Regattas and Sailing

Water sports like sailing and rowing have been popular on local waterways for many years in Kenora. You can take part by joining one of the long-established clubs.

Lake of the Woods International Sailing Association (LOWISA)

LOWISA is an internationally acclaimed racing and cruising event held annually out of Kenora, Ontario.

The LOWISA regatta consists of 6 days of racing with one midweek layover day on the pristine waters of Lake of the Woods, one of North America's premier boating destinations. Each day consists of a random course of approximately 20 miles thought the maze of islands to a different wilderness anchorage.

The fleet is separated into divisions according to the boat's PHRF rating. There is also a cruising fleet for those boats wishing to avoid the stress of racing. Trophies are presented on the Saturday evening at the end of the week for each division. Additionally, overall trophies are presented for fastest overall elapsed and corrected times for the week.

North West International Rowing Association (NWIRA)

The North West International Rowing Association is a regional association of Canadian and American rowing clubs of the Upper Mid-Western United States and Western Canada. The Kenora Rowing Club is a member of the association and hosts local regattas at their club on Rabbit Lake in Garrow Park.

The Winnipeg Rowing Club, the Minnesota Boat Club and the Saint Paul Lurline Rowing Club as the Minnesota and Winnipeg Rowing Association founded the Association in 1885.

The Association was dormant from 1897 to 1905 during the Boer and American-Spanish Wars. The Association was revived in 1905 as the “West-Canada Rowing Association” and the annual regatta held in 1906 at Minnetonka. In 1909 the North West International Rowing Association name was adopted.

Sailing

See the Lake of the Woods by going sailing with a local company that get you out on the water whether it is your first time or you are seasoned sailor.

Northern Harbour offers sailboat rentals.

The Zig Zag Yacht Club offers sailings lessons, club races and regattas, as well as tennis lessons, windsurfing, and kayaking.

The Royal Lake of the Woods Yacht Club offers sailing lessons for youth from White to Bronze Sail levels, plus Optimist classes for younger sailors. There are combination dinghy and windsurfing classes, swimming lessons, tennis lessons plus a junior program of arts and crafts for youngsters.