Hello All-

Hope all all doing well and are happy, healthy, and hanging in there….

Need a little reading material? The May issue of the DN class newsletter is out and as ever has some good content-

Check it out and read it online or even order a copy on good old-fashioned paper here:

May 2020 Runner Tracks Published – DN North America

Think ICE!

Not saying who this is or where this is but I will say that the mast is rumored to be a 2×4….

Greetings from the dark shadow of the Corona epicenter. Our season really didn’t have a typical last hurrah. Concerns and fear overtook our need for ice and speed.

I for one could have traveled but as a person coming from a high-risk area did not feel right about potentially exposing those in nearly pristine areas. It was a matter of personal responsibility. Taking responsibility is something we as iceboaters know and live by.

Now that I have gotten the grim and foreboding out of the way, it’s time to let the sunshine in and make plans to close out our season on a positive note. At this point our best option is virtual. The Zoom platform is pretty easy and I expect even the low tech or Luddites among us will be fine.

Our first Virtual Meetup will be this Friday at 6:00pm. The meeting info including password has been placed in the member forum which is password protected. https://theneiya.org/member-forum/

Don’t remember the password or want to just get it directly drop me an email john@neiya.org

See online Friday,

John
DN5023
john@neiya.org

Anyone up for trying some land sailing out without going out to the desert? Bill Bucholz may have a plan….

Check the CIBC site to find out how….

Land Sailing

John Pepper is putting more thought into his lifting jackstands for his Skeeter- The refinement continues!

This new iteration features sheaves that don’t keep the stand from folding all the way closed- this allows maximum lift and looks pretty slick as well. And let’s face it, that is important too….

As Dan Clapp once said of his philosophy of making his Skeeters not only fast and reliable but also good looking: “It’s got to go fast on the race course, but it also has to get ooohs and aaaaahs in the parking lot.”

Well done John, send photos of the prototypes when you have them!

Think Ice….

Lest anyone be puzzled by the “420” post yesterday I thought I’d offer up this link as an explanation-

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/420_(cannabis_culture)
All in good fun and let’s face it, we can all use a laugh and a diversion from the regular world these days. And the photo of the Renegade was pretty good too!

Hope it was a good day for all.

Shake out the cobwebs and THINK ICE!

Sending out a best wishes to everyone on this most auspicious of days- Hope all are well and will celebrate accordingly!

Bill Bucholz and the gang in Maine have done it…

Click and read:

Sailing Moosehead 4/17

The results are in- take a look and see what are and aren’t allowed to use next year!

Thanks to everyone who voted- I understand that a higher than normal number of eligible voters cast ballots so if you are one of them, pat yourself on the back! If not…. Make sure you pull the lever next time.

Click here to see the results:

Results of DN Official Specifications Ballot – DN North America

…was still sail-able as of two days ago! Mike Madge and his friends are still sailing out there- Way to go Mike! There are more than a few of us out this way that wish we were there with you!

You make know that Mike is often the first person to get out every fall- Could be that this year he is the first and last person to sail on hard water. Kind of a cool statistic!

Keep it up Mike- be safe and let us know how far into the spring you can actually go this year-

See the fun here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LkNsRawVKP4&app=desktop

No joke- Sounds like there may be an option up in Canada if you are REALLY jones-ing for some mid-lake social distancing….

Andre’ Baby sent the following:

Hello All,

DN sailor Marc Tarini photographed checking ice a few minutes ago, in the middle of Lac du Huit near Thetford Mines. He mentions there is still 15 inches black ice underneath 4 inches new snow.

Cheers and Happy Easter to all,

André

All- Be sure to vote on the DN Class tech proposals by April 15! Balloting is entirely e-mail based and most of us have some extra free time so there is no excuse not to. Participation has been good with over 50% of eligible members casing ballots already. If you haven’t done it yet read the primer below and get cracking!

As you may have heard four important proposals are on the ballot for the DN class- It is very important that every member of the DN class vote on it! And remind all the class members you now to do the same- Spread the word!

ALL BALLOTING IS BEING DONE ELECTRONICALLY VIA EMAIL. It only takes a few minutes (even if you are not tech-savvy) and doesn’t cost a thing. So don’t wait for a paper ballot to show up in out in the mailbox!

All paid up IDNIYRA members should have received an email on March 25 from the International DN Ice Yacht Racing Association (invitations@mail.electionbuddy.com) inviting you to click a few links and file your vote on this Spring 2020 Tech Specifications Ballot.

IF YOU DID NOT SEE THIS IN YOUR EMAIL INBOX DO THE FOLLOWING ASAP:
-Make sure you are a paid up DN Class member (If not, join and get paid up and VOTE!)
-Check your spam and / or junk mail folders and make sure it isn’t rotting away in there
-If you still can’t find it or have any other questions email DN Class Secretary Deb Whitehorse at debwhitehorse@gmail.com and she can get you sorted out.

Chad Atkins wrote a good article about these proposals in the September 2019 issue of RUNNER TRACKS- He works with composites for a living and has been building and sailing DNs for decades; he is very qualified to comment and his opinions carry a lot of weight. Click the link and go to page 20.
https://139655-515924-raikfcquaxqncofqfm.stackpathdns.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/09/Runner-Tracks-September-2019-tablet.pdf

If you still aren’t sure re-read the following explanations and opinions from Paul Goodwin- DN Class guru, builder, engineer, tinkerer and all around good guy:

My take on the 2020 Proposals – Paul Goodwin

The first two proposals are to change specs that were written when the class first made the transition from wood to composite masts. It was clear at the time that the composite mast would make the older mast technologies obsolete, at huge cost to class members. This was justified because we were breaking the older masts at an alarming rate. The idea behind the minimum weight and balance point specs was to reduce the incentive to constantly look for the latest, greatest, high-tech (and expensive) composite mast material.

1) Deletion of the minimum weight for the mast –

I think removing the minimum weight will not be good for the class. The intent of this spec is to discourage using exotic (and expensive) materials. High modulus carbon fiber comes to mind, but there are potentially more exotic and expensive fibers available. I believe eliminating the min weight will accelerate a technology war leading to lighter and more expensive masts. Sailors will have mast envy, with the perception that lighter is better, driving the cost of masts ever higher.
My Vote: NO

2) Deletion of the balance point on the mast –

The reason for the balance point was to make a builder put some of the ballast up higher in the mast, rather than building a super light mast with a big chunk of weight at the base. I think the spec is still valid. I don’t want to make it easier to build super light, expensive masts. In the overall cost of building a pre-preg carbon mast in an autoclave, the time and cost of adding ballast is insignificant.
My vote: NO

3) Allow runners to be built of any material –

I think this proposal has no merit at all. I challenge everybody to think about how they would use this change to design a runner body that reduces the cost, and at the same time remains competitive against the super stiff lightweight carbon bodies that will be coming when there is no restriction on design and material. The DN is not the class for a rule that allows unlimited use of exotic materials.
My vote: NO

4) Amend the minimum thickness of insert plate to allow commercial material tolerance –

This one makes sense. The reduction in thickness allows use of commercially available steel, which can reduce the cost and is easier to find. The change is so small that it is insignificant for performance.
My vote: YES.