Author: Graeme Galves

Goodbye February! Hello March! Looking forward to above-freezing temperatures for Winter Series Small-Boat Racing as we head towards the last 3 of the 7 PNWORCA / CORA Winter Series Small-Boat Races. FCRCC will be hosting the 2025 Winter Series Race 5 on 2025-Mar-1 in Vancouver BC. Kai Ikaika will be hosting the 2025 Winter Series Race 6 on 2025-Mar-15 in Portland OR. Sand Point will be hosting the 2025 Winter Series Championship Race 7 on 2025-Mar-29 in Seattle WA.

Please note that registration for FCRCC 2025 Winter Series Race #5 closes [UPDATE] FRIDAY, February 28th at 8pm Pacific. Race Registration via WebScorer.
U.S. racers: For WS Race #5, register on Webscorer and pay cash in person on race day (The e-transfer payment is not available for U.S. racers).

CORA Memberships must still be paid on-line in advance.

See the latest proposed course maps at the FCRCC Event site.

The groundhogs by a majority vote have called for 6 more weeks of Winter. On a positive note, this provides for 6 more weeks of Winter training to prepare for Summer / Autumn racing. CORA wishes to announce 4 CORA Sanctioned Eastern Canada outrigger canoe events for 2025:

• Haunani Challenge in Dorval on June 28, 2025 hosted by Haunani Outrigger Club
• CORA Eastern Sprints Championships in Toronto on August 9-10, 2025 hosted by Sunnyside Paddling Club
• Toronto International Outrigger Challenge (TIOC) in Toronto on Sept 13, 2025 hosted by TSCC Maka Koa
• The Fall Classic in Ottawa on October 11, 2025 hosted by Rideau Outrigger Racing Club

Haunani Outrigger Club

Sunnyside Paddling Club

TSCC Maka Koa

Rideau Outrigger Racing Club

It is a quiet time of year with the 2024 CORA AGM, 2024 Christmas, and 2025 New Years Day now behind us, and the first 2025 CORA Sanctioned Event (Jericho PNWORCA / CORA Winter Series small-boat race) just ahead of us. The CORA Historical Committee is making the most of this quiet time to get caught up on long overdue tales.

The CORA Historical Committee published an article in Spring 2023 titled Team Cascadia – Paddlers Without Borders that captured four racing events (Molokai Hoe 2019; Catalina Crossing 2016; Queen Liliuokalani 2015; Molokai Na Wahine 2013) where paddlers from Oregon / Washington / Hawaii / Canada formed international crews to compete against some of the best crews in the world – and did very well.

That CORA website article generated some commentary and several members of Team Cascadia shared the back story on how this whole concept came to be from back in 2011. While you have some quiet time in your training for 2025, have a read of the Team Cascadia – Origins article which provides background on this contingent of paddlers from Oregon / Washington / Hawaii / Canada who had excellent showings at Pailolo and Molokai Hoe from 2012-2018.