Regatta - December 2 - 3, 2006
                        Dead Lake, Buffalo Lake
                        Maine, Minnessota,  Buffalo, MN

                                   Gold fleet
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
    Pos    Sail#            Name          Race>    1    2    3    4  Points
    ------------------------------------------------------------------------
      1   US   44         SHERRY,           RON     2    1    1    6   10.00
      2   US  379         HARPER,      JOHN (S)     4    9    3    3   19.00
      3   US 4824    CHRISTENSEN,          MARK     1    4   15    2   22.00
      4   US 4691         DENNIS,          JOHN     7   11    5    1   24.00
      5   US 4811     Chatterton,          Mark     3    2   11   10   26.00
      6    G  900 GROTHUES-SPORK,      MATTHIAS     6    5   13    7   31.00
      7   US 5144           REHE,   MICHAEL (J)     8    7    8    8   31.00
      8   US 1183        GOUGEON,       JAN (M)     5    3    9   16   33.00
      9   US 4975          EVANS,        ROBERT     9   17    4    5   35.00
     10   US 3283       WILLIAMS,   J.BRUCE (M)    10   15   12    4   41.00
     11   US   45         SHERRY,   WENDELL (M)    12    6   16    9   43.00
     12   US  445           CAVE,       BOB (S)    11   13    2   17   43.00
     13    G  737           BOHN,         JOERG   DNF    8    7   11   59.00
     14   US  602          MEYER,       TOM (S)    14   10   18   18   60.00
     15   US 4137     SMITH, JR.,       KEN (S)    13   16   20   14   63.00
     16   US 5214       MCDONAGH,           JIM    15   19   17   15   66.00
     17   US 5053           REIS,    GEORGE (S)   DNS   12   14   20   79.00
     18   US    3         GROGAN,       JIM (S)   DNS  DNS    6   12   84.00
     19   US 3271      JANKOWSKI,      MIKE (S)   DNS   14   19   19   85.00
     20   US 4602      Kickhafer,         David   DNS  DNS   10   13   89.00
     21   US 3433            Bob,       Cummins   DNS   18  DNS  DNS  117.00
     22T  US 3535           KENT,       JEFFREY   DNS  DNS  DNS  DNS  132.00
     23T  US 4926       ORLEBEKE,         STEVE   DNS  DNS  DNS  DNS  132.00
     24T  US 4915           COOK,    ROBERT (S)   DNS  DNS  DNS  DNS  132.00
     25T  US 4961      DAVENPORT,          JOHN   DNS  DNS  DNS  DNS  132.00
     26T  US 4000        JOHNSON,     RANDY (S)   DNS  DNS  DNS  DNS  132.00
     27T   G  107         ZEIGER,         BERND   DNS  DNS  DNS  DNS  132.00
     28T   G  551        SEEGERS, CHRISTIAN (S)   DNS  DNS  DNS  DNS  132.00
     29T  US 4266     BUCHBINDER,      BILL (S)   DNS  DNS  DNS  DNS  132.00
     30T  US 3662          SMITH,      GREG (S)   DNS  DNS  DNS  DNS  132.00
     31T  US 4695         KIEFER,      MARK (M)   DNS  DNS  DNS  DNS  132.00
     32T   G   55        SEEGERS,       ANDREAS   DNS  DNS  DNS  DNS  132.00

All in, A RECORD 61 DNers launched the 2007 North American DN Season in Minnesota... and for the second time in event history, with a turn perhaps only iceboaters would understand...have risen before dawn, broken camp and moved 50 people and boats 180 miles south to better ice and forecast; all in less than 12 hours, half way thru the event.

Legends of Iceboating were abundant in both boat parks, and on the starting lines, 6 or so past Continental or World Champions, Standing tall among them 5 time former world champion Jan Gougeon from Bay City MI, and Jeff Kent, setting the driving record at 1750 miles one way! Leading in everything but the 4th race, Current World Champion, and long time supporter of the Great Western Challeng Regatta Ron Sherry,

Me and Tom & Tom were driving home from Fegus tonight.(Sat.) Stopped at Buffalo Lake on our way back tonight,at 10:30pm.From launch site. the ice is absolutley sexy. There is no snow or drifts. The ice is absolutley smooth black ice as far as we could see. The ice appears to be about 2-3" thick. It was dark we only walked out about 50 feet. the Temp. was 15 deg. a heat wave after a day at Dead Lake.
From what we could see this is going to be some awsome ice for sailing tomorrow. Further investigations should be made in the daylight.
For those of you who couldn't make it up North to Dead Lake, here's your chance to get out for some of the best looking ice there will be this season. Everyone from Dead Lake is coming down in the morning. Load up your boats kids it's is going to be a blast out there.

