International DN
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- This article is about the iceboat. For other uses, see DN
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| Specifications Under Current Rules | |
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| Ice boat International DN class in Żnin, Poland | |
| Class Symbol | DN |
| Crew | One |
| LOA | 3.7 m (12 ft) |
| LWL | |
| Beam | 2.4 m (8 ft, cockpit 21 in) |
| Draft | |
| Hull weight (with fittings) | 45 kg (100 lb) |
| Mast height (above deck) | 4.9 m (16 ft) |
| Mainsail area | 6.5 m2 (60 ft2) |
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.
One of the reasons that the DN Ice Boat Class has become so popular over the years has been largely in part to how transportable and fast they truly are. With a steady 10-12 mile per hour wind, the DN, when piloted properly, can reach speeds in excess of 50 miles per hour. And with just a 12-15 pile per hour steady wind, the Detroit News Ice Boat can reach a reatily attainable 55-65 miles per hour, providing a thrilling rush of purely unadulterated bone chilling wind powered ice sailing.
