Press Release
For Immediate Release
Canadian Skipper Scott Shawyer Is Bringing One of the World’s Fastest Racing Boats Through the Heart of Canada
Canadian skipper Scott Shawyer has brought his 60-foot foiling IMOCA sailboat EMIRA IV to Canada for a summer of training on Georgian Bay ahead of November’s solo Route du Rhum transatlantic race.
COLLINGWOOD ON (May 15, 2026) — Canadian skipper Scott Shawyer, with the support of his team Canada Ocean Racing – Be Water Positive, has brought his 60-foot foiling racing boat from its base in France to his home waters in Canada for a summer of intense training.
Shawyer is working toward the Vendée Globe 2028, the solo, nonstop, unassisted race around the world and one of the toughest sporting challenges on the planet. No Canadian has ever completed it.
He will compete in the Route du Rhum this November, a solo transatlantic race from France to Guadeloupe and a major step in his development on the IMOCA Globe Series.
The boat, capable of speeds of 75km/h, can sail faster than the wind and can glide above the water on massive foils, but until now Scott has had to travel to the team’s performance base in France to train.
To accelerate his learning of single-handedly maneuvering this immense sailboat, the decision was made to bring the boat to Canada where Scott can practice in his home waters of Georgian Bay.
For Shawyer, bringing the boat home is personal. He learned to sail on Georgian Bay as a child before building a career in engineering and industrial automation. Now, he’s returning to the waters where it all started, this time with a campaign designed to find out what’s possible when you choose to begin again.
“A few years ago, I was running on autopilot and didn’t even realize it,” said Shawyer. “I’d built a great business and a great life, but comfortable had become boring. Watching the Vendée Globe during lockdown woke something up in me, and I decided to find out what I was capable of in something completely new.
“Bringing EMIRA IV home to Canada feels special because this is where it started. I learned to sail on Georgian Bay as a kid, and now I’m coming back with one of the fastest offshore racing boats in the world to keep learning again.
“Most Canadians have never seen a boat like this before. I hope that people will come down to the waterfront, bring their kids, ask questions, and follow the story as it unfolds.”
The Crossing: Lorient to Collingwood 3,700 Nautical Miles
Emira IV departed Lorient, France on May 2 for a 2,700-nautical-mile transatlantic crossing to Quebec City, a journey of approximately two weeks across the open Atlantic. From Quebec City, the boat will travel through some of Canada’s most storied waterways, navigating the St. Lawrence Seaway lock system, crossing the Great Lakes, and transiting the Welland Canal before arriving home in Collingwood on Georgian Bay.
The full route and scheduled stops ***weather dependent ***
Atlantic Crossing — May 2–16
2,700 nautical miles across the open Atlantic Ocean
Quebec City — May 17–19
First Canadian port of call after the transatlantic crossing
Quebec City to Montreal — May 19–20
150 nautical miles along the St. Lawrence River
Montreal — May 21
Dockside public viewing
Montreal to Kingston — May 22–23
Through the historic Seaway locks: St. Lambert, Ste. Catherine, Beauharnois, Snell, Eisenhower, and Iroquois
Kingston to Toronto — May 24
150 nautical miles across Lake Ontario, arriving Toronto PM
Toronto — May 25–26
Dockside public viewing
Berthed at the waterfront outside Amsterdam Brewery
Toronto to Collingwood — May 27–31
Through the Welland Canal, across Lake Erie, up the Detroit River and Lake St. Clair to Sarnia, then north through Lake Huron to Georgian Bay
Training in Collingwood — to mid-August
Scott will be training on the boat regularly throughout the summer, before it makes the return journey back through Canada and across the Atlantic to France.
Additional public viewing opportunities to be announced.
Spot the Boat: A National Invitation
Canada Ocean Racing is calling on Canadians to be part of the story. Whether you’re watching from the waterfront in Toronto, a bridge over the Seaway locks, a trail along the St. Lawrence, a dock on Lake Erie, or from your own boat on Georgian Bay, the route can be experienced by everyone.
At select ports, the public will have the opportunity to see the boat up close, take pictures, and learn about the campaign. Depending on the weather, Emira IV will be berthed in Toronto at the waterfront outside Amsterdam Brewery on May 25 – 26.
Canadians who spot the boat are encouraged to share photos and videos using the hashtag #SpotEmiraIV and to follow the journey at canadaoceanracing.com.
About Emira IV
Emira IV is a latest-generation IMOCA 60. It is one of approximately 40 boats of this class in the world. Designed by Guillaume Verdier and built by CDK Technologies in Lorient, France, it is 60 feet long, weighs 8 tonnes, and features foils that lift the hull above the water. Under previous names, this boat won The Ocean Race in 2023 and finished third in the Vendée Globe in 2025.
These boats are the closest thing sailing has to Formula 1 — purpose-built machines designed to be sailed solo around the world. Most Canadians have never seen an IMOCA class yacht. This summer, that changes.
About Scott Shawyer
Scott Shawyer is a Canadian engineer, entrepreneur, and solo ocean racer from Collingwood, Ontario. Previously CEO of JMP Solutions, he grew the company into one of North America’s leading automation engineering firms with more than 300 employees, before selling the company in 2021. In 2024, he became the first Canadian to compete in the New York Vendée, a qualifying race on the international IMOCA circuit. He has now set his sights on the Vendée Globe 2028, the solo, non-stop, round-the-world race, and will compete in the Route du Rhum solo transatlantic race this November as part of his preparation. This summer, Scott will train in home waters and share the campaign with the country before heading back to the international circuit.
Join the Journey
“The team sailed 2,700 miles across the Atlantic to get here,” said Shawyer. “Now we’re taking the boat through the heart of Canada – the St. Lawrence, the Seaway locks, Lake Ontario, the Welland Canal, Lake Huron, and finally home to Georgian Bay.
“Most people only ever see these boats online during races in Europe. This summer, people can venture down and see one for themselves – they’re an impressive sight.”
Follow the tour:
Website: canadaoceanracing.com
Hashtag: #SpotEmiraIV
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MEDIA CONTACT
Tory Crowder
Jumpstart Communications
416 998 9702
High-resolution photos, B-roll, and interview requests available upon request.
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