Sailing Devil’s Lake: A Report from North Dakota

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.

Regatta Watch: 2025 Renegade Championship POSTPONED to Dec 2025

Elmer & Cora Lee Millenbach ready for the next regatta. 

Via IRIYRA Secretary Ron Rosten:

The 2025 Renegade Championship has been postponed until December 2025. The Boulder Junction area is expecting to receive snow followed by cold temperatures. Time to plan your summer Renegade projects. Next update: December 2025.

March 20, 2025: DN in MI

Complete Ready to Race DN
Hamill stripper mast, Teutsch plank, Sarns plate runners, Harvey boom, Doyle Boston sail, battens, shrouds, hull, plank, and mast covers. $2,800.00
Add like new C2 Whip fiberglass mast, Gougeon plank, angle runners, minimum “T” runners, 1/4 insert runners, 2 more Doyle Boston sails. $3,900.00
Ron Sherry 586-484-5134
Detroit, MI
ron@iceboatracing.com

Regatta Watch: Correction on 2025 Renegade Championship


ATTENTION ATTENTION ATTENTION – FAKE NEWS – CLARIFICATION
CLARIFICATION #2: UPDATE:
Upon further consultation with the Renegade board, the 2025 Renegade Championship is postponed until March 28 – 30, 2025. Stay tuned for the next update.

I want to clarify a mistake in the previous post regarding the ISA and Renegade Championship postponement. While the ISA has officially postponed until December 2025, the Renegade class is still keeping their options open for a regatta at Boulder Junction this weekend, March 21-23, 2025.
A final decision will be made tomorrow, Thursday, March 19; and there’s even a possibility of postponing for just a week rather than all the way to December. The regatta site, Trout Lake near Boulder Junction, currently has 28 inches of ice, so conditions are still under consideration.
Stay tuned for updates.

Regatta Watch: ISA Championship Postponed to Dec 2025

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

Secretary/Treasurer

International Skeeter Association