A Brief Overview of Northwest Regatta History
Welcome to the home page of the Northwestern Ice Yacht Association Regatta. This historic regatta was first sailed in 1913 in Menominee, Michigan. Skeeters, DNs, and Renegades weren’t even invented back then when the big stern steerers ruled the ice.
Learn more.
Dateline January 13, 1913. Wisconsin State Journal.“Representatives of Oshkosh, Madison, Menominee, and Marinette met at the Hotel Menominee this morning and discussed future of the new NIYA….. LF Porter, of Madison, a man who has been connected with several water and ice craft organizations, gave some timely and instructive suggestions in regard to the proper manner of conducting the association. He proposed having two delegates from each club present at a future gathering and from a constitution and by laws at that time.”
In 1913, Menominee skipper E. Peterson won the first Class A championship in “Square People”. Madison, Wisconsin’s Emil Fauerbach won the 1914 championship in the famed Princess II, a boat that went on the win the Hearst International Trophy.
Other notable Class A winners throughout the years include John Buckstaff of Oshkosh, Fritz Jungbluth and Carl Bernard of Madison in the Fritz, Harry Melges of Lake Geneva (Buddy’s father), Carl Bernard again in the Mary B, the Debutante currently owned by Mike Derusha, and Buddy Melges in his Ferdinand the Bull. The DNs were first recognized as a separate class in 1954 when Skip Boston won the inaugural NIYA DN championship. Other notable DN champions include William Sarns in 1956, Jane Pegel who first won in 1960 and went on to capture another nine championships. Class E Skeeters first raced the NIYA in 1936 when Lake Geneva sailor Harry Melges won in Mickey Finn. Elmer Millenbach took the 1949 trophy sailing his Renegade II back when the Renegades and Skeeters sailed together. Other famous ice boating names who’ve won the NIYA Class E championship include Bill Perrigo, Howard Boston, Frank Trost, Jack Ripp, Dave Rosten, Bill Mattison, Lou Loenneke, Buddy Melges, Bob Pegel, and Paul Krueger. The Renegades first raced in the NIYA as a recognized class in 1958 and of course, Mr. Ice Boat, Elmer Millenbach won his first of many NIYA Renegade Championships in Renegade III and went on to win every regatta until 1984. Other winners include Arlyn Lafortune, Lorne Sherry, Jack Ripp, Tim McCormick, Roger Derusha, Don Anderson, and Mike Derusha.
2025 Northwest Ice Yachting Association Regatta Information
RESULTS
The 2025 Northwestern Ice Yachting Regatta is on for Lake Winnebago northwest of Fond Du Lac. Dates are January 24th, 25th, and 26th.
The launch site is drive on the ice at the foot of Cemetery Road off of Highway 45. Cemetery Road is 1.4 miles north of the Wayside launch on the west shore of the lake. It is 5.8 miles from the center of downtown Fond Du Lac.
Racing will start with DNs at 11 AM sharp on Friday January 24th. The skipper’s meeting for all classes will be held at 10:30 AM near the starting line.
The annual meeting will be held at 6 PM Friday evening at the Fond Du Lac Yacht Club.
A dinner is scheduled for 7 PM at TJ’s Harbor Restaurant, located 2 miles north of the launch at Cemetery Road where County Z crosses Hwy 45.
WHAT TO KNOW:
Date: January 24 – 26, 2025
Location: Lake Winnebago, Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin
Launch: Foot of Cemetery Road off of Highway 45. Cemetery Road is 1.4 miles north of the Wayside launch on the west shore of the lake. It is 5.8 miles from the center of downtown Fond Du Lac.
