The Race Development Program is the intermediate outrigger program of the False Creek Racing Canoe Club.  Our members are comprised of women and men who are experienced paddlers from different backgrounds.  Some paddlers join the Race Development Program to improve their paddling technique before moving up to the Men's Distance Program or the Women's Distance Program while others remain with the program because they cannot commit to the demanding schedules of those other programs.  Notwithstanding the diversity of our members, we share the common objective of racing outriggers at a competitive level and a love of paddling - both at home on the waters of English Bay and on the road within British Columbia, Washingon State and further afield. 

 

Our OC-6 practices are scheduled twice weekly throughout the year under the guidance of our coach, together with paddling in OC-1 canoes for scheduled time trials and additional paddling on a self-directed basis as time permits. 

 

We compete in both distance outrigger races (varying from 12km to 45km) and sprint outrigger races (varying from 1km to 6km) with most distance races held during the summer months and most sprint races held during the shoulder seasons.

 

In keeping with our program objectives, for 2009, we have named our race crews "E Holomua", with "E" imparting an imperative/intentive mood and "Holomua" meaning "to improve; to progress; to advance; to surpass". 

 

More information on our canoes, equipment and membership can be found at the False Creek Racing Canoe Club website.

 

 

Our members are motivated by our glorious leader Norm who brings Swiss timing and precision to every practice.  He has been coach of the Race Development Program for more than 2 years and always manages to surprise us. As you can see, he takes joy in putting the crews through gruelling practices.

FCRCC is the largest paddling club in Canada. Our members train in and race dragon boat, outrigger canoe, and flatwater at all levels and ages. The club offers a comprehensive set of training programs, a tremendous number and variety of boats, and numerous opportunities to race both locally and internationally. Our mixed premier dragon boat team won gold in the 2007 World Dragon Boat Championships. Our men's and women's outrigger teams compete regularly at Molokai, the mecca of outrigger racing, and the Catalina channel crossing.

The club has two locations: Alder Bay at Granville Island, where we benefit from the facilities of the False Creek Community Centre for hot showers, sauna, and access to the fitness room; and the Burrard Compound, near the Burrard Marina, where we keep our OC-6s ready to head out into the wind and waves of English Bay.