The PNWORCA / CORA 2024 Small-Boat Racing Winter Series Championship event, just four weeks before the CORA National Sprints Regatta, lived up to expectations as the courses were challenging, the weather was balmy, the awards / prizes were exceptional, the after-race meal was exquisite, and the Minnie Fontenelle birthday celebration was priceless.
The PNWORCA Race Committee no longer tracks Small-Boat Racing Winter Series points and the Small-Boat Racing Winter Series Championship event host no longer recognizes Division Top 3 Finishers. However, the CORA Race Committee continues to track Small-Boat Racing Winter Series points so as to recognize Canadians who are among the Top 3 Finishers in a Boat / Gender / Age Division and to continue the tradition of the Peter Forand Masters Challenge Trophy.
For the first time in the history of the PNWORCA / CORA Small-Boat Racing Winter Series, there was a tie in the Peter Forand Masters Challenge as there were at least 2 Female and / or Male Masters (40+ / 50+ / 60+ / 70+) OC1 paddlers with the highest points (Best Five Races for Five 1st Places for 25 Points) and with the highest participation (Best Five Races) across all age / gender divisions at the end of the Winter Series. This would be the very first time that the “Tyler Irwin Longevity Tiebreaker” (In the event that more than 1 Masters (40+; 50+; 60+; 70+) OC1 Female and/or more than 1 Masters (40+; 50+; 60+; 70+) OC1 Male paddler are tied in Points (5 Best Scores Out Of The 7 Races) & Participation (3-5 Races), then the Masters (40+; 50+; 60+; 70+) OC1 Female or Male with the most senior Date-Of-Birth shall win the Peter Forand Masters Challenge Trophy.) would need to be used to determine which of the Co-Champions should be the Peter Forand Masters Challenge Trophy Recipient.
By virtue of having the most senior Date-Of-Birth, the PNWORCA 2024 Small-Boat Racing Winter Series winner of the Peter Forand Masters Challenge is Bob Stewart (Jericho Paddling Club) in the Men Masters 70+ OC1 Division, with Minnie Fontenelle (Sand Point Outrigger Canoe Club) in the Women Masters 50+ OC1 Division recognized as Co-Champion.
Congratulations to Bob Stewart as he continues to demonstrate commitment and excellence in Winter Series small-boat racing after almost 30 years. This is quite fitting, as Bob Stewart and Peter Forand were much like Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid in their longtime friendship.
There were 64 paddlers who completed one or more races in the OC1 Masters Division. Canada would have Four of the Top Seven in the Peter Forand Masters Challenge standings after the PNWORCA / CORA 2024 Small-Boat Racing Winter Series Championship event. Bob Stewart (Jericho) 1st Place, Minnie Fontenelle (Sand Point) 2nd Place, Traci Cole (Sand Point) 3rd Place, Rob Varnel (Pacific Reach) 4th Place, Danielle Kala (Mountain Home) 5th Place, Doug Thomas (Pacific Reach) 6th Place, and Pam Watts Cornall (False Creek) 7th Place. Putting in miles on the water and putting in miles on the highway by many Canadian winter-series paddlers in 2024 is what made these results possible.
CORA wishes to recognize these individuals who were Top 3 Finishers overall in their Boat / Gender / Age Division:
- Bob Stewart (1st OC1 Men), Cortney Russell (1st OC1 Women), Rob Varnel (1st OC1 Men), Ernie Wong (1st V1 Men), Minnie Fontenelle (1st OC1 Women), Doug Thomas (1st OC1 Men), Simon Corbeaux (1st V1 Men), James Healy (1st V1 Men), Graeme Galves (1st V1 Men), Chris Dobrovolny (1st Surfski Single Men), Makoto Tsukigase (1st OC1 Men – Age 17), Masato Tsukigase (1st OC1 Men – Age 14
- Pam Watts Cornall (2nd OC1 Women), Darren Grant (2nd V1 Men), William Rainey (2nd V1 Men), Beau Whitehead (2nd OC1 Men)
- Ken Asano (3rd OC1 Men), Ken Ang (3rd V1 Men), Michael Wyse (3rd V1 Men)
For more information about the Peter Forand Masters Challenge, CLICK HERE