Lake Ontario Offshore Racing - Newsletter
June 28, 2022
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Chair's Message:
It's Summer 2022 and Racing is Underway!
In-person Lake Ontario 300 Challenge presented by driveHG
With the Susan Hood Trophy Race completed on June 3, and Lake Ontario Short Handed Racing Series (LOSHRS) races #1, 2 and 3 in the history books, we’re halfway through the 2022 schedule and the best is yet to come! We have been planning an exciting, in-person, shoreline event for the Lake Ontario 300 Challenge presented by driveHG and you won’t want to miss it!
We understand that there are still various degrees of comfort level with COVID 19, so we are hosting everything outside and it will be a mask friendly event.
Friday is a big day. Come early to pick up your backstay flag (we no longer have environmentally unfriendly bow stickers), YB tracker, and cool swag. Then, treat yourself to some automotive eye candy from driveHG on the lawn. If you have forgotten anything, pick it up from the Fogh Marine pop up tent and then peruse other sponsor offerings in their tents on the lawn. We’ll have a steel band playing in the afternoon to set the mood as you sip a cocktail on the PCYC patio.
PCYC is planning a delicious Race BBQ in the evening and we will be sending all racers a link to purchase tickets so you won’t have to wait in line to buy them on the day. All are welcome to the Participants’ Meeting at 1900. Important race information will be discussed and there will be door prizes donated by our sponsors to be won
We are thrilled to announce that our Saturday morning pre-race breakfast is back, now sponsored by Access Abilities, as is our post race taste, Skipper’s Plan chili. Both are free for all racers.
New this year, we will be posting and streaming all pictures and videos sent to info@loor.ca during the race. Show your beautiful sunset/sunrise pictures, crazy crew antics, or exciting action videos to all your friends before you get home. There will be a bottle of Rum to the most popular post! We’re still working on the details and will send them out to all racers once we have them.
I look forward to seeing you all there!
Monica Doedens
Chair, Lake Ontario Offshore Racing
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Need help with completing your LO300 Registration?
Want to see who wins the early bird Early Bird Registration draw for LO300, LOSHRS, and Susan Hood Trophy Race?
Join us for 1900 EDT, Tuesday, July 5, 2022, on Zoom - Spin the Wheel draw to select the Early Bird winners on Zoom at 1900 Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Register HERE. Following the three draws, there will be an open Q&A session on completing your full entry for LO300. Attend to have your concerns and questions addressed.
PCYC Berthing Assistance
For those who require Berthing Assistance either before or after the races please use the below link to make the request to Port Credit Yacht Club (PCYC).
Slips must be booked before July 13th
NEW THIS YEAR – LO300 Entries capped at 90
This year we are celebrating the 32nd LO300 Challenge presented by driveHG. To ensure that YB Trackers are available for every participant, entries are capped at 90 paid entries. The precedence of an entry will be based on the date and time of the payment in full of the total applicable fee.
Race Committee Volunteers needed for LOOR Events
Race Committee volunteers are needed to help with the following LOOR events in July. No experience needed as training and instructions will be provided. Lunches, and liquids are supplied. This experience counts towards the Ontario High School community involvement. The necessary certificates will be provided.
Onsite Check-in: Friday, July 15th 0930 – 1800 (shifts can be arranged)
On water Start: Saturday, July 16th 0800 – 1330
On Shore Finish: Sunday, July 17th at 2000 to Tuesday, July 19th at 2359 in four-hour shifts
Shoreline Support: Sunday, July 17th at 1400 to Tuesday, July 19th at 2359 (shifts can be arranged)
Inspections: Monday, July 18th 0800 – 2000 in two person teams (shifts to be arranged)
Inspections: Tuesday, July 19th 0800 – 2000 in two person teams (shifts to be arranged)
If you can help, have questions, or know someone who can assist, please contact Graham Dougall racecommittee@loor.ca.
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Lake Ontario Offshore Racing – 2022 Racing Schedule:
Mark Your Calendars – Coming Racing Dates for the Remaining LOOR 2022 Season.
