The Race Grid and Schedule will be posted soon.  We had some last minute changes to work in, but details will be posted as soon as possible.  Thanks for your patience!

IT'S TIME for the 12th annual FCRCC Women's and Men's Ourtigger (WMO) March Madness OC 6 outrigger race.  2023's March Madness is so mad, it's on APRIL FOOLS this year! This two day event will be taking place, rain or shine, on both  Saturday, April 1 and Sunday, April 2, 2023!

Race Description

If you've raced with us before, you'll be familiar with the course. If this is your first time, we know you'll have a fun race. This approx. 5 km OC6 race takes place in beautiful English Bay and involves four ama side buoy turns. We've chosen to keep this course so spectators can watch as much of the race as possible from the shore.   You are guaranteed one race each, and in the event your team finishes in the top two positions in your heat, you will be invited to participate in a sprint style final with three other teams. 

The race is segregated into the traditional divisions of Open, Masters +40, Senior Masters +50 and +60 divisions, Juniors (U19), Kupunas (+70), and Race Development. You can register as a women’s, men's, and/or a mixed team.

Location 

FCRCC Outrigger Compound, Burrard Marina, Vanier Park, Vancouver (see site map). 1655 Whyte Ave, Vancouver, BC V6J 1A9.

Parking is available in several paid parking lots in and around our compound/dock.. Lot 70 - Vanier Park (Gravel) or Lot 71 - Vanier Park (Water) as examples. These parking lots accept credit card, and PayByPhone (Android / iPhone).  You may also decide to park for free outside of Vanier Park on the street (Chestnut St. and surrounding area) and walk in.

Race Registration and Payment

Teams will be registered on a first come, first served basis. If registration fills before the midnight deadline, Friday, March 11, your crew will be wait-listed.  

Each crew must submit a separate registration form (e,g, if you are registering 6 teams, you must fill out the registration form 6 times). Payments for one or more teams can be made online via etransfer  (preferred) or at the race site by cheque or exact cash (e.g. if you are paying for 6 teams, you can pay for them all together). If paying by cheque, please make the cheque payable to the FCRCC Women's and Men's Outrigger.

Registration Fee: $150 Adult team / $75 Junior team.  Please etransfer the amount to false.creek.outrigger@gmail.com and use the password "madness".   To ease congestion at the registration table, please pay in advance of the race.

*Please note your crew may race either a men or women’s division or combine with other crews to race in a mixed division.* Mixed crews can have a maximum of 3 men.

All paddlers are required to complete an FCRCC waiver (Adult or Junior) and must be brought the day of the race and turned in at registration. 

All paddlers must be members of the Canadian Outrigger Racing Association (CORA) to race. An annual membership ($30 for Adults and $10 for Juniors (including GST)) is valid for all races in 2023. You can register and pay for your CORA Annual membership or Single event membership online before race day: 

• CORA Adult Annual Membership 

• CORA Junior Annual Membership 

Please remember that these one-day passes are only valid for one specific event, which you much choose when you purchase the pass. 

• CORA Single Event Membership 

Race Schedule

The final race schedule will be publised shortly after the submission deadline of March 11, 2023.

We anticipate that the Open, Masters +40, and possibly the Senior Masters +50’s, women, men and mixed will race on the Saturday and, Senior Masters +50, +60, Kupunas (+70), Juniors (U19), and Race Development/Novice women, men, and mixed will race on the Sunday.   Race Development/Novice is defined as never racing a CORA race in the past, or in their first year of racing canoes.

This year, we will be holding a special heat for Breast Cancer Survivors. If you are a paddler who has had a breast cancer diagnosis, join us in the breast cancer race on Sunday. You can either put together your own crew of 6 breast cancer survivor paddlers or contact Cathy Marr at outrigger@fcrcc.com to be put in touch with others who wish to be part of a breast cancer crew. All paddlers including the steers must have had a breast cancer diagnosis.

Equipment 

OC6 canoes will be provided by FCRCC. Life jackets (PFDs) must be worn during the race. We will have a limited number of PFDs and outrigger paddles available, but please bring yours if you own either item.

One of our crazy March Madness crew members will be happy to jump in the boat with you in the event something unforeseen happens to one of your paddlers and you need to fill a seat.   We will also be happy to provide your team of 5 with a steersperson if that role is needed to complete your team.   In either case, if you know of an open spot on your team in advance let us know and we will schedule you a paddler. 

March Madness Bake Sale 

Back by popular demand is the famous March Madness Bake Sale.  Please help support our Women’s and Men’s Outrigger Student Bursary Program (WMO SBP) by purchasing baked goods on site. 

WMO’s SBP covers the club and program fees for our most promising and dedicated students who are a member of our program.  Dependent on weather, the bake sale table will be located in the vicinity of the boat launch / marshalling area or by the registration desk.   We welcome donations in kind, and if you have a particular goodie you are known for, please bring them with you to the event and we will include them in our bake sale!  

Steers Meeting / Marshalling

The steers meeting will be held 30 minutes prior to the start of each heat in the vicinity of the dock (see map). The steers meeting must be attended by the steerer of each crew. If your crew needs a steers, we will provide one for you.  Please let us know when you register whether you need a steers to be provided.  If your crew is using a volunteer steerer, please ensure another member from your crew also attends the meeting. Following the steers meeting, crews will immediately marshal by the boat launch where they will be directed to the appropriate canoes as the racers from the previous heat arrive back at the dock.

Important Additional Information

Reduce congestion at the registration table by paying for your CORA membership in advance. We will have limited extra membership applications on hand. There will be a CORA representative on site if you need to purchase a membership. Exact cash payment on day of event please.

 All paddlers must wear PFDs approved by Transport Canada. We will have a limited number of PFDs and paddles to loan if needed. Please inquire at the registration desk. We encourage all paddlers to bring their own or make arrangements to borrow from fellow paddlers. 

We may run ahead of schedule, so please ensure all your paddlers arrive at least one hour before your scheduled heat. 

As always please dress for cold, damp conditions. Bring an extra change of clothes and warm beverages. 

Washroom facilities: port-a-potties will be available in the boat compound on Whyte Avenue. The Vanier Park Public Washroom is a two-minute walk from the Burrard Compound, but we encourage you to use the port-a-potties to reduce traffic at the public washrooms.

FCRCC is committed to protecting our paddling waters starting with the elimination of single use plastic bottles and therefore request everyone to bring their own reusable water bottles. Water will be supplied, and we highly encourage you to bring your own supply. 

Any Questions? E-mail us at false.creek.outrigger@gmail.com.

See you out on the water!

Lorri Stewart

2023 March Madness Race Director

FCRCC Women's and Men's Outrigger Program

Registered Teams

Below is the list of registered teams. If you have filled out the online registration form and your team does not appear below, please contact us at the email address listed above.

March Madness 2023