The 2025 offshore racing season is expanding into Canada! Officials from Race World Offshore (RWO) have confirmed that Toronto will host the North American Championship race July 11-13, 2025. The event is expected to bring high-speed offshore powerboat racing action to Humber Bay, a bay of Lake Ontario located just south of Toronto in Ontario, Canada.
The announcement comes after a productive meeting between RWO officials and city leaders during the ongoing Toronto International Boat Show, which began on Jan. 18 at the Enercare Centre. The meeting included MTI President Randy Scism and his daughter, MTI Vice President Taylor Scism, who races in Factory Stock 500 class, as well as local promoter Phillip Stainton and Toronto native Chris Grant of the Graydel Super Cat team, who has worked closely with RWO President Larry Bleil to bring this event to Canada.
The world-famous C.J. Grant Racing/Graydel 388 Skater Super Cat was on display at the show for attendees to get an up-close look at the boat. Also in attendance was another Canadian boat racing team, from the Super Stock class, Big East Construction, raced by Cole Liebel.
"Phillip and I went to the city and got them behind it," Grant told Speedboat. "Then we reached out to Larry Bleil and we've been working together with Race World Offshore as the promoter. So we were the instigators, let's put it that way! This is my home city, and I always travel to the U.S. to race with the rest of the racers. So to have an event like this here in my home city with a population 6.8 million people right on the harbor front is a dream come true."
Meanwhile, Taylor Scism came away from the meeting in Toronto feeling upbeat about the city and the forthcoming competition. "I've never been to Canada before, so I really didn't know what to expect," she told Speedboat. "Toronto seemed almost like a Chicago, another big city on the water. Everyone up there was so nice. I think it's going to be really cool. I do think there will be a learning curve for the area. It's not a big powerboating area—it's definitely more geared to the sailing side of things. But think it'll be a really nice opportunity for the city to learn more about powerboating and engage with us. I feel very confident in the race and that it's going be awesome."
As for RWO President Larry Bleil—a Key West native who is still bundled up in the chilly Toronto winter—he's pleased to have worked out the logistics of the upcoming race. "We got everything accomplished," he told Speedboat. "I'm sitting in my hotel room looking out where the race course is going to be. It's really a perfect venue, and the race is also going to be a North American Championship, approved by the APBA." From Toronto, Bleil will be headed to an APBA convention in Reno, NV. When the 2025 offshore season starts, Race World Offshore will be doing races in Toronto, Canada; Michigan City, IN; Chicago, IL; Clearwater, FL; and the World Championships in Key West, FL.