2026 LOOR Races to be Held in Canadian Waters

Official Announcement – 2026 LOOR Race Courses

Decision to Continue Canadian-Waters-Only Courses for the 2026 Season

The Lake Ontario Offshore Racing Organizing Authority (LOOR OA) has confirmed that all LOOR race courses for the 2026 season will continue to be run exclusively in Canadian waters.

 This decision is a continuation of the approach adopted for the 2025 season and, as before, is based entirely on feedback received directly from our racing community through a comprehensive racer survey.

2026 Survey Results

The 2026 survey produced clear and compelling results:

1. Nearly 20% of respondents indicated they probably would not, or definitely would not, participate if race courses included U.S. waters.

2. When asked about racing exclusively in Canadian waters, only 1 respondent out of 88 indicated they would not race.

These results demonstrate that Canadian-only courses significantly maximize racer participation and strongly support maintaining this approach for the 2026 season.

Commitment to Our Racing Community

The LOOR OA’s decisions are guided by our commitment to safety, accessibility, and maximizing participation across all events. This decision reflects those priorities and is based solely on the survey data provided by our racers.

We emphasize that: 

1. This decision will be reevaluated annually, and we hope to return to full-lake racing in the near future when circumstances allow.

2. We warmly welcome our U.S. racers and friends and look forward to their continued participation in the 2026 LOOR racing season.

3. This decision is purely a response to racer feedback and our goal of ensuring strong, competitive fleets at all events.

4. We have taken into consideration all feedback with regards to the course routes last year. We are reviewing all available options to enhance the modified course for Canadian waters. We appreciate your continued feedback. 

LOOR OA remains committed to delivering high-quality offshore racing and fostering an inclusive, international racing community on Lake Ontario.

As always, we thank our racers for their thoughtful feedback and encourage continued dialogue. Please contact us at info@loor.ca with any questions or comments.

Fair winds,

The Lake Ontario Offshore RacingOrganizing Authority (LOOR OA)