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.
Regatta Watch: 2022 Northwest Postponed to Jan 28-30
Via Northwest Ice Yachting Association Secretary Steve Schalk:
The NIYA regatta is postponed until January 28-30, 2022 to wait for ice thickness to build in several locations. Mendota is close but not quite there. Next update is Sunday, January 23, 2022.
Regatta Watch: Northwest Postponed
Renegade fleet at the 2008 Northwest Regatta on Geneva Lake in Wisconsin.
Via Northwest Ice Yacht Racing Association Secretary Steve Schalk:
The Northwest Regatta has been postponed until January 21-23, 2022. Next update will be on Sunday, January 16, 2022.
Northwest News: 2022 NOR Posted
ACE OF SPADES & LITTLE WIND line up to race.
Northwest Ice Yachting Association Secretary Steve Schalk has shared the 2022 Northwest Regatta Notice of Race. See it here.
Northwest Free For All Trophy History
Read: Oshkosh Ice Boat Club History & 1939 Northwest History by Harry Lund
All-around iceboater Andy Gratton let me borrow a rich archive of iceboat ephemera, photos, and records from Oshkosh, Wisconsin. As anyone who researches history can tell you, the information in libraries like this is filled with rabbit holes that lead you to unforeseen places, always different than what you originally intended.
1930 Oshkosh Ice Yacht Club Letterhead Logo
A report written in 1939 by Harry Lund about the history of the Oshkosh Ice Yacht Club led me to the 1940 Northwest regatta. The regatta was sailed on Geneva Lake in Lake Geneva, WI. It was the first time a Class A Skeeter, Jack Vilas in SUSIE Q, won the ten-lap Northwest “Free For All” race, where the winner is awarded one of the most beautiful trophies in our sport.
1940 Oshkosh Newspaper Northwest Report
The Northwest began in 1913, and the Free For All was the last race of the regatta to compare the speeds of the different classes of stern-steerers. The top two finishers in Class A, B, C, and D stern-steerers were eligible to race for the trophy. 1933 marked the first time the Skeeter class competed in the Northwest, and it only took them seven years to take the Free For All trophy from the stern-steerer class. The Skeeter class has continued their dominance of that race to the present day; Minnesota’s John Dennis is the current titleholder. Thinking about that day in 1940 when Jack Vilas in SUSIE Q became the first bow-steering boat to take home the big cup reminded me of National Sailing Hall of Fame member Jan Gougeon.
Back on Lake Geneva in 1981, Jan gamely lined up his DN with the Class A Skeeters of Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club’s Paul Krueger and Bill Mattison for the ten-lap finale. “It was a scary situation for Bill and me,” Paul recalled. “Jan didn’t realize how fast Bill and I were making the mark. To avoid him, I had to hit the mark, and Bill went to the outside.” From then on, DN sailors who qualified and wanted to compete in the race were allowed to borrow a Class A Skeeter. Jan’s good friend, Ron Sherry, won the 1997 race in a Class A Skeeter he borrowed from 4LIYC’s Bob Kau. (Interesting how Lake Geneva is where Northwest Free-For-All History has been made in 1940, 1981, and 1997!) Ron’s account of that race is a classic story, worthy of another good future post.
The trophies of the Northwest Regatta in 1913. Note the biggest of them all, the Free-For-All trophy
1913 Northwest Regatta Photos
Marcy Grunert recently sent a couple of vintage images that I had never seen from the first Northwest regatta, shot by photographer Arthur M. Conant of Menominee, MI. Arthur Conant most likely shot these pictures using a Kodak Folding Brownie 3a, which created a 3.25 x 5.5 inch postcard image. (The first Northwest was sailed on Lake Michigan at Menominee in 1913. The Northwest was a competition to decide boat supremacy among the ice yacht clubs of Wisconsin, Michigan, and Minnesota. Stern-Steerers ruled the ice back then before the bow-steering boats prevailed in the 1930s. Stern-Steerers and bow-steering boats still compete for the trophies of the Northwest.)
Marcy’s photos brought back memories of the late Bill Korsgard, a Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club member and postcard collector. Around 2000, Bill acquired a group of Arthur Conant 1913 Northwest postcards on eBay. The postcards offered a fascinating glimpse into the regatta through the eyes of a young Menominee man named Finn, who had written detailed explanations about the boats to a friend in Chicago. I have posted a few of these in years past, but Marcy’s photos motivated me to post the entire collection along with Finn’s notes.
Click on the red icons to reveal Finn’s notes.
