TORONTO, ON — 19 June 2015 In less than a month, IMOCA Open 60 O Canada and the Canadian Ocean Racing team will compete in the Lake Ontario 300. This will be the new team’s second race together after sailing coast to coast from Vancouver to Toronto via the Panama Canal.
O Canada will be competing in the Main Duck course, from Port Credit Yacht Club to Ford Shoal, Main Duck & Yorkshire Islands, nearing Niagara Falls to then complete the course back at PCYC after logging over 300 nM in the race’s long course. Although the IMOCA 60 class is one of shorthanded sailing, the team is registered as fully crewed in order to offer opportunities for young Canadian sailors to gain some more miles and racing experience.
“Canadian Ocean Racing is not just about the IMOCA 60 races I will ultimately be competing in. This program is about creating opportunities and experiences for young sailors to ultimately build Canada’s next generation of offshore racers,” said Eric Holden, Skipper and co-founder of Canadian Ocean Racing.
After leading his Clipper Round the World Race team to victory last year, moving on to another round the world race — the Vendée Globe — was not a tough decision. However, the 2016 Vendée Globe will be much different, as it will take Holden round the world non-stop, singlehanded.
In Holden’s journey to the Vendée Globe, he is putting a large focus on Canadian Ocean Racing’s Aspiring Offshore Athletes (AOA) program. This program brought 4 young Canadian sailors on board for the team’s two-month and over 7000 nM journey from Vancouver to Toronto. One such AOA, Sandy Macpherson (Prince Edward County, ON), will be enjoying his homecoming and sailing into very familiar waters this July.
“I am so excited to be doing the LO300 with such a great team and on an amazing racing yacht. I’m really looking forward to seeing our result, but whatever the outcome, I am very happy to be sailing in Lake Ontario again, especially as part of this iconic race,” said Macpherson. Although only 22, Macpherson has already made his mark in Lake Ontario sailing, as he was the youngest sailor to solo circumnavigate the massive body of water in August 2012.
“What exciting news for the Port Credit Yacht Club and all the competitors in this years’ Lake Ontario 300 Challenge! The sight of O Canada powering over the start line will be truly spectacular. Welcome Eric Holden and crew, to the best yacht race on the Great Lakes,” said Joe Doris, Chair of the Lake Ontario Off-shore Racing Committee.
Canadian Ocean Racing is also very excited to announce their open call for talent for Lake Ontario 300 race crew. In spirit of the AOA program, Canadian Ocean Racing is opening a couple of spots to young local sailors to join the Canadian Ocean Racing crew for the race, with potential to continue on with the team for future offshore journeys.
All interested candidates are encouraged to apply to info@canadianoceanracing.com with their sailing CVs and a statement of interest.
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Press Contact
Meg Reilly, PR & Partnerships Manager
mreilly@canadianoceanracing.com
+1 908 279 5747
Canadian Ocean Racing
Canadian Ocean Racing (COR) is Canada’s premier offshore racing team. Founded by Eric Holden and Morgen Watson, COR is dedicated to promoting the sport of offshore racing in Canada. COR is using Open 60 O Canada for the training program and taking her back on the racing circuit to compete in the IMOCA races.
The mission of COR is to raise the profile of Canadian offshore racing while building a program to develop the next generation of sailors. The program launched its Aspiring Offshore Athletes (AOA) Program in March 2015 in which young Canadian sailors have the opportunity to be mentored and trained by Eric Holden on various offshore passages onboard O Canada. Visit www.canadianoceanracing.com for more information.
Lake Ontario 300
On Saturday, July 11th, over 100 sail boats from across Ontario, Quebec and stretching to New York State will be casting off and racing for line honours in The Lake Ontario 300 Challenge – the longest annual fresh water yacht race in the World. This premier offshore yacht race on Lake Ontario is 300 nautical miles in length which equals 345 statute miles or 555 Kilometers. The race starts and ends at Port Credit Yacht Club in Mississauga Ontario and runs a course that touches all four corners of Lake Ontario.
The Lake Ontario 300 Challenge was created in 1990 as a double handed challenge. It has evolved over the years to include solo sailors and fully crewed boats. Each yacht is equipped with a transponder and through the use of Yellowbrick Tracking, a satellite tracking service, the action on the water can be watched anywhere in the world.
Media are invited to come aboard a boat and witness the start of the race. For LO300 interviews or to reserve your spot, please contact Heather Lochner (heather@impressionspr.ca or 647-269-7180).
