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.
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 – Race start has been postponed to 11AM to allow for warmer temperatures.
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.
As we prepare for the 2025 Northwest Ice Yachting Association Regatta, it’s a good opportunity to reflect on the 1925 event, which was held 100 years ago. The 1925 Northwest was supposed to be held on Madison’s lakes, or so the Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club (4LIYC) thought. However, a twist of fate, or rather a ‘joker’ (as the Wisconsin State Journal put it) in the bylaws, changed everything. According to the Wisconsin State Journal (Feb. 3, 1925), the Northwest bylaw stated that if a regatta is canceled one year, it must be held on the same lake the following year. As a result, Pewaukee Lake retained the hosting rights, much to the disappointment of Madison sailors. The newspaper noted, “The general feeling among the local club is that Madison has not had an even break.”
Despite this setback, Madison sailors brought home significant victories: 1925 Northwest Class Champions
Class A Stern Steerer: – DEFIANCE – M.D. Bernard, P. Bernard (4LIYC)
Class B Stern Steerer: – LIBERTY – W.P. Bernard, E. Tetzlaff (4LIYC)
Free-for-All Winner: MISS MILWAUKEE Class A1, Camp Van Dyke, Pewaukee Ice Yacht Club
Interesting Notes from 1925
Class A1 Stern Steerers:
MISS MILWAUKEE, the free-for-all winner, competed in the now-defunct Class A1 division, which was for boats with a bigger sail area than Class A Stern Steerers. Built by Camp Van Dyke for $5,000, MISS MILWAUKEE was designed specifically to win the prestigious Stuart Cup but never managed to claim it. The Class A1 division was abolished in 1926, making this one of its last notable appearances in the Northwest.
Junior Division Announced:
The 1925 regatta saw the Northwest announce plans for a Junior Division to debut in 1926, open to sailors under 16 years old with boats limited to 150 square feet of sail area. However, it’s unclear whether this division ever came to fruition—stay tuned to the 2026 NIYA for that story!
100 Years Later
The Carl Bernard scrapbooks have been an invaluable resource for uncovering the history of the 1925 Northwest. Carl attended the regatta at Pewaukee and captured photos of his father’s winning boat, DEFIANCE, as well as the giant MISS MILWAUKEE. Most importantly, he preserved one of those special regatta moments by having someone snap a photo of him with all his pals on his stern-steerer.
Here we are, a century later, carrying on the tradition of the Northwest regatta on Lake Winnebago out of Fond du Lac. Ice sailors will once again compete for top honors—who will become the next champions in the Class A and B Stern Steerers? We are lucky to still be sailing the Northwest and honoring the legacy of those early champions and their stories.
Northwest Home Page UPDATE: Launch information has been updated
Via Northwest Ice Yachting Association Regatta Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk:
The 2025 NIYA Regatta is called on for Fond Du Lac, January 24th, 25th and 26th, with the final call at noon Wednesday January 22nd. Launch ramp will be finalized prior to Wednesday noon. It will be in the southeast corner of the lake somewhere between the Fond Du Lac Yacht Club and the Sunset Bar. Stay tuned for launch site updates on Wednesday, January 22.
The ice condition is excellent and the wind and temperature appear to be cooperating – pretty much optimal in all respects for an epic Northwest Championship.
Via Northwest Ice Yachting Association Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk:
The 2025 Northwestern Ice Yachting Association Race Committee has postponed one week to January 24th, 25th and 26th. The likely site will be on Lake Winnebago at the best possible of several locations.
The morning check by Andy Gratton found the snow conditions ok for most but not DNs. (Styrofoam snow) The forecast eliminates Sunday due to low temperatures and the Friday wind and temperature forecasts show a possible softening of the snow , but a likely blow-out of excessive wind gusts.
The forecast is looking good for multiple options on January 24th. The next NIYA Update is Sunday January 19th after 7 pm.
The 2025 NIYA Regatta is called on for Fond Du Lac,, January 17 – 19 with the final call at noon Wednesday January 15th. Launch will be drive on at the Sunset Bar.
UPDATE: The International Skeeter Association and Renegade Championship regattas are postponed. The NIYA regatta takes precedence.
