Archie Arrol was a master craftsman working in the Detroit News hobby shop, and together with iceboaters Joe Lodge and Norman Jarrait designed a racing boat they called the "Blue Streak 60", later to become known as the "DN 60".

In 1937 a group of 50 laymen worked with Archie in the hobby shop to produce the first fleet of the new iceboats.

These first boats broke during the initial season, and after Jarrait and Lodge modified the design to increase the strength, the group got back together to build a second set of iceboats in 1938.

The International DN Ice Yacht Racing Association (IDNIYRA) and IDNIYRA-Europe are the governing bodies of the class.

[3] They publish standards for boat design and allow enthusiasts to assemble for races and to share good ice locations.