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Credits: @bartel.media @harken_inc
Scouting the Edge: The 2026 DN Worlds
The wait was worth it. After days of scouting across borders to escape the snow, the 2026 DN World Championships finally found its line. We traded the snow-covered sheets for hard black ice and the kind of high-pressure winds that turn a sail into a wing.
Iceboating is a game of extremes where the margin for error is measured in millimeters. At these speeds, it’s 75% prep and 25% nerves when the flag drops. For the sailors, dialing in the "mast pop" and sharpening the runners was the difference between a podium-contending line and a dangerous spin-out.
This isn't just racing; it's a masterclass in aerodynamics. The technical precision required to keep a DN powered up on "hard black glass" is the same DNA we build into every Ullman sail, whether you're racing on frozen lakes or the open ocean.
Gallery below:
Ullman works with the industry's best hardware and media teams.
Harken Inc. & Bartel Media
The "Ice Wizard"
The performance you saw at the 2026 Worlds is rooted in the decades of innovation at our Detroit loft. Mike Boston, a name synonymous with iceboating victory, has spent years perfecting the DN sail shapes that dominated the ice this year. Mike Boston’s designs have set a global gold standard for DN iceboat racing, proving that when you sail an Ullman DN, you aren’t just getting premium cloth, you’re getting performance proven by results.
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Did you know?
The Speed:
DN Iceboats regularly exceed 3x to 4x the wind speed.
The Weight:
A DN hull weighs only about 45 lbs (20kg), yet carries 60 sq. ft. of sail—a power-to-weight ratio that is almost unmatched in sailing.
The Tradition:
The "DN" stands for Detroit News, the newspaper that held a contest in 1937 to design a hobbyist iceboat, creating the world's most popular ice yacht class.
Detroit Loft Owner and Sail Designer
Michael Boston
A third-generation sailmaker with over 40 years of experience, Michael brings an elite "triple threat" skill set in manufacturing, design, and competitive racing to the Ullman Sails team.
A respected authority on speed and a championship designer, his expertise spans from DN Ice Boats to elite big-boat circuits like the SORC and Key West Race Week.
With multiple North American and National titles to his name, Michael combines decades of technical mastery with a proven winning record to provide invaluable insight for sailors worldwide.
+1 586 792 7212
