Regatta Watch: 2025 ISA – CANCELED

Pat Heppert sailing DRIFTER at the 2022 International Skeeter Association Regatta on Lake Monona in Madison, WI. Photo: Will Johnston

Via International Skeeter Association Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk:

The International Race Committee has reviewed the current conditions and forecasts and determined that the Minnesota race venues are out due to temperatures in single digits and coming snow depths. Without other options and the arrival of the holidays, the decision has been made to let 2025 go. We are back up and pointing next to January 9th 2026 for the first day of the 2026 Championship. Next update: Sunday, January 4, 2026.

Steve Schalk

Secretary/Treasurer

International Skeeter Association

Regatta Watch: 2025 ISA & Renegade Championship Postponed to Dec 12-14

Kyle Navin, finished 2nd at the Nite Nationals

Via ISA Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk:

The 2025 International Skeeter Association and Renegade Championships have been postponed until December 12 – 14. Ice will be starting to form at our target sites of Minnewaska and Battle lakes tonight. The forecasts look promising for December 12-14. Next update is Sunday, December 7, 2025.

Steve Schalk

Regatta Watch: 2025 ISA & Renegade Championship December Outlook

Steve Schalk sailing a B Skeeter on Lake Kegonsa at the 2023 ISA. Photo: Will Johnston

2025 NOTICE OF RACE
ISA HOME PAGE
Via ISA Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk:

The ISA & Renegade Championship Race Committee is cranking back up to find the location for the postponed 2025 ISA. The conference calls restart on November 30th. There is a cold front moving through Minnesota as I write this, with none of the sites yet frozen, so the current snow is just falling in open water. The following cold will close up the lakes and allow for the search to begin. Minnewaska and Battle Lakes are favored sites with their launch facilities.

The ISA Race Chairman believes that it should be possible for a DN Western Challenge by December 5th, with the two following weekends available for the ISA. Of course the weather will dictate the outcome. We will post Sunday 7 pm updates starting November 30th.

Steve Schalk

Secretary/Treasurer

International Skeeter Association

Tribute to Elmer Millenbach – Archie Call


Elmer Millenbach Archives
Renegade Home Page
Elmer Millenbach (1912–1996) was a Detroit iceboater and who worked for the automotive industry whose inventive spirit reshaped the sport. Elmer combined his automotive know-how with his passion for iceboating. In 1947, he designed and built the Renegade, a sleek one-design iceboat larger than a DN but more manageable than the Skeeters and stern-steerers. The Renegade has become a modern classic, still actively raced today. Elmer’s craftsmanship and leadership created not only a new class of boat but also a tight-knit community that carries his legacy forward.
Read Archie Call’s Tribute to Elmer Millenbach here.

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.

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.