LO300 – Lake Ontario 300 Presented by driveHG
Saturday, July 16, 2022
300 NM
Lake Ontario Short-Handed Racing Series Presented by driveHG
(LOSHRS)
Race #4 – Long Distance Saturday, August 20, 2022 (81 NM)
Race #5 – PCYC to DYC Saturday, September 17, 2022 (25 NM)
Race #6 – DYC to PCYC Sunday, September 18, 2022 (25 NM)
Register here:
LOOR RACE RATE HST TOTAL
LO300 $435.00 $56.55 $491.55
LOSHRS -
6 Race Series $190.00 $24.70 $214.70
Single Race $63.50 $8.26 $71.76
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Event Guides:
This year LOOR has created Guides for each event to provide supplementary information over the Notice of Race (NoR) and help explain details for the new or potential participant.
We would appreciate your feedback on any errors or omissions, for suggestions for improvements for the 2023 edition by EMAIL.
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Review: 2022 Susan Hood Trophy Race
Joe Doris, SV Setanta writes:
"Oh, what a night..." as the song goes!
After a very civilized upwind start to the driveHg mark, it was a tight reach for most of the way to Niagara, but when the wind backed it was "kite up" into the mark. Coming into Niagara mark and dousing the spinnaker in over 20 knots was when things got really interesting.
Soon after, around 00:30, Lake Ontario further bared her teeth and it was like riding a wild bronco for six hours to Burlington. That was some beat! As dawn approached conditions abated so we could enjoy a spinnaker ride all the way back to PCYC.
Maybe it was not the coolest race ever but 'kidney buster' is a new attribute of the Susan Hood race. What will next year bring?
Congratulations to the 2022 Susan Hood Trophy winner Mike Pietz and his crew on Shorthanded a J 35. They had an amazing race and won a resounding victory!
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Review: 2022 LOSHRS Race 1:
Mark Searle, aboard SV Jersey Girl, reviews:
A beautiful LOSHRS Race #1 was enjoyed by almost 40 boats, a very good turnout considering the Susan Hood finished the day before. Wind was unexpectedly great considering the forecast and the mirror-like conditions an hour before the start.
The fleet took off to Drive HG/Fogh Mark in Clarkson on a port favoured upwind alowing all boats to achieve maximum speeds. Some of us were able to lay it on one tack while others had to make a short hitch on starboard. As we gybed around the first mark, there was indecision as to whether or not spinnaker would work. Much easier decision for the asymmetrical boats who flew down the leg. On Jersey Girl, we flew whitesail until we saw competition behind us launch. Up went the chute and a great ride followed!
Kim Piller on his J109 Live Wire rocketed past us to leeward (thank you Kim for your display of racing etiquette) and invited us to jump on his quarter wave. It worked for a bit.
We doused at Gibraltar and sailed a few miles fairly close-hauled to the finish line with Heron II waiting. Many thanks to LOOR, Race Officer Graham Dougall and the Committee as well as Mother Nature!
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Review: 2022 LOSHRS Race 2 and 3:
Joe Doris offers a brief take on the weekend from Setanta:
A weekend to remember, what a great couple of days racing!
Saturday was a exercise in sail handling and endurance as those gusty northerly winds kept us all on our toes. Lots of reefing and feathering to windward on that last leg home. But great to be out there testing my mettle against Mother Nature.
Sunday saw more benign conditions although there were still some surprise left over gusts in that never ending northerly flow. Grins all round as every sail in my inventory got a workout. Memorable stuff altogether.
Now I’m looking forward to the 100 miler in August. Maybe the wind will still be out of the north!
Enjoy the rest of the season!
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Information to help make completing your full LO300 registration easier!:
There are several steps to having a complete entry, over and about inputting information into YachtScoring and paying the fee, such as:
- Having full & complete information in YachtScoring, especially “Boat Emergency Phone” and “Event Specific Questions/Answers” stated as Mandatory. May have to scroll down to the bottom of the web page to view and enter.
- Have a current rating certificate valid for racing in 2022 for the rating system you are using, either PHRF-LO, ORC or GLMRA. Having unrenewed certificates was a major problem for the Susan Hood Trophy Race. All racers need to check that their rating certificates are renewed at the beginning of the season.
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Meet the stability requirements. If you have raced in a previous LOOR OSR Category 3 event in the past four years, you are good to go unless you have modified your boat. Otherwise see the NoR, the Event Guide, and this video.
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Review the LOOR Offshore Special Regulations (OSR), Monohull or Multihull, to determine what is required, verify against this Checklist, Monohull or Multihull, and submit this form to attest that your boat and crew comply. This video may help.
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Ensure that the crew racing in the LO300 has done the necessary Crew Overboard Recovery Drill, have them sign and submit this form. If a certificate previously submitted covers this, just please submit it again for LO300 as LOOR can not track validity of certificates including which crew are on the certificate.