Lodging:
Comfort Inn, 77 Holiday Lane Fond du Lac WI Ice Boaters Special 82.00 night See Michelle 30+ rooms 920-933-1159
Holiday Inn Express, 55 Holiday Lane Fond du Lac WI 30+ rooms 129.00-155.00 920-322-0460
Hotel Retlaw, 1 North Main St Fond du Lac WI 920 204 0400 129.00 and up
Eligibility Requirements for the Northwest Ice Yacht Association Regatta
To participate in the Northwest Ice Yacht Association (NIYA) regatta, all competitors must be members of a club that belongs to the NIYA. Below is a list of current member clubs. Please ensure you are a member of one of these clubs before registering:
- Boecraft Association
- Fond du Lac Ice Yacht Club
- Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club
- Green Lake Ice Yacht Club
- Hudson River Ice Yacht Club
- Lake Springfield Ice Boat Club
- Menekaunee Ice Yacht Club
- Minnesota Iceboaters
- Neenah Ice Yacht Club
- Oshkosh Ice Yacht Club
- Pewaukee Ice Yacht Club
- SIBC
- South Side Ice Yacht Club
- Toledo Ice Yacht Club
- West Michigan Ice Yacht Club
- Windjammers/United Skeeter Association
- WSSA
During registration, please indicate your club affiliation in the appropriate field on the form. If you are not a member of one of these clubs, you will not be eligible to compete.
Schedule of Events
Friday, January 24
- 7 AM: Online registration closes
- 11 AM: First Race
- Rotation*
- DN
- Renegade
- E Skeeters
- A, B, C, D Stern Steerers
- ISA B & C Skeeters
- 6 PM Northwest Annual Meeting at the Fond Du Lac Yacht Club 705 Mohawk Ave, Fond du Lac, WI 54935
Saturday, January 25
- 9:30 AM: First Race
- Banquet
TJ’s Harbor 7098 S US Hwy 45
Oshkosh, WI 54902
Social Hour 5 PM
Dinner 7 PM
Sunday, January 26
- 9:30 AM: First Race
*2nd and 3rd round of races Friday, Saturday, and Sunday will start at a time announced by the Race Committee.
**If all classes have at least 3 races complete at the end of the day Saturday, Stern Steerers (A, B, C, D) will start first on Sunday.
1915 Northwest
1915 Northwest
Ice yachtsmen of the midwest united in 1913 to organize the Northwest regatta to determine which club had the fastest stern-steerers. Read more about their efforts and the first Northwest which was sailed in Menominee, Michigan.
Two years later, the Northwest regatta came to Madison for the first time and was sailed on Lake Monona. The Milwaukee boat DEBUTANTE III won the A class, beating local hero Emil Fauerbach’s PRINCESS III. Madison’s most famous iceboat builder of the time, William Bernard, won the B fleet. Interesting to note that there was a C class champion back then but the C class NIYA records that I have start in 1926.
Madison historian, Frank Custer, wrote an absolutely fascinating story about this regatta filled with the kinds of details that iceboaters love to read, like the fact that the DEBUTANTE III was the first boat to use aluminum runners. Custer’s article is a must read, check it out here.
- A Class champion: DEBUTANTE III, D. Van Dyke, K. Doemel, M. Mackie
- B Class champion: VALIENT, W. P. Bernard, H. Nelson
- Free For All champion: DEBUTANTE III, D. Van Dyke, K. Doemel, M. Mackie
Friday, January 22, 1915 Wisconsin State Journal
FREE FOR ALL TO DEBUTANTE III
Milwaukee Owned Ice Yacht Wins SQUARE PEOPLE’S Cup On Lake Monona
The free-for-all race for the Square People’s trophy for ice boats of all classes, which is always a feature of the Northwestern Ice Yachting association regatta was won this morning by DEBUTANTE III, skippered by its owner, Douglas Van Dyke of Milwaukee. The race went 15 miles and the beautiful Van Dyke craft covered the distance in 59 minutes and 5 seconds. Considering the light breeze and the snow, this is considered fair time.
Nine minutes after DEBUTANTE III crossed the tape, PRINCESS III owned by Emil Fauerbach finished. Followed in their respective order were OLD CRAFT of Menominee, PRINCESS II, and TOOT TOOT, the last two being seconds apart.
DEBUTANTE II, the sister boat of the winner, struck a stake and was disqualified. FLIT, FREAK, and VALIANT withdrew.
The final races for trophies in the B and C classes were run off late this afternoon.
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