Many of us who have attended the DN Western Challenge in Minnesota have seen the beautiful Yankee iceboat that always turns heads. It belongs to Regan Schwaen, who makes the drive from North Dakota each year. Regan gives rides, welcomes questions, and is clearly someone who takes pride in keeping the boat in top condition.
For years, I’ve wondered about the possibility of sailing on Devil’s Lake, North Dakota. Now Regan has done it—and sent in this report:
Regin Schwaen lives in Fargo, North Dakota and sailed his Yankee B-class skeeter for the first time on Devils Lake this weekend. Trailer and iceboat had already been prepared for a visit to Wisconsin and his friend Doug Anderson had just arrived from California, but ice and wind altered the plan. Still bitten by the iceboat bug they used the NDTC webcam installed at the Lakewood public boat landing on northern Devils Lake for a rough estimate regarding ice conditions. Devils Lake in North Dakota is not an easy lake to sail because it is so large, but the ramp was in perfect order, and they found 16” of excellent ice. The first day presented awesome sailing conditions that perhaps would have been acceptable for a regatta. The next day the lake was covered with 3/4 inches of snow making if difficult to evaluate the old ice beyond Creel Bay that spills into Devils Lake. Top speed on the second day was around 35 knots. Regin Schwaen is still quite new to iceboating and this year ISA presented him with the number 171 that he now sails under. This was the first time it was safe to sail on Devils Lake this season and perhaps a first for a Yankee iceboat to sail in North Dakota as well.
Mattison’s ISA fleet: Just six of the many Skeeter iceboats that Bill built. From the Bill & Mauretta Mattison collection.
The ISA Championship Regattas are postponed to December 2025.
The main snow is forecast to miss Trout Lake, but little or no wind on Saturday followed by snow all day on Sunday looks like a single racing day on Friday, and that is if 47 degrees does not soften the ice too much that day. The long term forecast is for temperatures in the 40’s and a normal melt off.
Steve Schalk sailing a B Skeeter on Lake Kegonsa at the 2023 ISA. Photo: Will Johnston
The 2025 ISA and Renegade Championships are on for Friday March 21st-23rd at Trout Lake Wisconsin, just south of Boulder Junction. The final call will be made by noon on March 19th .
A weather system has just been forecast that may snow out the location, but if we dodge that we will know by noon on Wednesday. Stay tuned. Next update is Wednesday, March 19th.
Very warm temperatures upcoming for next weekend have moved the 2025 ISA & Renegade Championship out a week to March 21-23. A cool down is forecast starting Sunday the 16 giving a chance for some sailable ice in the vicinity of Boulder Junction, WI for the 21. Next update March 16.
The ISA and Renegade championship regatta for 2025 is postponed to March 14th -16th, 2025. The Race Committee is hoping for a freezing period to stabilize some of the locations that still have thick ice. Next update, Sunday, March 9, 2025.
Steve Schalk
Secretary/Treasurer
International Skeeter Association
The ISA Race Committee has postponed the regatta to March 7-9, 2025.. The weather forecast of high temperatures and high winds for February 28th made it impossible to predict the ice condition for the following two days, and the Sunday wind forecast made it unlikely to get two race days in any case.
The forecast ahead looks very promising for both Lake City (24” of ice) and Madison (18” of ice). Temperatures go to 40 degree highs with mid 20 degree lows, with at least half of each 24 hours below freezing.
Both locations will be sailed and thoroughly checked prior to March 7th. We have a good chance for a solid three day regatta this time, so check your equipment and sharpen your runners. Next update is Sunday, March 2, 2025.
Many of us who have attended the DN Western Challenge in Minnesota have seen the beautiful Yankee iceboat that always turns heads. It belongs to Regan Schwaen, who makes the drive from North Dakota each year. Regan gives rides, welcomes questions, and is clearly someone who takes pride in keeping the boat in top condition.