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The Person-in-Charge (PiC), the skipper, is responsible for ensuring all and only souls on board are fully entered in the Crew List. Emergency contact information is necessary for each crew entry. The PiC is part of the crew, and most be completely included in the Crew List. In a life-or-death emergency, the Crew List provides a single complete source about all souls on board that can be quickly provided to SAR groups. This video explains how the PiC can manage the Crew List.
- The PiC and the rest of the crew need to accept the applicable waivers. This is implicitly handled when the PiC pays, and the crew updates their information in YachtScoring.
Key information sources for the LO300.
Event Guide – New this year and explains the rules and other aspects of the LO300 including a roadmap to the LO300 front web page on YachtScoring & and a checklist of how to prepare for the LO300
LOOR Offshore Special Regulations Category 3 Inspection Checklists Monohull or Multihull – New this year
LOOR will be hosting an online Q&A session to help address any concerns or issues on fully completing the entry for LO300 on Zoom in conjunction of Spin the Wheel draw to select the Early Bird winners on Zoom at 1900 Tuesday, July 5, 2022. Register HERE.
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For the second year LOOR is partnering with SailOnline.org to hold a virtual Lake Ontario 300 Challenge presented by driveHG. SOL will set a virtual, but identical course and, using real-time weather, allow you to race the V-LO300 from the comfort of your own home with the start at11:10 AM EST on July 16, 2022.
So, if you are unable to join us on the Lake for the on-water Lake Ontario 300 Challenge presented by driveHG perhaps you might enjoy the virtual version.
Register your virtual boat at any time for free (for LOOR races every racer will have their own Beneteau First 36.7 to control), and if you’d like to practice using the interface you can join any race SOL has currently opened registration for on their platform. (Note that other races may use a different boat). The virtual LO300 course will open for practice at sailonline.org a few days before the race date of July 16, 2022.
This is the second of two 2022 planned virtual races running concurrently with LOOR's on water events. Again, for these races the weather will be real-time and the courses will be the same for both on-water and virtual racing.
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Safety:
Offshore Personal Survival Courses
LOOR Offshore Special Regulations (OSR) for Category 3 to include Sail Canada’s prescriptions for safety training for participating race crews
The Sail Canada Prescription is:
Sail Canada prescribes that, starting January 1, 2023, at least 30% but not fewer than two crewmembers, including the Person in Charge, shall have undertaken a one-day Sail Canada accredited (or equivalent) coastal personal survival course within the five years before the start of the race.
While the Sail Canada Prescription is a requirement as of January 1, 2023, LOOR will amend it to phase in full requirements over several years. More details will be available at www.loor.ca.
While LOOR is phasing in the prescription, other Category 3 events may be requiring full implementation as of January 1, 2023. Individuals considering entering their boats or crewing in OSR Category 0, 1, or 2 events should determine the entry requirements around training as they may require the Offshore Personal Survival Course (2 day) instead of the Coastal Personal Survival Course (1 day). Completion of the Offshore Personal Survival Course (2 day) will meet the LOOR OSR Category 3 requirements.
While LOOR is phasing in the requirement and requirement is not for all crew, LOOR highly encourages and recommends that all sailors take the course as soon as possible as the contents apply and are of use to all sailing and sailors, whether racing or cruising.
Both courses are offered by Ontario Sailing with more information available HERE. Check this web site frequently as new dates for the courses are being constantly added.
For Canadian sailors outside Ontario, check the Sail Canada web site HERE. For sailors outside Canada, please check with your Member National Authority for equivalent courses that are accepted by Sail Canada, and hence LOOR. US sailors can check HERE.
Please send any comments or questions to Graham Dougall safety@loor.ca.
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Crew Bank: Need Crew or Interested in Crewing?
If you are a sailor and interested in participating in one of the Lake Ontario Offshore Races, or a skipper who needs crew, use the Crew/Boats Boards on the Yacht Scoring Registration and Official Document page.
Registering sooner is better so you can get together and see or exhibit strengths or determine any gaps in experience. LOOR strongly recommends getting to know your new crew or skipper before going offshore or overnight races.
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Stay Connected with Offshore Racing!
Facebook: @LOOR300
Twitter: @LO300
Instagram: @LOOR300
Join the conversation. We want to hear from you! Hashtags you can use include:
General: #LOOR
LO300 Specific: #LO300 or #LO300Challenge
LOSHRS Specific: #LOSHRS
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