SIRIUS
SIRIUS
“No need of telling you what boat this is. I don’t know what’s the matter with her this year. She can’t do a thing. I think it’s because Ed., working at the shoe factory now, can’t get out and give her his attention. Quimby ran it in the races. Parker pulled a corker off on Quimby at the minstrel. He told Harmon, who was interlockter (?) that an awful accident happened at the race that afternoon. Harmon asked him about it and he said they had to get out a searching party. Harmon asked him what for and he said to go out and find Jimmy Quimby.”
FLYAWAY
“Of course you don’t know this boat, but I’ll bet you’ll guess. This will answer your questions about the guys. It sure helped. She don’t raise anything like she did last year. The plank is a lot better now too, having some give. The trestle supporting the martingale broke and you can see how I wired it together.”
TROPHIES
“All the different cups. Menominee, Menekaunee, and N.I.Y.A. The big one in the center is the world championship cup SQUARE PEOPLE put up and won.”
PRINCESS II
PRINCESS II, a Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club boat built by William Bernard for Emil Fauerbach
“There is a brace on the spar on this boat take notice. Hello Lewis, this is the best I could get of the Madison boat but Bob is trying to get some better ones and if he does he will send you some. Notice where they have the runner plank on.”
RED BIRD
REDBIRD
“Redbird Oshkosh. She took the Association Class B Cup. The boat has solid wrought iron runners about 1/4 inch thick. They were just the thing for the snow we have and have yet.”
FLYAWAY
“Note the nose and [?] also the double set of pulleys. They didn’t work very good forward like that, so I moved the lower ones back to the pencil dot [?] but I haven’t been out since to see how they worked. The name I got on her is FLYAWAY. I could think of nothing better but just as soon as I do, I’m going to change it.”
COLD WAVE
“The COLD WAVE came in first in Class B the first of the three days but was beat out by the RED BIRD on Friday and didn’t finish Saturday. It was thought she would have won out if it hadn’t snowed.”
SQUARE PEOPLE
SQUARE PEOPLE, designed and built in New Jersey by Dr. Stanborough for the Petersons of Menominee, MI. SQUARE PEOPLE was the name of their furniture company.
Finn’s note on the postcard conflicts with newspaper accounts that mention the boat was made in NJ along with the Menominee boat AURORA.
“Menominee types. Strictly Menominee designed and Menominee made. This is the boat that is all the noise this year. She goes through snow and everything. The way that PRINCESS II beat her Friday is as follows: Along by the crack the ice was almost clear, the wind having blown the snow way over the crack. Peterson wasn’t wise to this but Fauerbach was. I guess the guy on the YELLOW KID must have told him. It was one tack against the wind and he had to run almost straight into the wind to make it but he made it all right and beat Petie out on that race.”
3 CLASS A
“PRINCESS, YELLOW KID, & SQUARE PEOPLE. Three boats in center with sails up.”
A CLASS START
“Note the plank on the PRINCESS II just above the word wind.”
MERCURY
MERCURY
“She’s a lot like the SIRIUS. The Sunday that they were here there was a hell of a big wind blowing, but the Oshkosh boats wouldn’t race as it was against the rules of their club. They went out though and run around the course a couple of times and it looked as though she was putting it over Peterson [SQUARE PEOPLE] but I couldn’t tell for sure. She went some though. She’s coming back when the PRINCESS comes when the ice is good and is going to race for the big World Champs Cup.”
STORM KING
“STORM KING CLASS A: Oshkosh type. Backbone extends about a yard beyond lower boom. Heavy frame.”
PRINCESS
PRINCESS [Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club boat, Madison, WI. Built by William Bernard for Emil Fauerbach.]
“Madison-style boat built as light as possible, with as little iron, steel and wire on as possible. Runner plank set far back and spar leaning back as far as possible. She’s some boat. Looks as though she might be a light wind boat, but she beat out Peterson [SQUARE PEOPLE] on the stormiest day. On the first day, she bumped into the Egg, I mean Lotha Smith Jr. and smashed her backbone right in two. Next day they got her fixed up just in time for the race with as pretty a backbone as she had when she came. Note how her spar, as well as the YELLOW KID [Class B boat built by Wm. Bernard] and how far back her plank is. She’s built as light as possible. Only one stay on each side. No guards to the back runner. I’m enclosing a rough sketch to show how she’s built. It’s not a very good picture but it will give you an idea of her.”
