Border friction leaks into the sport

by Craig Leweck, Scuttlebutt Sailing News
The Lake Ontario Offshore Racing is an organization that coordinates distance racing on the easternmost of the five Great Lakes of North America. With the US-Canadian border spanning the center of the lake, the LOOR has decided to alter all courses this year to be run exclusively in Canadian waters.

This decision followed some racers expressing concern about travelling to the US, and after surveying their membership, decided that, “for the safety and security of all our racers, this will apply to all our races in 2025.”

There is no mention of what threat to “safety and security” existed but this change follows an increasingly frosty relationship between the two nations. Sports fans across Canada have booed the U.S. anthem at professional hockey and basketball games, and now Canadian sailors want to stay on their side of the lake.

I am not in a position to question this decision, but I wish there was more transparency on why people are feeling threatened. It would be a shame if these races are being used to politicize issues, rather than allowing recreation to provide relief from them.

Based in San Diego, we know about “safety and security” as the Coast Guard reports near daily captures of Mexican drug and alien smugglers along the coastline. While it hasn’t impacted a racing venue which may cross the border, a recent crash of a Navy fighter jet in our channel felt threatening. Also not a great way to spend $67 million.