Across Bass Strait in an OC6

In March next year a team of Aussie outriggers will paddle an OC6 canoe across Bass Strait from the southern most tip of mainland Australia to Tasmania to raise money to aid in cancer research and to honour two men. This will be the first outrigger canoe to make the crossing.

My good mate Peter Corbishley has been building racing outrigger canoes in Australia for the past 20 years, he has made over 300 OC6 canoes and approx. 95% of the OC6 canoes being raced in Australia today were built by Peter. He has made an enormous contribution to the sport here in Australia. After making canoes for many years in his factory in the Whitsundays near Hamilton Island Peter moved his operation down to Tweed Heads and it was here he finally picked up a paddle and began training and competing in the sport he has contributed so much to.

Earlier last year Peter was diagnosed with Non Hodgkinsons T-Cell Lymphoma a rare and terminal form of skin cancer. As a sign of respect and to honour Peter's contribution to the sport the plan is to paddle with Peter in one of the canoes he has made across Bass Strait. Peter will be part of the crew to raise awareness for cancer and to raise money in aid of Cancer research and to also prove that there is life after diagnosis.

The trip is also being made in honour of Chris Robinson, a paddler and world renowned Greenpeace skipper and activist who sadly lost his battle with cancer this year. Chris devoted his life to protect the oceans from whaling activities, nuclear testing and exploitation. He learnt his skills in Bass Strait and participated in campaigns to give the Bass Strait Islands protected status. Chris was to be the skipper of the support vessel for the crossing. We will be joined for the crossing by his niece Prue Robinson also a champion paddler. For more information about Chris visit http://www.greenpeace.org/chris

We are going to try and raise as much money as we can for the Australian Cancer Research Foundation (ACRF) and this is where we need every bodies help. If you would like to make a donation fantastic. Also please let as many people as you can know about the crossing who you think would like to sponsor us. Think of people who work for big corporations or have friends or family that do. Big companies sometimes have special funds set up for these kinds of things. If you have any ideas about getting sponsors please share them with me. Think of your own clubs and their existing sponsors, think big, anybody associated with the sport in any way.

I have created a web/blog site that has all the information on the trip including sponsorship options. We'll use this site to update our fund raising progress leading into the trip and then keep everyone posted as we make our way across Bass Strait. The address is:

http://crossingforcancer.blogspot.com/

Rambo will be joining us to film the crossing and we'll hopefully make a small documentry about the trip.

If you would like more information about the tip or can think of a way to help please let me know.

Cheers

Colin Bartley
Outrigger Connection Australia
www.outriggerconnection.com.au
www.crossingforcancer.blogspot.com

Submitted by Colin on Thu, 11/20/2008 - 5:27pm