For the 45th year the annual Lake of the Woods International Sailing Association regatta sailed smoothly through Lake of the Woods waters for five days of racing and cruising.

This year the regatta shrank from a week-long tournament to five straight days of racing, due to competitors travelling from far distances.

"It usually runs from Sunday to Saturday but this year it just went from Monday to Friday with no day off in the middle," explained vice commodore Rob Eby.

For the most part Eby says they had good wind and sailing conditions Aug. 2-6. Problems arose halfway through the week when a storm brought in high winds on the lake, forcing some boats to return to shore and others to help out stranded vessels.

"Wednesday we had a bad storm blow through with 50 knots of wind and had to abandon the races," says Eby.

Boat numbers were up to 47, with 32 racing and 15 cruising during the regatta. Eby says this number is up about 15 boats from last year. He adds that next year they are really going to be promoting the cruise week that happens the week prior to LOWISA, hoping to get people out for both weeks of sailing.

LOWISA 2010 division winners were: Division 1- Bob Web, Division 2- Jim Fogg/Fred Finlayson, Division 3- Pat Kabris, Division 4- John Sexton, Three Day Race Series- Jim Richardson. This year the Challenge Cup between Canada and the U.S. was won by the United States. Last Chance Race Molson Trophy went to Blair Magnusa and LOWISA's Arctic Glacier Youth Regatta winner was Adam Clark.

Many other awards were given out including racing trophies and several spirit awards. Racing awards were handed out to exceptional Canadian and American boats and boats of different hulls: Province of Manitoba Cup (Canadian boat with lowest total corrected time) - Bob Webb, Minnesota Governor's Cup (American boat with lowest total corrected time) - Pat Kabris, Bergman International Multi-Hull Challenge Trophy- John Sexton, The Hank and Ginny Henderson Cup - Pat Kabris, The Jack Cully Trophy - Pat Kabris, The Evergreene Cup - John Sexton, The Earl Nelson Cup - John Sexton.

Copyright © 2010 Kenora Daily Miner and News

LOWISA 45 NOW IN THE HISTORY BOOKS

What a great regatta we had! Because of  the generous support of our sponsors, the great  efforts of our volunteers and committee members, and the excellent turnout of  racers and cruisers, we can declare LOWISA 45 a real success! The webpage now has the results of all the racing and special awards.

We will soon have lots of pictures  and a video posted for your viewing pleasure. If you have a few good pictures you can forward them to saillowisa@gmail.com  If you have lots of pictures  please burn them to a disc and send them to me by mail  at the address below. I hope you will continue to visit this website as we plan to have more updates and articles about LOWISA 45

My most sincere thanks to you all

F. Finlayson

14-385 Willowlake Crescent

Winnipeg, MB

R2J4G6

LOWISA 45 Advance Registration is now open on the website till July 1st via PayPal. Registration goes up by $25 after the deadline. Every boat registering online get a free Mount Gay Hat or Shirt. 

www.lowisa.org will provide you with all the information you need. Sailing instructions, courses, event schedules, photographs of past events, and links to sites of interest can be found there. If you do not want to use PayPal, email us at sailowisa@gmail.com and we can provide you with details on paying by check.
 
LOWISA Refer a Friend Contest.  Convince a friend who has not participated in the past three years, to join LOWISA as a Racer or Cruiser and we will enter your name in a draw for free registration. Email us at saillowisa@gmail.com with your boat name and the boat name of your new recruit. Good luck!
 
LOWISA Youth Program. We would like to thank a new sponsor, Magnus & Buffie Charted Accountants, for their help in establishing the new LOWISA Youth Program. As part of this exciting program, boats skippered and crewed by sailors 18 years and younger will have their LOWISA registration reduced to $100. Email us at saillowisa@gmail.com to register.
 
The LOWISA Arctic Glacier Youth Dinghy Regatta will be hosted out of RLWYC on Sunday, August 1st. RLWYC has generously offered Optis and 420s for participants that don’t want to transport their own boats. It’s free to enter, great food and beverages will be provided at no cost, and the racing and camaraderie promise to be terrific. Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions will be posted on www.lowisa.org.
 
