Home-Built Speed
A DN is a class of iceboat that came about as a result of a contest held in 1936 and sponsored by the Detroit News for the best iceboat design, hence the name DN. These boats are 12 feet long, carrying 60 square feet of sail and are traditionally made of wood. Anyone with basic carpentry skills can build one in their basement for about 2500 dollars.
Custom built and production models can be purchsed for anywhere from $4000 to $10,000 depending on materials and builder. Anyone interested in building their own should probably join the International DN Ice Yacht Racing Association. The membership fee is very small and includes a newsletter and set of building plans along with other benefits. A DN will fit quite easily on your average, sturdy roof rack and can be set up in roughly 20 minutes. DN's require very little wind to sail and can attain speeds in excess of 100 KM/hour. Ice boating was quite popular earlier this century. Franklin D. Roosevelt enjoyed ice sailing before he lost the use of his legs. Plans are under way to restore his boat Icicle in 1997. Other classes of ice boats include Skeeters, Nites and Renegades. The Skeeter can reach a blistering speed of 120 miles per hour.
We hope to add more information to this site as time permits and we are always looking for new material. Credit will be given to anyone who submits something useful to us and we will publish it on this site. Please check the resource page for info on suppliers and links to other sites and also our gallery for more pictures. The best source of information is the IDNIYRA (International DN Ice Yacht Racing Association). Check out their website.