FAQ
We understand that some of the details within the forms, notices and instructions that are standard requirements for Offshore Racing on Lake Ontario, may be confusing and require clarification.
Should you have an inquiry about the Notice of Race, the LOOR Offshore Special Regulations, or any other document, please send an email to our Safety Committee.
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The Lake Ontario 300 Challenge is for sailing vessels with L.O.A. not less than 24 feet and manned by a skipper and crew who have demonstrated recent competency in yacht racing or passage making. The yacht must have a PHRF, IRC or GLMRA Rating Certificate to determine the exact rating to be afforded to your vessel (more details aboutyacht rating).
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Obtain a copy of the Lake Ontario 300 Mandatory Equipment Requirements list. Lake Ontario 300 mandatory equipment Requirements are documented in LOOR Offshore Special Regulations (OSR) Extracts for Category 3 Monohulls and Multihulls on the LO300 Race Document Web Site (yachtscoring).
For 2018 the document is available here.
Once you are satisfied that all the mandatory equipment is aboard and functional, contact the Safety Officer, or one of the flag officers of your home club. Ask that person to run through the list with you and sign off that everything was in place. Bring the signed list to the Skippers’ Meeting and give it to the Registrar.
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It is the longest annually competed offshore racing course at 300 nautical miles. It navigates all four corners of the lake with the various local wind conditions and currents.
There are two courses within this event; the actual 300 nautical mile course which stretches from Port Credit Yacht Club down to a buoy just off Oswego, N.Y, around Main Duck island, past the Niagara #2 buoy and then back to PCYC. The shorter course (190 nautical miles), for non-flying sails vessels, also starts at PCYC then heads east and takes a turn at Scotch Bonnet Island (near Prince Edward County), before sailing around the Niagara #2 buoy, and then across the lake to the finish at PCYC.
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Novice racers, professional racers and experienced offshore ocean racers continue to be amazed at what Lake Ontario can offer up over 2 or 3 days. Finishing the LO300 is not a given, since the inception of this race there has never been 100% of participants finish the race. The highest finish rate is 93% and the lowest finish rate was 30% in 2002. Over the last decade finishing percentages have improved with technology etc. but remain in the 80 to 90% finish rate. The Lake Ontario 300 Challenge will always be the race on the lakes that is a victory to finish.
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The Lake Ontario 300 offers many different racing permutations. The race is divided in two courses: Main Duck Island course and Scotch Bonnet Island course, and two fleets: Fully Crewed Yachts and Double Handed Yachts.
The fleets are further divided into Spinnaker (FS) and White Sail (NFS) classes. Each class will be divided into divisions based on performance ratings (PHRF-LO, IRC and GLMRA), depend ing on the number of yachts entered in the class. Simply choose the class in which you would like to compete.
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One always wants to sail the rhumbline whenever it is possible, and for the past number of years, 3-4 of the five legs have been close to rhumbline sailing. The nuances that are to be leveraged occur mostly at the Main Duck Island rounding, playing the land breeze off Prince Edward County, and the biggest one; at what point do you head south towards the Niagara mark on the south shore as you play the typically upwind 120 nm beat back up the lake.
On any given year the best laid strategies can change in a heartbeat. The extent of the course provides added challenges and opportunities in a tightly competed race since there are multiple opportunities to pick up distance on the fleet or more importantly, catch-up to the fleet.
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The best way to approach this race is to break it down into five distinct small races – two distance legs, and three shorter strategy legs. On the first, very short leg and say the first 10 miles or so, you just want to worry about getting clear air, getting away from the city, and away from the typical Saturday cruisers. That is always tough. How you play the rounding of Main Duck Island, and the beat back up the lake is always the toughest part of the race.
Gains and losses of 10-20 miles are very easy to win or lose if you play it right. And of course, the finish. Goodness knows, when the sun sets in Port Credit in July, the wind absolutely EVAPORATES, literally two miles from the finish line. And everything you’ve worked so hard for over the past 2-3 days can vanish within site of the finish line.
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The LO300 Challenge has always promised all types of winds; headwinds, tailwinds, tight winds, high winds, low winds and no winds and generally has delivered year after year.
The best scenario from a racer’s perspective would be a fresh south westerly breeze. This will get you down the track at hull speed for most boats. The south westerly is the predominant wind direction but varies in strength with a typical dying wind in the evening. If the wind holds that sets up a good upwind leg for the second half of the race towards to finish. This allows for some tactical decisions and passing lanes.
Worst case is light wind which makes for very slow progress and the invasion of the ankle-biting flies. Not a pleasant experience!
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We encourage all racers, first-timers and returning boats, to ensure they thoroughly review the Notice of Race and the Sailing Instructions on the LOOR website.
All racers should know their boat. Know where all the lines are, how to reef in the dark and which sheets tend to catch sometimes. If you don’t which point of sail your boat perform best at, figure it out before the event. It’s also recommended that they enter all the rounding mark coordinates into their on-board GPS system. Pre-programming those coordinates provides for an easier rounding in the middle of the night.
Safety is always first! It’s important you have approved PDF’s, jack-lines, harnesses and tethers, to name just a few items, to provide a safe environment and comfortable race for everyone onboard.
All participants are invited to the pre-race safety and weather briefing where you will connect with other racers and pick up valuable insight. For the Lake Ontario 300 Challenge, the race committee monitors your progress from the start to the finish through a special device from YB Tracking which is attached to your boat throughout the race. The race committee are also just a phone call away in the event you need to reach them.
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From a skipper’s point of view, select your crew carefully. Experience tells us that it’s better to have less experienced crew you get along with than experienced crew you can’t stand. A boat becomes a small space after two or three days. Be clear with your expectations. If you are very competitive and intend to finish no matter how long it takes be sure all crew understand and agree to that. Friendships have been lost when part of a crew had different expectations than others.
One of the exciting aspects of the LO300 is that it involves overnight sailing. For most of us, that means more than one overnight during the race. If you can conduct a practice overnight sail with your crew before the LO300 you’ll get a very good idea of what’s to come during the actual event.
Have fun! The boats that do the best are those that focus on the joy of being on the water and working as a team.