We are all responsible!

Racing on Lake St Clair

March 26, 2026

By Roger Renaud

Sailing In Canada has published articles addressing the topics surrounding whether ‘club racing’, and/or ‘weekend racing’, will survive or not. This series also looked at what was needed in order to keep the support systems working….to continue to get young sailors involved, so they can learn about the sport, and further, to have them participate in local, national, and international competitions.

These can be seen at:

This article considers who’s responsible for the success of the sailing programs at the clubs, and further, for support to the local and regional racing programs.

Who’s all responsible for making it all happen? We all are!

It takes an effort, on the part of each of us, to ensure the ongoing development and success of our sailing programs.

Tim Prophit, Past-Commodore of Bayview Yacht Club, Detroit, and current Chairperson the 2026 Port-Huron Mackinac Race, once said to me: – “The future of racing depends on us, all of us.”

Where are we now?

The Director of Racing of the Lake Yacht Racing Association (LYRA) of Lake Ontario, Luc D’Aoust, feels “we forgot about a generation”, when he talks about keeping this sport alive. “We created the years of gaps where racing was not held”. “Racing sailboats on Lake Ontario has changed. The extensive volunteer base we once had, or the organization structure to support the racing, are no longer. We did not recruit for the support positions we all once held or continue to get young sailors involved in those more challenging aspects of our sport. We forgot about match racing altogether!”

The records show that the Richardson Cup, the most prestigious Match Racing competition within the Great lakes, has only been held 6 times in the past 26 years. It used to be annual competition.

Lake Ontario (the GTA), no longer sees the participation levels of the past. For the past while, there has not been a single organization to support the GTA’s racing. The individual clubs today each must provide the communications (NOR, SI’s), and do registrations, and results for their own regattas. After distance racing was taken over and consolidated by the Lake Ontario Off-Shore Racing (LOOR), participation in distance racing has dropped. Weekend races of late are showing 30-35 boats for regattas, and 15 – 20 boats for some distance races. Organizing a summer’s calendar is now a nightmare due to overlaps. Back not too long ago, there would be 150 boats out for weekend events. No one seems to care anymore. There is no longer any organization in charge!

We are all responsible to make this happen

Where I race in the Lake St. Clair Region, the Detroit Regional Yacht-Racing Association (DRYA) has maintained strong participation levels, with an expanded and effective support base. They, the DRYA, manage the season’s racing program, on behalf of the Clubs involved, and they host a number of open seminars on the full range of sailing related topics throughout the off-season months. The communication and interaction with its membership is very good. All events, both on and off the water, are coordinated though a single source location, including registrations. The participation levels at weekend regattas average 75 – 80 boats, not counting the dinghy circles also run at a club’s open regatta.

So, what is Lake St Clair’s DRYA doing that is so different? (DRYA.org)

There are extensive teaching and training programs, with seminars available to anyone, throughout the non-sailing seasons
Programs are adapted to the changing times (to include ORC divisions)
They adapt to the changing needs of new fleets/configurations
A good support structure is maintained. There are plenty of volunteers.
Centralized management, registration, and distribution
They truly provide a ‘service’ to their customers
Recruitment of crew, and race management support roles are priorities
They both talk the talk, and they walk the walk as well.

Ken Brown of the J120 Fleet in Detroit, agrees with Luc D’Aoust of LYRA, when asked in a recent survey about participation levels at regattas, and whether sailing has lost a generation? Ken tells us he feels: – “We’ve lost boat owners, we’ve lost teachers, and recruiters. We took all of that for granted”. “Today, I would teach/train a half dozen new crew every year for the boat. I became a crew boss”. A fleet of 10 J120’s @ 12 crew per boat, means the fleet, who are primarily from the same club, if it wants to stay competitive, needs to recruit, teach and train, and maintain, 120 people, plus back-ups!

There is no-one taking charge of the racing in the GTA, and it’s sad. And it’s all politics. No-one wants to take charge. This is affecting participation, and it has nothing to do with ‘lacking crew’. LOOR is such an inflexible organization, that they are not participating in the distance racing programs in the Great Lakes. They have no desire to participate in any inter-Lake competition if it means being flexible with the date of the LO300 in order to fit into a required schedule.

In comparison, the DRYA.org really has their act together….it is identical to the LORC of the 1990’s. Sailors get involved. In terms of match racing, those who participated in the Stolze Cup competitions of the past, are not getting involved today to keep match racing happening. Why not?

Finally…

When you see something in your club’s sailing and/or racing program, that could be expanded, or somewhere that attention might be needed, get involved, make suggestions, and be positive. You have a responsibility to do so. Volunteer for positions on the Board, or on Committees. Cause change when change is needed. Support the efforts of your Racing Associations, like the LYRA and the YRUGL. Remember, we are all responsible for the quality of our sailing programs!

Next issue What some the organizers have planned to boost participation.

Born in Windsor, Ontario, Roger moved to Toronto for work in the early 70’s where he sailed a Hobie off Cherry Beach. Eventually joining ABYC, he has owned three different Thunderbirds over the years. The Thunderbird, 8-meter, E-22, Laser 28, CC27, CC34, CC99, and the Beneteau First 36.7’s, were the other one-design fleets he raced in, each for a few years dedicated to a program. He was also involved in a significant three-year program on the NM 36, Maggie Kelly.

Since returning to Essex County, he has been racing locally and in the Detroit (DYRA) PHRF divisions on his restored Pearson Flyer.