YELLOW KID
YELLOW KID, a Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club Class B Stern-Steerer built by William Bernard
“She came in third in Class B each of the 2 days. She’s built like the PRINCESS. She looks as though she might be a pretty good light wind boat. She beat out Prescott and Jennings though in the heavy winds. They came in third and fourth Thursday and Friday. The RED BIRD was the only B Boat that finished as the snow was too hard and deep.”
YELLOW KID
YELLOW KID, a Four Lakes Ice Yacht Club boat built by William Bernard.
“These boats it’s at the center of the backbone and these boats can go in some light wind. Then the [?] 2 x 6 connected from the end of the plank to the backbone and the 2 x 6 from the cockpit to the plank on each side. Although you can’t see them, Bob and I were out skiing with a couple of girls, had a great time.
Finn”
STORM KING
STORM KING Oshkosh
“She’s built with the cockpit sticking out past the end of the lower boom, as were all the Oshkosh boats. The RED BIRD doesn’t protrude past the back of her sail as much as the others though. They’re heavy weather boats.”
1976 Northwest Regatta on Lake Mendota
Class E Skeeters line up to race at the 1976 Northwest Regatta on Lake Mendota in Madison, Wisconsin. Photo: Greg Whitehorse
Greg Whitehorse posted this on the 4LIYC Facebook page.
Mid-70’s Northwest Regatta on Lake Mendota.
You are looking at just one side of the starting line, so I’ll guess there are probably 28, maybe more, Class E* Skeeters in this race. M-54 is Gary Sternberg’s “So What,” but I think Vic Whitehorse is at the helm for this race. That would be Dave Nelson’s M-150, “Tuff Ship” lined up next. Racing in the Skeeter class with 30-40 boats on the line was a blast back in the day.Between the late ’60s and early ’70s, I believe club members helped build ten or more Class E Skeeters in Dave Rosten’s basement. It wasn’t unusual to see Dave, Paul Krueger, Bill Mattison, Jack Ripp, the guy who the boat was being built for, and a host of others all helping out. It was an incredible time.
Skeeter Ice Boat Club’s Sparky Lundberg aced out Paul Krueger for the Class A Skeeter win that year. It may have been the first year for PK’s rear seater.
January 21, 1976, Wisconsin State Journal: Paul Krueger’s first rear-seat Class A Skeeter.
1976 NIYA Regatta Winners:
Class A: No entry
Class B: WINTER BELL, B. Herman
Class C: TWIN BEDS, Bill McCormick
Class D: RED WITCH, Dick Slates
Class E Skeeter: Sparky Lundberg
DN Class: Jane Pegel
DN Class Junior:Mike O’Brien
Renegade Class: Elmer Millenbach RENEGADE III
*The Reason Class A Skeeters are called Class E Skeeters in the Northwest Regatta
The International Skeeter Association designates bow-steering Skeeters Class A as “Single place yachts, or two-place tandem Whose mast, when measured along the mast, does not exceed 28’-6″ from the deck to top of mast, including all mast and deck hardware.” Class A Skeeters carry a maximum of 75 square feet of sail. However, when Class A Skeeters sail in the Northwest regatta, they are listed as “Class E.” (When I was a kid, I thought the E stood for “Experimental.”)
Class A Skeeters turn into Class E because there was already a Class A, B, C, and D in the Northwest, and those designations applied to Stern-Steerers. Skeeters got the left-over E. It reminds us that the Northwest regatta is a Stern-Steerer regatta, organized in 1913 by ice yacht clubs, which only sailed Stern-Steerers at the time. 1936 marks the year that the Northwest recognized Skeeters as an ice yacht class.
2021 Northwestern Regatta Cancelled
Notice from the Northwestern Ice Yachting Association Board of Directors:
Northwestern Regatta Page.
NORTHWESTERN ICE YACHTING ASSOCIATION 2021 REGATTA NOTICE
All participating members of the NIYA Board of Directors have been polled and the unanimous decision is to cancel the 2021 event.
The worsening pandemic makes travel, lodging and inside food service for a large group not viable.
It was felt that local club sailing will be possible to conduct safely with protocols in place for face covering, separation and only outdoor activity.
We encourage everyone to get out and sail locally, and look forward to the 2022 NIYA in the third week in January 2022.
Steve Schalk
Secretary/Treasurer
Northwestern Ice Yachting Association
Picture of the Day: Pewaukee Northwest 1973
Photo by Gary Whitehorse. That’s a lot of horsepower! Stern steerer iceboats start on race at the Northwest regatta which took place on February 2-4, 1973 on Pewaukee Lake in Wisconsin.
UPDATE: The photo was originally taken by Gary Whitehorse and uploaded to the 4LIYC Facebook page.
