Upriver Races

Upriver weekend races are a great excuse to get out on the water, discover the Ottawa River, and have fun sailing with family and friends for half a day or more! Essentially an upriver day cruise, but with an objective!

The upriver race format itself is pretty simple. Anyone with a registered Handicap (PHRF or JAM) can participate. Everyone starts together on a long generous start line, sails up to one (or more) turning marks upriver, and returns to finish (generally the same day). You choose your course to challenge both the river and the clock.

NSC sailors enjoy a number of NSC and BYC upriver races to choose from throughout the season. Most range from 10 to 20 Nm in length, with some longer distance events including the infamous BYC ‘100 Miler’ for the more adventurous. Each is a standalone interclub event, with its own little twists and traditions to provide variety. NSC’s annual upriver club races include:

NSC Pinhey’s Point Race
NSC Mohr Island Race (return version)
NSC/BYC Mohr Island Weekend Race (overnight version)
NSC/BYC Stony Point Race
NSC 20 Mile Trophy Race

For those interested in a unique campaign to challenge both the Ottawa River and some of the top Interclub skippers, the above NSC races (except for the Mohr Island Race) and four BYC-hosted races (Pinhey’s Point and 3 Queen’s Park races) comprise the Interclub Long Distance Series.

Since you’ll be sailing for a good part of the day, you’ll want to bring along good companions, plenty of food and drink, appropriate weather gear including sun/bathing suits and lotion, music, and anything else required for a safe, comfortable, and fantastic day on the river. One caveat: for our upriver racing, there are no cancellations due to weather, lack of wind, time, or when you run out of food and beverage. The Skipper (or crew, on his/her behalf) must make that call.

Additional details on these and the other Interclub upriver races can be found in Part H of the Interclub Sailing Instructions.

Page updated: 2020-09-05.