With a few days remaining to register, there are only a handful of spots remaining for LOSHRS Races 5 & 6. These final races of the 2020 Season will be day races in Canadian waters in the range of 16 to 26 NM starting and ending south of the Port Credit Yacht Club (PCYC). Due to public health measures there is a cap of 96 racers for Single- or Double-Handed crews so register soon to secure your spot.
Last month marked the first LOSHRS Race of 2020 and what a race it was. The forecast was encouraging and did not disappoint. Racers were sent off from the Port Credit Yacht Club mark towards the Bronte mark in 8-10 knots of wind and it turned into a beautiful exhilarating downwind sail with some deciding to stick to the rhumb line even as the wind turned north; putting many on the edge of gybing. Others sailed further out into the lake and gybed. The fleet reached the Bronte mark mid-afternoon and rounded ready for an upwind leg back towards Port Credit.
By that time in the afternoon the wind had picked-up and the seastate became more challenging. The wind remained fairly steady from the north east with some racers staying as close to shore as possible to try to gain a lift. The fastest racer, Murray Gainer of ABYC sailing a J-109, completed the race with a Corrected Time of 4:13:25 and 46 boats crossed the Finish Line.
"The interest in short-handed racing is great to see," says Monica Doedens, Chair of the Lake Ontario Offshore Racing (LOOR). "With almost 50 sailboats registered for the Final Races of the 2020 Season the LOOR Committee and I are pleased to have been able to coordinate some racing this year while respecting public health guidelines.
Race First Warning is at 10:25 Saturday, September 19 and 09:25 Sunday, September 20 at the LOOR Start Area (43º 33.41' N 079º 32.90 W) just south of Port Credit Yacht Club (PCYC) The Race itself will be along western Lake Ontario towards with the Finish at the PCYC Finish Mark (43º33.62' N 079º33.22' W) with the time limit set to 20:00.
Lake Ontario Offshore Racing (LOOR) of the Port Credit Yacht Club (PCYC), is dedicated to bringing the offshore sailboat racing experience to Lake Ontario. This is accomplished with its running of the Lake Ontario 300/600 Challenge Races (LO300/LO600), including the Solo Challenge, the Susan Hood Trophy Race (SHTR) and the Lake Ontario Short Handed Racing Series (LOSHRS) offshore sailboat races. This is augmented by LOOR's educational series throughout the Lake Ontario basin and promotion of other activities related to offshore racing. A key focus of LOOR is the safety of offshore racing.
For more information regarding Lake Ontario Offshore Racing please visit loor.ca