Cruise Week For those traveling to Lake of the Woods for LOWISA and want to extend their time on the lake, Cruise Week will be taking place from July 23rd to July 30th. Historically this event has been organized by LOWISA, but for the past few years Northern Yacht Club has taken responsibility for hosting this wonderful week on the lake. Stay tuned, we will email out updates as we have more details. Registration and information will be available on the Northern Yacht Club website in June. Click for a slide show of last year’s Cruise week, and imagine the fun you will have…
 
Trophies  Those with trophies from last year, please remember to bring them back and drop them off at registration. If you are not able bring them, please email us at saillowisa@gmail.com and we will make arrangements to get them prior to registration. We need your help. We’re still missing a few trophies. If you know the whereabouts of one, or have one, please let us know.
 
Visit us at www.lowisa.org, find us on Facebook "saillowisa", email at saillowisa@gmail.com.
 
Please pass this on to anyone you think maybe interested.
 

Arctic Glacier Youth Regatta

Please note that we have posted the Notice of Race and Sailing Instructions for the Arctic Glacier Youth Regatta.

Welcome From Commodore Fred Finlayson and Vice-Commodore Rob Eby

While Old Man Winter has kept us from our home waters, planning has been going full steam ahead on plans for LOWISA 45.

This year the theme is "Ya' Gotta Regatta" to indicate not only the great fun to be had, but also to underscore the importance of supporting this wonderful event. Every single entry, whether a cruiser or a racer, is important - not only this years event, but to the long-term viability of this great tradition.

LOWISA is truly an international event. The inaugural race, which was held in 1966, was organized by a dedicated group of American and Canadian sailors. It has been held the first week in August every year since that historic beginning. It can legitimately claim to be one of the mid-west's oldest and most popular regattas.

The various committees will be updating the Website frequently so check in often. Please register early by using our new PayPal button feature. It is secure and easy for you and it is our pre-registration and payment preference. Pre-registration and payment greatly reduces the administrative headaches and allows our racing committee to get a "leg-up" when it comes to fleet and divisional assignments. Left to the last minute this becomes a daunting and frustrating task, both for the committee and the participants who are left waiting for all those last minute details.

Pre-registration will be accepted up to July 1st. Through the generosity of numerous sponsors, and volunteer help, we've done a great deal to keep the event affordable. Racing Division pre-registration is set at $185.00. Cruising Division pre-registration is set at $125.00.

Check out our new links to service providers, including Northern Harbour Marina, Sunset Country Houseboats, Houseboat Adventures and a variety of Kenora businesses.

Here's a mid-winter view of the exciting plans that are unfolding:

You'll note that there has been a significant change to our traditional format. Many sailors told us that the seven day format was simply too long. For many, it made travel times problematic. So, for the first time ever, racing will start on Monday rather than Sunday. If you're towing to Kenora you need not arrive until Sunday, August 1st and could leave as early as the morning of Saturday, August 7th.

Provisional dates, anchorages and social events for 2010 LOWISA

01/08/10	Arctic Glacier Annual Youth Regatta 1300 hrs.
	Start: 1300 hrs at the host Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club. Awards immediately follow.
	Main Regatta Registration and Measurement at the Northern Harbour Boat Club. 1000 hrs to 1600 hrs.
	1800 hrs LOWISA Skippers' Meeting at the Northern Harbour Boat Club with briefing on local lake knowledge, water datum, star anchoring, navigation and buoy tips. Opening Ceremony and Sailors' Social with beer and brats to follow immediately.

02/08/10	Race Day One
	Start: 1100 hrs. Near Northern Harbour Docks
	Anchorage: Witch Bay.
	No formal social events are planned for this evening .

03/08/10	Race Day Two
	Start: 1000 hrs. Near Witch Bay
	Anchorage: Moore Bay.
	Margarita night, Fun with tequila and visiting with old friends .