Peter McCormick (via Andy Gratton) forwarded this picture to the iceboat.org inbox this week wanting to confirm if these stern-steerers were on Pewaukee Lake and when this regatta took place. I started looking into the files and realized that I was there with my brother and dad, Dave Rosten and that my Dad won the Class A Skeeter trophy. Another 4LIYC skipper, Peter’s dad Bill McCormick, won the C Stern Steerer trophy that year as well.
If you have any information on the stern-steerers or the regatta you’d like to share, please drop a line. debwhitehorse@iceboat.org
UPDATE: 30 April:
“I was 16 years old at the time and won the DN junior trophy. Chuck Miller was racing a DN in the regatta called “Chicken Little.” He got a big kick out of racing against me in the regatta. Ever since that time I always felt that Chuck Miller was a really nice guy, someone who really loved his sailing and iceboating.”
Susie Pegel, formerly DN 905
Andy Gratton, WSSA Secretary: “Max Runge sent me this old photo. …There are some boats I don’t recognize, such as the C skeeter, the black mast, the yellow mast, B9, and what appears to be a round backbone second from the far end. V83 is the D skeeter that got turned around and ended up in Fond du Lac in the 1980s with Herb Bankstahl. He named it FIDDLESTIX, I think it came from Sternkopfs. Who is pushing ROSEMARY?”
Peter McCormick, stern steerer (TWINBEDS) and Renegade sailor: “I remember my dad [Bill McCormick] telling me how he took TWINBEDS to Pewaukee on a lumber truck for either a Northwest or WSSA regatta.”
UPDATE:
Tom Hyslop: “Not sure about the lake or the year as some of the Pewaukee boats were not built until the late 70`s.
B9 was CLANCY owned by John Olson.
V83 was a Sternkoph boat.
Yellow mast with red V is COUNTRY WOMAN owned by me.
Black mast with V is ECLIPSE owned by Ric Sternkoph and Mike Hasse.”
1973 Northwest Results
STERN STEERERS
Class A: No Race
Class B: CLANCY, John Olson
Class C: TWIN BEDS, Bill McCormick
Class D: DEE WHIZ, Bill Osenga
Skeeter Class A: Dave Rosten, PIRATE
FREE FOR ALL: No Race
DN Class: George Timmons
DN Class Junior: Susie Pegel
Renegade Class: Elmer Millenbach RENEGADE III
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Important Update: Northwest is Cancelled for the Season
Via Northwest Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk:
Due to the travel concerns with coronavirus, the fact that locations we are traveling from and to are involved with active cases, that our group has many people who are at the highest risk, and therefore to avoid losing a good portion of our active sailors, we are going to cancel the Northwest for season.
Northwest CANCELLED
ACE OF SPADES & LITTLE WIND line up to race.
IMPORTANT UPDATE: 12 MARCH 2020 8 AM CT:
Via Northwest Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk:
Due to the travel concerns with coronavirus, the fact that locations we are traveling from and to are involved with active cases, that our group has many people who are at the highest risk, and therefore to avoid losing a good portion of our active sailors, we are going to cancel the Northwest for season.
The 2020 Northwestern Ice Yachting Championship Regatta is on for Lake Waconia Minnesota starting Friday March 13th, 2020.
Class A, B, C, and D Stern steerers, Class A, B, and C skeeters, Renegades and DNs will be racing.
The ISA is postponed for a week.
Boecraft boats that for sure will be there are I 564 and I 234. There will be two C skeeters as well so we will sail with them in a separate start from the A skeeters. Lake Waconia is just west of Lake Minnetonka. The trip is 5 hours and 28 minutes according to Google.
Steve Schalk
Regatta Watch: ISA & NIYA Tentatively Called On for March 13 – 15
Happy Birthday, PK!
UPDATE: The original post had the incorrect dates. March 13 – 15, 2020 are the correct dates for these regattas. Sorry for the confusion.
The Northwestern Ice Yachting Association Championship Regatta is called on for two potential sites: Shawano Lake in Wisconsin and Green Lake in Spicer, Minnesota. The dates are March 13 – 15, 2020. The final call will be made Wednesday March 11th no later than noon central time.
The International Skeeter Association regatta is called on for the same locations on the same dates but will only proceed if the NIYA is postponed on Wednesday. The ISA final call will be immediately following the NIYA on Wednesday morning March 11th.
