Race World Offshore Brings the Big Guns to Toronto Canada!

Photo courtesy: Race World Offshore

On July 11 – 13, 2025, Race World Offshore, the producers of some of the biggest offshore races around, including the Key West World Championships, will be in Toronto for one of the most exciting waterfront events of the year.

On the same weekend, the Power Boating Canada / Poker Runs America Lake Ontario Poker Run will be happening.

The founder of Race World Offshore, Florida’s Larry Bleil, is working very closely with Canadian organizers Phillip Stainton of TDF Racing and Chris Grant of C.J. Grant Racing, the Toronto event will bring world-class offshore racing to the city as part of the 2025 APBA offshore series.

“Toronto 2025 will not just represent the most populus city where offshore is run this year – but has been designated as the North American Championship race within the series.

Toronto and the Province of Ontario have been incredibly supportive of this initiative that brings ‘world-class racing to a world-class city and I couldn’t be more pleased – or proud” says Chris Grant. “Mounting an event of this scale takes passion, persistence and partnerships that all need to converge upon one single goal for one incredible weekend of racing” he continues. This will be a first for the City of Toronto that is fourth largest city in North America and will serve as a great opportunity for the sport to reach exponentially more people and turn spectators into fans.”

A Spectacle for All Ages

The Offshore Grand Prix is intended to be staged in the Etobicoke-Lakeshore ‘Mimico’ area, where the dry pits will be set up, offering fans and families a unique, up-close experience with the race boats and their crews. The event is entirely free and designed to be completely accessible and family-friendly for all attendees and a great opportunity to learn about offshore Racing from the pros. For the race itself, spectators can enjoy prime viewing from multiple public locations along the Toronto waterfront with the course anticipated to be set from the Humber River through to Marilyn Bell Park.

Bringing the World to Toronto

“Toronto is the perfect city to host this prestigious Offshore Grand Prix race,” says Phillip Stainton, co-founder of Toronto-based TDF Racing “Toronto offers an incredible opportunity to grow the sport, turning spectators into lifelong fans. This event will showcase our city’s unparalleled waterfront while delivering an unforgettable experience for residents and visitors alike.”
Stainton adds, “Producing an event of this scale requires passion, persistence, and partnerships. We are incredibly proud to bring world-class racing to a world-class city and welcome those that will come from near and far to enjoy the weekend’s activities.”

Economic and Cultural Impact

The event is expected to generate significant economic impact for Toronto while further enhancing its reputation as a premier destination for international sporting events.

Positioned just one week before the Honda Indy Toronto, the championship will contribute to the city’s vibrant summer calendar, attracting both local and international audiences.

“This will be one of the most exciting weekends of the summer,” says Chris Grant, cofounder of TDF Racing and owner of C.J. Grant Racing. “We are proud to bring this worldclass event to our hometown, we are creating not just a racing spectacle but what we plan to be an annual tradition that celebrates our city, its waterfront, and its community. We see this as the beginning of something truly special.”

There will be a number of Canadians racing and competing against some of the world’s best. Some of the legends who raced in the previous event will be back, with their latest race boats, and there are a number of new stars on the circuit, who will be bringing an incredible array of high-performance technology to the event.

“It’s amazing how poker runs and racing feed off one another”, says Bill Taylor, creator of Poker Runs America, “at the beginning of the high performance sport, you go poker running – and not long after, some of the poker runners join the race world… later on in life, they return to the poker run circuit with their families, to enjoy the sport of performance boating”.

Boating fans will have an opportunity to see the C J Racing Team’s 388 Skater Super Cat on display in the Toronto Offshore North American Championship 2025 booth during the Toronto International Boat Show (TIBS), January 18 – 28, 2025, at the Enercare Centre at Exhibition Place in Toronto.

With many of the performance boat builders participating in the racing event, poker runners will now see highly tuned versions of their boats competing on the water, in a racing environment, driven and throttled by the pros.

“This will be one of the greatest weekends of the summer,” says Bill Taylor – “we were part of the excitement for the original Lake Ontario Offshore event, and we look forward to being part of the action in 2025”.

We will be bringing you special reports – stay tuned to the Power Boating Canada and Poker Runs America websites at www.powerboating.com and www.pokerrunsamerica.com and our weekly newsletters for all the scoops on who is coming, and what they are running.

For more information on the 2025 Toronto International Boat Show, please visit: https://www.torontoboatshow.com/show-info/

For more information on the Race World Offshore Super Cat series, please visit: https://raceworldoffshore.com/super-cat/

About Race World Offshore

Race World Offshore is a globally recognized leader in producing premier offshore racing events, known for delivering unparalleled excitement and entertainment to fans worldwide. With events that showcase speed, thrills, and engineering excellence, Race World Offshore continues to elevate the sport to new heights, highlighted by the world famous Key West World Championship, recognized globally as the season-ending finale held during the first week of November each year.