04/08/10	Race Day Three
	Start: 1100 hrs. Near Copper Island
	Anchorage: 22 Foot Bay.
	Mt. Gay- Arctic Glacier Pepsi Wilderness Adventure Rum Party; Jack Sparrow Pirates of the Caribbean lookalike contest; Arctic Glacier Frozen T-Shirt Contest

05/08/10	Race Day Four
	Start: 1000 hrs. Near 22 Foot Bay.
	Anchorage: Queen Island.
	Kids' Night: Scavenger Hunt, Canadian Tire Fishing Derby and Bonfire .

06/08/10	Race Day Five
	Start: 1000 hrs. Near Crow Rock Light
	Anchorage: Northern Harbour.
	Awards Ceremony and Banquet at 1800 hrs. at Northern Harbour with live band and fun till whenever...

07/08/10	"Last Chance" Optional Windward-Leeward Buoy Races
	Start: 1030 hrs. Near Needle Point.
	Anchorage: Queen Island.
	Awards for this optional race will follow immediately. This race replaces the layover day race from previous years and is not mandatory for LOWISA awards. Local racers who missed LOWISA are encouraged to show up. It's "run what you brung" with everything from dinghies, to scows, to 40 footers.

Notes: Sunday, August 1st events will start with much fanfare surrounding the annual Arctic Glacier Youth Dinghy Open Day Regatta. With a 1300 hr. start young racers will sail from Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club. Registration is free and limited to those 18 years and under as of August 1st. Keeper and traveling trophies, free lunch and beverages are provided, through the generosity of our sponsors, Arctic Glacier and Pepsi of Kenora. Notice of Race, Sailing Instructions and Registration forms will be available from the LOWISA Website. Questions regarding this standalone LOWISA event should be addressed to Robert Nuttall at rdnuttall@shaw.ca prior to July 20th.

Sunday is the last day for provisioning and getting your boat ready in anticipation of Day One racing on Monday. Registration forms will be available on our Website and should be filled out in advance with boat, owner and crew details. Please register early by using our new PayPal button feature. It is secure and easy for you, and it is our pre-registration and payment preference. Pre-registration and payment greatly reduces the administration headaches, and allows our racing committee to get a "leg-up" when it comes to fleet and divisional assignments. Left to the last minute this becomes a daunting and frustrating task both for the committee and the participants, who are left waiting for those last minute details. Sailors who fail to pre-register can register at the Northern Harbour Boat Club on Sunday until 1600 hrs.

LOWISA WEAR clothing this year will include t-shirts that include all of the LOWISA pre-registered participants' boat names, but if we don't have your pre-registration, your boat name will be conspicuously absent from these keepsake t-shirts. Please register early.

Pre-registration will be accepted up to July 1st. We have made an effort to keep registration costs reasonable this year through generous sponsorship and volunteer efforts. Racing division pre-registration is set at $185.00. Cruising division pre-registration is set at $125.00. Registration is at par; USD and CDN dollars will be treated as equal. Advance registration questions can be addressed to Commodore Fred Finlayson or Vice-Commodore Rob Eby at: saillowisa@gmail.com

Completed registration forms can be hand delivered and the purchase of LOWISA GEAR can be made in the clubhouse at Northern Harbour from 1000 hrs through 1500 hrs.

The festivities will be ramping up all day on Sunday with last minute boat detailing and crew chores. Plan on making your way up to the Northern Harbour Boat Club for the Skippers' Meeting scheduled for 1800 hrs. Your Race Committee chairman will review the Sailing Instructions and address any addendums or questions from the floor. For first time participants we will be giving a "Local Lake Knowledge" seminar which will address communication, safety, navigation, hazards, buoys and emergencies on the water. We are once again fortunate enough to have the services of Ragamuffin as committee boat. Remember, all boats are required to carry VHF radios for emergency communications. Liability insurance is required and it is recommended that all participants have personal accident insurance such as Blue Cross.

It is also recommended that US participants investigate border-crossing requirements in advance. It is our understanding that you will require only photo ID to get into Canada however, even though you are a US citizen, you will require a valid passport to get back into the USA. There are restrictions to entering Canada with respect to firearms, liquor quantities, criminal records, fruit, vegetables and meat. Shopping is convenient and the choices are very good in Kenora and if the US dollar is favourable, your US dollars will go further for you in Canada.

