A race weekend marked by resilience, rising stars, and remarkable performances at the Sorel-Tracy Regatta

The second stop of the HRL 2025 season, held June 14–15 in Sorel-Tracy, delivered an intense and unforgettable weekend on many levels. Despite extremely difficult weather conditions on Saturday, the drivers put on a spectacular show on the Saint Lawrence River. Large waves and unpredictable gusts challenged both boats and crews. One incident involved driver Stéphane Racine, at the helm of the S-17 Defying Gravity, causing great concern. Suffering a back injury, he will take a break from racing, but fortunately, his condition is stable and reassuring given the potential severity.

 

On Sunday, the weather improved, allowing the full program of 23 races to go ahead as planned. One of the day’s highlights was the debut of the Novice class, making its first appearance of the season in Quebec. Emotional and impressive, the class is already showcasing promising new talent.

 

Novice class

 

The gap between first and second place was just 0.96 seconds, a tight battle between Zack Parent (2:15.76) and Olivier Maisonneuve (2:17.72).

 

Results – Sorel-Tracy
N-80 Wild Thing – Zack Parent – 2:15.76 – 25 pts
N-109 L’Angle d’Attaque – Olivier Maisonneuve – 2:17.72 – 21 pts
N-66 Thunderboat – Mederyk Guillet – 2:18.26 – 18 pts
N-409 Abby’s Boat – Noémie Maisonneuve – 2:21.71 – 15 pts
N-244 Miss Virgo – Sydney Manessis – 2:26.65 – 13 pts

 

Overall standings
N-80 Wild Thing – Zack Parent – 71 pts
N-66 Thunderboat – Mederyk Guillet – 68 pts
N-109 L’Angle d’Attaque – Olivier Maisonneuve – 67 pts
N-409 Abby’s Boat – Noémie Maisonneuve – 54 pts
N-244 Miss Virgo – Sydney Manessis – 49 pts

 

2.5 liters Class

Two boats, Centless 15 and Total Chaos, are currently tied at 124 points in the overall standings. They have yet to race directly against one another, making Brockville a key showdown.

 

Results – Sorel-Tracy
S-35 TMSpecial – Kyle Hayes – 4:25.62 – 25 pts
S-104 D-Rock Racing – Lucas Desrochers – 4:41.74 – 21 pts
S-50 Centless 15 – Ayden Sovie – 4:45.54 – 18 pts
S-817 Formax Racing – Renaud Simard – 4:54.76 – 15 pts
S-910 Hope Racing – Justin L’Esperance – 5:34.77 – 0 pt (DNF)

 

Overall standings
S-35 TMSpecial – Kyle Hayes – 180 pts
S-104 D-Rock Racing – Lucas Desrochers – 141 pts
S-50 Centless 15 – Ayden Sovie – 124 pts
S-11 Total Chaos – Bennet Armstrong – 124 pts
S-817 Formax Racing – Francis Sauvé – 120 pts

 

Formula 2500 class

 

Driver John Shaw (F-92) clocked the fastest time of the race with 4:05.95, which translates to an average speed of 73.2 mph (117.8 km/h) over a 5-mile course. Unfortunately, a penalty pushed him down to 5th place, earning only 8 points.

 

Results – Sorel-Tracy
F-113 Another One – Samuel Tremblay – 4:08.93 – 25 pts
F-2 Novo Racing – Jacob Haineault – 4:24.69 – 21 pts
F-77 Charette Racing – Guillaume Charette – 4:44.82 – 18 pts
F-74 Team F74 Groupe SFK – Matthieu Brown – 4:56.09 – 15 pts
F-92 Tenacity – John Shaw – 4:05.95 – 8 pts (Penalty)

 

Overall standings
F-92 Tenacity – John Shaw – 159 pts
F-2 Novo Racing – Jacob Haineault – 141 pts
F-500 Centless 16 – Eddie Kanfoush – 130 pts
F-77 Charette Racing – Guillaume Charette – 127 pts
F-26 Dream Weaver – Kevin Smith – 121 pts

 

JSS Class

Another One took the win in Sorel – a first victory on home water and within HRL competition. Yumpin’ Yiminy retains the overall lead thanks to consistent results since the season began. The top four remain closely packed in the standings.

 

Results – Sorel-Tracy
JSS-113 Another One – Louis-Alexandre Beaudoin – 4:10.46 – 25 pts
JSS-45 In The Red – Sam Ewancio – 4:19.82 – 21 pts
JSS-10 Yumpin’ Yiminy – Jimmie Stewart – 4:23.13 – 18 pts
JSS-99 Veri Cheri Racing – Dave Greenlaw – 4:58.80 – 15 pts
JSS-48 Denis Dream – Samuel Tremblay – DNS – 0 pt

 

Overall standings
JSS-10 Yumpin’ Yiminy – Jimmie Stewart – 179 pts
JSS-45 In The Red – Sam Ewancio – 162 pts
JSS-99 Veri Cheri Racing – Dave Greenlaw – 119 pts
JSS-113 Another One – Louis-Alexandre Beaudoin – 113 pts
JSS-7 Rolling Thunder Racing – Tom Pakradoni – 0 pt

 

Hydro 350 class
Despite difficult weather on Saturday, all races in this class were run as scheduled. The points gap between the top 5 drivers is now under 50.

 

Results – Sorel-Tracy
H-519 Team Toban – Kent Henderson – 3:56.57 – 25 pts
H-52 Legacy 1 – Paul Barber – 4:00.71 – 21 pts
H-924 Game On – Patrick Haworth – 4:14.78 – 18 pts
H-2 Novo Racing – Richard Haineault – 4:18.68 – 15 pts
H-773 RTX – Martin Rochon – 3:36.62 – 8 pts (Penalty)

 

Overall standings
H-52 Legacy 1 – Paul Barber – 172 pts
H-924 Game On – Patrick Haworth – 159 pts
H-306 Dognasty – Tommy Shannon – 151 pts
H-999 La Bête Noire – Éric McKenna – 134 pts
H-773 RTX – Martin Rochon – 130 pts

 

Pro Hydro (Pro-V) Class
Several Pro Hydro boats were on the water in Sorel-Tracy, offering a preview of what’s to come in this premier class.

 

Results – Sorel-Tracy
V-77 Charette Racing – Guillaume Charette – 75 pts
V-311 Pure Canadian – Chris Galbrait – 0 pt
V-109 Formax – Dominic Maisonneuve – 0 pt

 

Next stop: Brockville 1000 Islands Regatta – June 28–29

The tour now shifts to Ontario, where Brockville will host the next round of the 2025 HRL season on June 28 and 29. All classes, including Grand Prix, will be present for another action-packed weekend.