Author: Erik Ages

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

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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

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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

GO TEAM CANADA!

Erik Ages 1 Comment

IVF World Sprints 2026: the first races kick off from the startline at 5pm Pacific (for Western Canadian viewers). Snap the QR code on the image below or visit https://www.youtube.com/@ivfiv/streams to enjoy a week of outrigger racing by the best in the world, including a large and powerful Team Canada crew of elite and club athletes. Best wishes to all our Canadian athletes!