Accommodations range from camping on shore, using the comforts of your own boat, pre-arranging the rental of a houseboat or pre-booking lodges. There are a number of hotels and motels in Kenora, which can provide pre and post accommodations. Reservations are recommended. The lodges are also a good source for dinner and the occasional breakfast. Most of the lodges employ the American Plan but many will accept overnight, dinner and breakfast reservations. Participants should book in advance. Links to their Websites are provided.

We have made a conscious effort this year to keep the race near the northern reaches of beautiful Lake of the Woods. This will allow easy access to lodges, fuel, and most importantly, pump out at Northern Harbour. No one should miss the event due to concerns about keeping their boat pumped out.

The prevailing winds in August are from the South. Temperatures are generally mild and the days sunny but the occasional cold front can bring high winds and chilly and wet weather. You should pack for all conditions. Sunglasses and sunscreen are essential.

Please don't hesitate to contact the regatta planning group at saillowisa@gmail.com if there is anything we can do to help you plan your trip. We're here to help.

Start Planning for LOWISA 45

Many of you will know that it has been LOWISA’s tradition to run the week-long regatta in the first week of August which coincides with the Canadian Monday Civic Holiday. We’ve begun with the Arctic Glacier Youth Regatta and the Main Regatta Registration and Sailors’ Social on the opening Saturday. The main regatta has always sailed Sunday through Saturday of the following week with Wednesday as a Layover day of optional standalone round the buoys racing and concluding on the Saturday with the Commodore’s Banquet and Awards Ceremony.

Enter Fred Finlayson and Rob Eby who, as Commodore and Vice-Commodore, taking the helm for 2010 and LOWISA 45. Fred and Rob bring with them not only their collective experience in many LOWISA’s but exciting, innovative and fresh new ideas as well as a newly designed and “blog” centric Website that’s under construction for 2010.

According to their unfolding plans, LOWISA 45 will be a 5-day event with consecutive racing and sailing Monday, August 2nd through Friday, August 6th. The Layover day will become optional and it will fall on the final Saturday, August 7th, 2010 year. This optional buoy race will be, in terms of the overall results, a standalone race. The Commodore’s Awards and closing ceremony will be held on the Friday evening. It is believed that this new format will provide more travel and rigging time for many of us who can’t take extended time away from work, family and our many obligations. This ground-breaking format is already creating new interest by PHRF, the growing one-design and Portsmouth fleets on both sides of the border. You will best be able to keep abreast of next year’s developments by visiting our Website often at www.lowisa.org.

LOWISA is definitely a “Ya'Gotta Regatta”; please join us in 2010. For more information on our sponsors, pictures or regatta information go to www.lowisa.org, search for us on Facebook “SAILLOWISA”or contact us at saillowisa@gmail.com.

LOWISA 44 Wrap Up

By: Bob Nuttall

Woot woot another amazing LOWISA regatta! The 44th LOWISA (Lake of the Woods International Sailing Association), opened its annual event August 2nd at the Kenora Harbourfront in glorious weather; the spectacle of all the boats rigged and ready to sail drew a crowd of onlookers as the fleet anticipated the week-long regatta. Each day’s course was designed to be about 25 miles long and included all points of sail in the predominant southerly winds. With 60 square miles of lake, the sailing possibilities are almost endless. For LOWISA 44, the Race Officers once again set great courses which were point-to-point so that a new wilderness anchorage could be enjoyed each day on this pristine lake of 16,662 islands and 65,000 miles of shoreline. For the avid racers, careful tactical work and sharp sailing skills produced great competitive racing with tired but happy crews by the end of each day.

Sailing and racing on Lake of the Woods is always spectacular. And the alternatives for accommodations and eating are very good; proximate 5-star wilderness lodges, houseboat rentals each with their complimenting food and fanfare choices or pitching your tent each night under magnificent star filled skies provided options that suit every lifestyle and every budget. This year’s host lodge was Totem Resort’s Wiley Point Wilderness Lodge and for as for me, the accommodations were comfortable and the deserts, well maybe because we were in the wilderness with all that fresh air, the deserts were “to die for”!!

