Pacific Paddler magazine - August 2011 - (Page 28)

VOs' Chasedown in Vancouver Cheryl Skribe Tired of the same old kind of racing? You know what I mean….you all start at the same time, and within a short flurry of activity, the field settles into their positions with the finish line somewhere off in the distance. Well if you want to change it up, then the Vancouver Ocean Sports (VOS) Chasedown is your racing ticket out of same old same old. The Chasedown is a cool spin on the pursuit style of racing. There are two stages or legs to the event. The first leg consists of a mass start with everyone completing the 10km lap as per normal. When you cross the finish line, however, the fun begins. You are lined up on the beach in order of fastest to slowest. The fastest canoe triggers a 10-minute clock. This clock determines how long each team gets to rest before they start the second charge around the same 10km loop. The closer you are to the top team, the longer your rest is. The further you are, the shorter your rest is. Once the 10 minutes is up, the pursuit begins with the slowest canoe starting the second lap first and each canoe in order of slowest to fastest starting in 30sec intervals after. This means if you posted the fastest time in the first lap you are now starting at the back of the field and having to weave your way through the masses. It creates a pretty exciting finish with the bulk of the canoes approaching the final push to the end together. As a steersman, I must say this is a really fun race. Not only did the course provide a variety of conditions with all its turns and wind angles, but weaving through a field of various skill and fitness levels introduces a strategy not normally experienced in most races. It definitely keeps the whole team on their toes and maintains your mind in the game for every single stroke. Everyone on every team is doing battle the entire way! It is awesome! The final results are determined by a combined time of your first and second lap, which as you can imagine is a timer’s nightmare! But hats off to the crew from VOS, they did an amazing job! The exhausted but happy winners in each category were: Mixed – 1st Pacific Reach in 1:55.16, 2nd FCRCC in 1:55.34. Mixed Unlimited – 1st VOS in 1:44.13. Women’s: 1st Calgary Sprints in 1:47.20, 2nd False Creek in 1:53.48, 3rd Comox in 1:54.36. Men’s – 1st False Creek Sprint in 1:27.54, 2nd False Creek Distance in 1:30.12 and 3rd Canam in 1:35.27. And just when you thought it was all about the race, the party begins! VOS is known for their great after-race parties and this one did not disappoint. It was a beautiful salmon barbecue followed up with live music and dancing until we finally got kicked out. I am not sure if the extra special fun factor of the race and party were the result of an early marriage celebration of club founder Ryan and his gorgeous wife-to-be Christine or because of our special Hawaiian guests, Nappy and Anona Nepoleon and Gaylord and Carol Wilcox. But whatever the reason, it was a celebration embraced by everyone. www.vancouveroceansports.com 28 pacific paddler august 2011 http://www.poguesports.com http://www.vancouveroceansports.com

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Pacific Paddler magazine - August 2011

Contents
Walter J. MacFarlane Regatta
Waikiki beach Boys Regatta
Liberty World Outrigger Challenge
OHCRA regattas
The 2nd Event of the Triple Crown
Hui He’e Nalu
Jimmy Austin
Gold Coast Cup
VOS' Chasedown in Vancouver
Round Bowen Island
SCORA score
Na Wahine O Ke Kai schedule
Andrea Moller
Hine Moana blog
Fiji Outrigger International
Kris Kjeldsen 1943 – 2011
Hui Waa Champs
OHCRA Champs
Calendar

Pacific Paddler magazine - August 2011