After two events disrupted by race-day cancellations, the Hydroplane Racing League finally got the full weekend it had been waiting for. The 1000 Islands Regatta in Brockville, Ontario, delivered ideal conditions across all six classes, with competitive finals and standout performances throughout.
In the Novice Class, defending champion Méderyk Guillet again showed why he holds that title, taking the final ahead of Olivier Maisonneuve in the N-109 L'Angle d'attaque and Zack Parent in the N-80 Wild Thing.
Renaud Simard kept his 2026 winning streak alive in Formula R, steering the R-817 Formax Racing to victory. It was also a repeat of his first-ever Formula R final win, earned at the same Brockville venue in 2025. Lucas Desrochers followed in the R-104 D-Rock Racing, with Jean-Pierre Guillet third in the R-86 Thunderstruck for the first podium finish of his career.
The Formula F final had fireworks before the racing even started, with five of the eight boats jumping the start. That didn't slow Eddie Kanfoush, who went on to win and complete a perfect weekend. Kyle Hayes in the F-35 TMSpecial was second, and John Shaw in the F-92 Tenacity rounded out the podium.
Nicolas Rousse was the dominant force in the Hydro 350 Class, winning all three qualifying heats and the final. His performance across the weekend earned him the Mathieu Daoust Trophy, presented to the driver who distinguished himself the most throughout the weekend. Tommy Shannon in the H-306 Dognasty finished second, with Jacob Haineault in the H-2 Novo Racing third.
Pro Hydro produced one of the most exciting races of the weekend. Guillaume Charette in the V-77 Essence I and Éric Labelle in the V-19 Do It went to the wire together, with Charette prevailing by a fraction of a second. Dominic Maisonneuve in the V-109 Formax completed the podium.
Brandon Kennedy was equally commanding in the Grand Prix Class, winning every qualifying heat he entered and the final aboard the GP-35 TMSpecial. Andrew Tate in the GP-71 The Wild One and Éric Langevin in the GP-212 Sylco joined him on the podium.
The HRL season moves to Salaberry-de-Valleyfield for the Valleyfield Regatta on 10, 11 and 12 July, where all six classes will return to the water.