LOWISA’s racing on the Lake of the Woods is world class with the post racing afternoons and evenings always delightful. I couldn’t begin to count all of the international friendships that have been created over the years or the annual reunions between racing rivals or its cruising enthusiasts. LOWISA traditionally gets its start with the Arctic Glacier Annual Youth Dinghy Open Day Regatta and closes with the Commodore’s Awards Banquet. Social highlights are many and included, to mention a few, the always anticipated annual Mt. Gay, Pepsi, Arctic Glacier Wilderness Adventure (rum party), LOWISA’s own Star Search talent contest, the Canadian Tire Kids’ Fishing Derby, the LOWISA Scavenger Hunt and the Arctic Glacier Frozen T-Shirt contest. Come one, come all, you can even find time to kick back and read the latest Dan Brown novel – the choices are many and yours to make.

Our participants came from far and near (my daughter Erin Grealy may have been our most distant participant having traveled from Melbourne, Australia. My eldest daughter, Kristin, travelled from Whistler, BC, too – simple proof that there’s nowhere else they’d rather be than at the LOWISA regatta). There too, were Old Salts and Young Salts alike, with every skill set imaginable. We have many “firsts” on LOWISA each year but it is especially important to mention that our youngest competitors on LOWISA 44 were Michael Nelson (13), and Jack Clark (11), who on their tiny Weta 4.4m trimiran piloted, navigated and with amazing courage and skill, sailed the entire regatta without aid or abetting from parent or fleet – impressive, eh?

Now the intrigue has thickened just a bit by the fact that both Michael and Jack are 3rd generation LOWISA participants. Michael is the son of David Nelson who sailed his rocket/mother ship, Kite, a state-of-the-art Ultimate 27 (and it would be more accurate, perhaps, to call her father ship since mom was not on board). David is the son of 80-something LOWISA enthusiast Earl Nelson whom scores of us know and remember from many LOWISA’s past – that’s three generations of active participants.

Similarly, Jack is the son of Lori and Bruce Clark and Lori is the daughter of Pat and Angie Kabris of the always competitive J100, Hurricane Bar and Grill. Jack’s mom, Lori, is an important and dynamic member on Hurricane. Again, that’s 3 generations of active participants! And Jack’s father Bruce is always present at LOWISA, too. Bruce busies himself as a fisherman during LOWISA, but have you ever noticed that he’s often conveniently and at times, inconveniently, anchored over one of those lurking and sometimes ominous reefs? “Just fishing”, he will say but I say that he is keeping vigilant watch over our fleet and I’d be quick to dispel the fisherman guise. After all, I’ve never seen his catch, have you?

And for the first time ever, Bruce found more fishing spots on the course than you might ever begin to imagine; never advising or interfering with our 11 and 13 year old competitors, he was always close and kept a special but distant watch over them, all the while, ready to lend the fleet a helping hand wherever and whenever needed. And so it was with so many of our participants…spirit, passion, love for the lifelong sport of sailing and the LOWISA regatta. Fish away, Bruce, and thank you!

On behalf of outgoing LOWISA 44 Commodores John and Marcia Sexton of Burnsville, Minnesota, I’d like to thank our generous sponsors, our volunteers and our participants. LOWISA is one of the longest and oldest sailing regattas and boasts 44 continuous years of historic and international success - each year’s success is the direct result of sponsors’, volunteers’ and enthusiastic participants’ contributions.

Treasure Hunt...

The LOWISA 44 gallery is now up and running! Hunt through the latest gallery to see if you can find yourself (betcha you can!), or stroll down memory lane from LOWISAs of the past.

Thanks to those folks who have sent in photos for inclusion in the galleries - but there's always room for more!

We're on YouTube!

There is a fantastic LOWISA 44 video posted to YouTube...

Please stay tuned for the LOWISA 44 galery...

Results...

Regardless of the weather, summer seems to officially end with the wrap-up of LOWISA week and the Commodore's Ball.

We're starting to get some final results posted. You can either hit the Results link above to get a history of LOWISAs past, or here for Fleet results and here for total elapsed and corrected times. Layover day results pending...

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