International DN

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This article is about the iceboat. For other uses, see DN

The International DN is a class of ice boat. The name stands for Detroit News, which, in 1936, sponsored a competition for the best ice boat design. The winner of that competition saw their plans realized by a team of boatbuilders who transformed some excess warehouse and workshop space into a production facility where 50 of the boats were built. This design, featuring a narrow, single-person cockpit, three steel blades in tricycle style arrangement and a steeply raked mast, remains to this day the most popular ice boat design in use.

The DN is 12 feet (3.7 m) long, with a 21 inch (53 cm) wide cockpit and an 8 foot (2.4 m) wide runner plank. The 16 foot (4.9 m) mast supports 60 square feet (6.5 m²) of sail area. The boat weighs 100 lb (45 kg), and is piloted by a single helmeted sailor. The front runner is typically rigged with a steering rod that connects the runner to a tiller that is mounted just aft of the mast base.

The class has a devout following. The IDNIYRA, publishes standards for boat design and allows enthusiasts to assemble for races and to share good ice locations.