2026 Repair, Maintenance & Equipment Grant Open Call

CORA is hereby issuing an Open Call for Member Clubs to submit 2026 Repair, Maintenance and Equipment (RME) Grant applications.  An “Open Call” means that the “once every 2nd year” limitation is removed and Member Clubs who received an RME Grant in the preceding year (2025) may apply.

The following rules and conditions apply to the 2026 Open Call:

RME Grant Applications must be submitted on-line through the CORA website’s RME Grant application form: https://www.canadianoutrigger.ca/cora-forms/repair-maintenance-and-equipment-grant-application/ .  The eligible expenses for the RME Grants remain the same (see sections 1 and 2 of the Eligibility Criteria on the RME Grant application form). This grant does not apply to the purchase, in whole or in part, of new or used canoes.

The deadline for the submission of 2026 Open Call RME Grant applications is 11:59 pm (Pacific Time (British Columbia)), Wednesday, November 18, 2026.

The CORA Board will consider the applications at its pre-AGM board meeting on November 21, 2026 and reserves the right to consider factors other than time/order of receipt (i.e. size of Club, financial need, frequency of previous RME Grants) in awarding grants.  Preference may be given to Member Clubs eligible in 2026 but who have not yet submitted an application.

Up to 6 RME Grants are available and the maximum grant amount remains at $1000.00.

Member Clubs for whom 2026 is their first CORA membership year remain ineligible for an RME Grant until 2027.  Cascades Club, Splash Mob, UP Campbell River, Wai Nui O Kanaka Outrigger Canoe Club and Westshore Paddling Club are ineligible in 2026.

Member Clubs who have already received and have been approved to receive a 2026 RME Grant are also ineligible for the 2026 Open Call (i.e. only 1 RME Grant per year).  In 2026, the following Clubs have already received an RME Grant:  Toronto Harbour Va’a, Pacific Reach Paddling Club, Suncoast Paddling Club, Association Francophone de qathet and Penticton Paddle Sports Association.

Eligibility: A CORA club must (a) have paid its CORA Club membership fee, and (b) have at least 6 paid-up individual annual CORA members (i.e. an OC6 crew) to be considered “in good standing” for the purposes of RME Grant eligibility. 

Successful 2026 Open Call recipients will not be eligible for another RME Grant until 2028 (except through a 2027 Open Call, if applicable).

Neither invoices nor receipts are required with your application, however, successful applicants must submit all receipts (not just invoices) before December 31, 2026. Receipts MUST be dated in 2026.

In your application under “Estimated Expenses”, indicate if your expenses have already been incurred or whether they are future expenses.  In the case of repair work or services, preference will be given to applications for reimbursement of costs already incurred.  In the case of goods or equipment, preference will be given to goods already purchased or to goods that can be reasonably purchased by the end of the year (ie off the shelf items, not customized items). 

If your expenses cannot reasonably be incurred in 2026, you should apply in 2027 for a 2027 RME Grant.

Receipts should name the Member Club to the extent possible (ie excluding retail store cash register receipts).

Payment will be made by e-transfer or by cheque payable to your Club, not individuals.

CORA Update: IVF Announces Host Nations for 2028 and 2030 World Championships

Dear CORA Members,

The Canadian Outrigger Racing Association (CORA) would like to share the International Va’a Federation’s (IVF) announcement confirming the host nations and anticipated timing of two upcoming World Championships.

  • 2028 IVF World Distance Championships: Cook Islands — November 2028
  • 2030 IVF World Sprint Championships: Aotearoa New Zealand — March 2030

These host selections were approved through a vote of IVF member nations.

During the discussions, Canada raised concerns regarding the challenges of preparing for international competition during the Canadian winter, particularly given the impact of seasonal training conditions on our athletes and clubs. These considerations were communicated as part of Canada’s participation in the selection process.

The IVF has also indicated that it will shortly open the bidding process for the 2031 World Distance Championships and 2032 World Sprint Championships. Importantly, the 2030 Sprint Championships do not postpone the anticipated 2032 event, and the IVF intends to maintain its three-year championship cycle.

Specific competition dates, venues and further event details will be announced by the IVF and the respective organizing committees as planning progresses.

CORA will continue to represent Canadian paddlers in international discussions and share updates as additional information becomes available.

CORA Board of Directors
Canadian Outrigger Racing Association

FGPC Wetdashe 2026 – 16th Anniversary Fundraising Race for Men’s Health

WETDASHE 2026 — 16 YEARS OF FAST RACING, HOT DOCK CHANGES & A VERY GOOD CAUSE

Saturday is SOLD OUT. Sunday still has space — for now.

Mainland paddlers: we’ve heard you. Both Saturday and Sunday racing now start at 10:00 am, specifically to make the morning ferry to Victoria much more civilized. No dawn panic. No white-knuckling the drive from Swartz Bay.

And NO BOAT TRAILERING. FGPC and supporting local clubs supply the entire race fleet.

Wetdashe is our gloriously hectic dry-change outrigger race: six-person crews race 3 km laps, charging back to the docks to swap with their teammates before heading straight back out again. Coming in hot, docking cleanly, changing crews quickly and departing safely is part of the race — and a chance for crews and steerspeople to absolutely shine.

Choose your challenge: 12 km, 24 km or the full 48 km. Spec boats are supplied for 12 km and 24 km crews, and FGPC’s family of ultralights is supplied for 48 km competitors. And speaking of competitive: our race management team times and leaderboards the whole circus simultaneously, with macro and micro lap results so teams can compare and analyze results for future adventures.

And yes, there’s a collectors’ Wetdashe race shirt — a new one every year, now in its 16th edition.

More importantly, Wetdashe has raised more than $100,000 for the BC Cancer Foundation. Through the Make Every Second Count campaign, supporters can donate directly to participating teams — and every $10 raised earns that crew a one-second time credit. Funds support prostate-cancer research and advanced PSMA scanning technology.

So come to Vancouver Island. We’ll supply the boats. We’ll give you enough time to catch the ferry. You supply six paddlers, some slick dock work and an appetite for one of the most entertaining races on the CORA calendar.

Saturday: SOLD OUT
Sunday: Registration still open — until it isn’t.

REGISTER FOR WETDASHE 2026