Steve Schalk
ISA & NIYA Secretary/Treasurer
Regatta Watch: ISA, Northwest, and WSSA Postponed
Stern Steerer: TWIN BEDS Peter McCormick
The ISA and Northwest Championship Regattas have been postponed to March 13th, 14th and 15th 2020. Sites under consideration are still either snow covered or too thin to be viable. It is expected that more locations will become available as we melt down this week.
Steve Schalk
ISA & NIYA Secretary/Treasurer
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to March 14 and March 15. The Northwest Regatta is scheduled for the same weekend and will take precedence. The next update will be Sunday, March 8. Check back here at that time. Still too much snow though it is melting.
Andy Gratton
WSSA Secretary/Treasurer
Regatta Watch: ISA Called ON for Feb 7-9; NIYA Postponed
Renegades rounding the weather mark at the 2013 ISA regatta on Lake Kegonsa
The Northwest Regatta has been postponed to February 14th, 15th and 16th, 2020.
The ISA is called on for the Four Lakes of Madison for February 7th, 8th and 9th, 2020. Potential sites are Lake Mendota at Middleton Bay and Lake Kegonsa.
The final call will be made by noon CT on Wednesday February 5th, 2020.
Steve Schalk
ISA and NIYA Secretary/TreasurerOn behalf of the NIYA and ISA Race Committees
Regatta Watch: ISA & NIYA Postponed
Photo: Jeff Russell
Via ISA and NIYA Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk:
The Northwest and ISA race Committees have postponed to next week. The Regatta dates are: February 7th, 8th and 9th, 2020. As always the Northwest takes preference over the ISA as they are now scheduled on the same dates.
There are no sailable sites at this point. Large portions of Green and Geneva remain open and many slush covered lakes may become sailable when colder temperatures occur.
Regatta Watch: ISA, Northwest & WSSA Postponed
Via ISA & NIYA Secretary Steve Schalk:
Green and Geneva are both wide open with only a little ice in the east end of each, so there is hope in two weeks. No place to go for January 24th. Both regattas are postponed until January 31, February 1 – 2, 2020. Next update Sunday, January 26, 2020.
WSSA Postponed:
The Wisconsin Stern Steering Association regatta has been postponed to February 1 and 2. The next update will be Sunday, January 26. Check back here at that time. Perhaps Green Lake or Lake Geneva will be ready by then.
Andy GrattonWSSA Secretary/Treasurer
Regatta Watch: Northwest Postponed
Via Northwest Ice Yacht Association Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk:
The Northwestern Ice Yachting Association Championship Regatta is postponed to January 24th, 25th and 26th 2020. There are no sailable locations at this time. The weather forecast is snowy, but there are many of our regular sites with open water ready to freeze, hopefully after the snow. Check back on Sunday, January 19 for the next update.
2020 Northwest News
ACE OF SPADES & LITTLE WIND line up to race.
The 2020 Northwest Regatta is tentatively scheduled for January 17-19, 2020. NIYA Secretary/Treasurer Steve Schalk has released the 2020 NIYA Notice of Race and NIYA Agenda. Next update is on Sunday, January 12, 2020.
Northwest Page
1966 Northwest Regatta: Jack and Bill
Video: ABC’s Wide World of Sports video from the 1966 Northwest Regatta on Geneva Lake
Bill Mattison visited his old friend, Jack Ripp, for the last time. Jack’s son, Jim, was there and shared this poignant moment and the video on his Facebook page:
Jack Ripp wins the Skeeter Class E National Championship on Wide World of Sports with 2 firsts and a second. Dad is M149 and his best buddy Bill Mattison is M134. Buddy Melges comes in 3rd.
Bill sat and held Dad’s hand at hospice on Friday, talked to him and told us all stories of racing and building iceboats as well as stories of him and Dad in Korea. Made Dad smile and chuckle a few times. Both 90 years old, born a few days apart. Lifelong friendship at it’s finest. One of the most touching moments I have ever witnessed. Thank you Bill.”
“Graceful Boats” of the Northwest
Enjoy the artistry of how iceboats look from an eagle’s point of view. Thank you Steve Brown for sharing your video of 2019 Northwest regatta on Lake Pepin.
Northwest C Stern Steerer Trophy Request
ACE OF SPADES, Mike Peter’s C Class Stern Steerer at the 2019 Northwest on Lake Pepin. Photo: Pat Heppert
Mike Peters (with crew Terry Reynolds) won the C Stern Steerer division at last weekend’s Northwest regatta. Mike is asking if those who attended could check to see if they mistakenly took the C Stern Steerer keeper trophy last Sunday. He saw it on the trailer before the awards ceremony but then it was gone. Please get in touch with Mike or myself.