Join the Competition at Mimico Cruising Club
Jan 3, 2024
Photo Credit: Joe Malon
Sailors at Mimico Cruising Club (MCC) have long been passionate about racing. Located at the western end of Humber Bay, a short sail from downtown Toronto, this yacht club is home to 300 boats, about half of which are sailboats. And many of those belong to keen racers.
Club races take place on Wednesday evenings starting in early May with the Spring Series and finishing in early October with the Frostbite Series. Boats compete in Flying Sail and small, medium, or large White Sail fleets. The season concludes with an awards night. Two hundred people attended the 2023 celebration which also featured some of the club’s sponsors like Goslings Rum and North Sails.
The size of the fleet has grown rapidly in the last few years. A typical race night now has 50 or more boats on the start line making it the largest, most active midweek keelboat racing series on Lake Ontario.
This club welcomes anyone who wants to race, including boats and members from other clubs. The diversity of boats is extensive and includes everything from stripped-out racers to older cruisers. Members and guests who do not own a boat or don’t want to race their own boat are encouraged to sign up in the Crew Bank. Skippers are often looking for crew and some are happy to coach crew who are new to racing.
MCC’s racing program has gained a reputation for high quality competition, particularly in Flying Sails. Members regularly compete in, and sometimes win, the big, long distance, regional races such as the Lake Ontario 300/600 Challenge and the Chicago Yacht Club Race to Mackinac.
Another feature of MCC’s racing program is the diversity of winners. On any given night, numerous different boats are represented on the podium when the results are announced at the buffet dinner and social event that follows each race.
The race committee is critical to the success of any race and MCC’s committee is known for its expertise, seamless operations, and impartiality. Hugh Beaton, regional manager, North Sails recently commented to Mimico Cruising Club’s Fleet Captain that MCC has ‘the best on-water and off-the-water race experience on the lake’.
In addition to weekly club races, MCC co-hosts with the Kingston Yacht Club, the Race to Kingston that takes place in August each year. This 140 nautical mile race had approximately 60 boats participating in 2023.
The strength of MCC’s program has traditionally been its Performance Handicap Racing Fleet (PHRF). The club is now expanding its focus to include one-design racing from dinghies through to keelboats. Last year they installed a new ramp for dinghies and this year they are introducing a boat share program utilizing a fleet of recently acquired 420s. In the fall of 2024, the club will replace its existing crane with a larger, fixed crane to serve the club’s growing haulout needs and expand its capacity for the keelboat dry sail fleet. This new crane will handle boats weighing up to 6,000 pounds.
If you’re into racing or think you would like to be, join the competition at MCC. Come see what the hype is all about! For more information CLICK HERE.
