The regatta of a lifetime

Welcome to LOWISA, short for Lake of the Woods International Sailing Association. As our name would suggest, we’re an international non-profit sailing association based on Lake of the Woods, an expansive freshwater lake encompassing over 65,000 miles of lakefront and over 14,000 islands. During the first week of August each year, we host the famous LOWISA Regatta, a one-week point-to-point sailing race that we consider the greatest freshwater sailing race on earth. An event unlike any other, the LOWISA Regatta features seven straight days of sailboat racing or cruising along a winding course through the majestic Lake of the Woods. Each night our fleet anchors in a new bay where we host a variety of social events under endless starry skies and the occasional northern lights. Our participants typically hail from Canada and the United States, although we’ve welcomed participants from across the globe, and boats of all designs. If you’re fond of adventure, being immersed in nature, and creating lifelong friendships, we hope you’ll join us this year on LOWISA 60 scheduled for the August 1-8,2026. More information on the annual LOWISA regatta can be found on our event info page and in our FAQ section.

How it all started

It all began in 1965 when Clyde Ryberg of Minneapolis, Minnesota alongside his wife and two children boarded an E-scow with a canoe and camping gear in tow and set out to explore remote Lake of the Woods. At the time, Ryberg’s trip was financially supported by Minnesota State Senator Henry T. McKnight, an avid canoer and nature conservator. Both Ryberg and McKnight considered Lake of the Woods and the Boundary Waters as places of endless natural beauty unique among all the world’s landmarks. Ryberg would later write of McKnight: “Henry had an obsession that areas like this should be both used and preserved as a habitat for people in which they could recharge their enthusiasm for life—while accepting the responsibilities that go with such use.” From Ryberg’s travels emerged the notion of a grand international sailing regatta spanning northern Minnesota and southern Canada. Subsequently, McKnight and Ryberg, together with the many commodore’s and regatta participants that followed, have made this vision a reality. Today, in our 58th year, we continue to honor these traditions laid out before us, and with renewed vigor, pledge ourselves to the passion for adventure, camaraderie, and sustainability-mindedness that fueled the first LOWISA regatta.

Ready to join us?

Registration for LOWISA 60 coming soon!!