The Great DN Western Challenge Regatta shall start in Sturges Park, in Buffalo, MN (MN 25 South of Monticello... the first lake on your right).

11:00 start... as is customary the first boat set up at the launch site shall set the windward mark.

ask about the short course experiment

4695

10am Friday
Swede Lake- Completely frozen over with smooth ice about 1 1/2" thick in 5' of water. 2'-3' cracks appeared when I chopped through.

Whale Tail Lake- Completely frozen over with smooth ice (choppy around shore) 2"-2 1/2" thick in 5' of water. Ice is stronger than Swede, didn't crack when I chopped through and withstood a few lackluster jumps. (I'm such a chicken)

This is a pretty cool weather site that sent to me yesterday by one of the photo shooters who'll probably be catching some of the action this weekend at the Great DN Western Challenge Regatta, home of the Hottest Ice on Earth!

Aviation Sports Weather

Looks like everybody's going to get enough of everything they're coming for.

Ice!

4695 the IceMaker

i'm new to iceboating, minneapolis area. does anyone know where i could find a DN kit, or perhaps a used DN in the twin cities area?

I am looking for feedback on whether or not there is any interest in creating a more formal Ice Boat Club for the Minneapolis area. I am one of the new owners of the Shorewood Yacht Club. We have a very nice clubhouse and would be willing to host weekly or monthly meetings. The club house would also be a good warming house when Lower Lake Minnetonka is sailable. Jim Johnson is moving his store(Seven Seas)into our lower level. He should be completely moved by next week. Jim indicated that he would be willing to open the store on meeting nights. I will post a poll on this site, also please email me with any suggestions.

Update
Fergus Falls, Mn
Saturday 8:00pm
In a move that would only make sense to iceboaters... we're moving the regatta to Buffalo, MN... Sturges Park, MN Hwy 25 Buffalo, MN

Start, Race 1 11:00 don't be late...

Consensus wake up calls for 0500, boat tear down in Dead Lake, Shuffle off to Buffalo, and get together an do it again. Hmm. coffee, personal hygene, xx min 25 min to the launch, 30m min for boat tear down, a tank of gas, a little food, 3 hours in the car, half hour to set up... leaves about nine minutes to sail out to the course and check the wind.

As alway... sailors of all abilities are welcome at minnesota ice sailing event.

I work for a guy who has a cabin on the big peninsula that divides the east and west arms of Dead Lake. A friend and I have Nites and are driving there Fri. to do some sailing and watch the regatta. There are two extra beds available and a big living room if anyone wants to crash on the floor in sleeping bags. 50 feet to the ice. There's also a boat ramp on the east side of the peninsula. It could also be used as a place to warm up during the regatta. -Craig Young, Nite 483 Hudson WI 651-261-3196 biplanes.forever@earthlink.net

I hope you all are up for some camera time this weekend, as we will be shooting footage on and off the water er...uh..ICE!. I will have a few cameras on the race course and will be looking for interviews with as many of you as possible over the course of the regatta.

I am in talks with a few networks about a 6 episode series titled "Frozen Adrenaline" The Quest For the DN World Championship Title. If we arent going to do the show I will be turning the project into a documentary film so either way a great project is in the works that will benefit the sport of iceboat racing, more importantly DN iceboat racing! I hope to gather some incredible footage this weekend, so your support is greatly appreciated. Don't be shy!

This just in from 4695's dad, Sweet ol Bruce...

From: bruce
Sent: Tuesday, November 28, 2006 3:59 PM
To: 4695
Subject: Re: Collin's Landing

Hi, 4:00 PM

Just got back from a trip down to Collin's Landing. The lake looks like a big mirror. It sure looks like a perfect spot for your event. I did not walk out to check the Ice, you guys can do that. We got some rain last night and again this morning, a little drizzle thru the day and nothing else. We are supposed to get some cold weather so it should be great if we don't get too much snow.

Bruce

sold

You're sick of hanging around and you'd like to travel...

Might as Well...

You know all the rules by now
and the fire from the ice...

Takes time - you pick a place to go
and just keep Truckin on...

We need a travelling sound track for all you guys coming up for the regatta, we'll try to get something put together...

:) Who else, the Grateful Dead, for our Dead Lake Regatta Sound track.

4695