HVA Sand Island Short Circuit Update

HVA

Preregistration for the first race of the 2010 HVA season should be open this week. Keep your eyes peeled for updates! Also the schedule has been updated and we will be moving the first race of the season to May 29, 2010. The course and location will remain the same. Race format will be similar to our first race with single lap heats and a two lap final event.
Just to give you an idea of what race course will be see the picture below. Also we've added a few details in the calendar section on the OCP main page. Hope to see you folks there!
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Submitted by HVA on Sun, 04/25/2010 - 10:55pm

koacanoe

Just wondering if I would be allowed to race an OC-1 (such as a Hurricane) without the rudder? Or, I will have to borrow a canoe that is commonly accepted as a "V-1?"

#1 Mon, 04/26/2010 - 1:15am

HVA

Koacanoe, we really encourage people to borrow a V-1 from the canoes available. You will end up paying a bit more in race entry fees but I think you will have a much better race this way. A hurricane isn't designed to be paddled without a rudder and I think you would find it pretty hard to control as compared to a va'a. Also I think most people would agree that things worked out pretty well last year when we ran heats to qualify for the final. This system made sure everyone had a boat to use. Lastly, we are complying with the IVF definition of a va'a for our races. This requires us to have canoes with no rudder and a sit inside cockpit among other things. Hope that answers your question.

#2 Mon, 04/26/2010 - 9:47am

onnopaddle

HVA,
I went to: http://www.ivfiv.org/ to look for rules and specs ... but did not find anything about rudders ...
Please let me know where I might find more info on this as well as general boat specifications.
Thanks.
aloha,
pog

#3 Mon, 04/26/2010 - 11:55am

HVA

Onno.
I'm at work and can't find the rules either. But I do know the generally accepted meaning of of the word wa'a, va'a, or waka depending on where you are from is that it is based on a dug out canoe. Thus the idea that you sit inside it and not on top of it. Sorry for the confusion.
The IVF sprint rules that I see online do not state anything to the effect of rudder or cockpit requirements and yet IVF sprints are held in rudderless canoes with cockpits. So the reasons must be somewhere. Will continue to try and research for you but you may have better luck than me finding it as it seems you're on your toes. Perhaps you can get an official description of the word va'a by submitting a query to the IVF itself. In the mean time HVA races will still be held in outrigger canoes with no rudder/fin/keel, a sit inside cockpit, one ama, two iako, single bladed paddles, and no motors or sails. Hope this helps.

#4 Mon, 04/26/2010 - 2:45pm

koacanoe

Thank you, really appreciate the information. I was hoping to paddle also the original rudderless 26' long lagoon canoe if the water was flat. But I guess no can because it is a sit on top canoe? Anyway, with regards to the no rudder and sit inside cockpit, do hope everything else remains in keeping with the open unlimited design concept?

#5 Wed, 04/28/2010 - 12:53am

luke

I know that I've posted this on here before; when we were at the Super Aito in 2007, the director of the race told us that the term "Va'a" entails that the canoe has a cockpit. If there is no cockpit, it's not a Va'a. It also sounded like he was saying that you could actually put a rudder on and race in Tahiti, and assuming that the canoe has a cockpit it would still be considered a V-1. Just that they call a rudder "training wheels"and it would probably be similar to someone in Hawai'i racing an OC-1 with a kayak blade.
I'm not saying that we should follow their definition of a Wa'a, as the Outrigger Canoe has definitely evolved differently in Hawai'i. I just think it's an interesting way to define it.
Doesn't that 26' lagoon canoe have an open cockpit for your legs?

#6 Wed, 04/28/2010 - 7:35am

koacanoe

Thanks Luke, for I didn't read your post before. Yes, I'm concerned about the sit inside cockpits, which I think are more conducive for Canadian and New Zealand waters. I hold my okole everytime I paddle my K-1 out in the ocean because I don't have spray skirt or know how to do an eskimo roll. A Capistrano flip doesn't work on them, but might for the V-1 (if the ama doesn't get in the way)? At Kualoa, the V-1's that flipped were ok as long as they were flipped back real fast. The problem I observed was when the V-1 got dumped in the baby surf close to shore, for it had to be handled very carefully on the beach with water inside or it could get damaged. You just can't yank it out like an OC-1.

#7 Wed, 04/28/2010 - 9:37am

HVA

Registration is now online!
There are two different forms. If you are an adult click on this link: ADULT REGISTRATION ONLY
After completing the form you will be directed to the payment page. Race fees are the same as last year.
$38 if you need to borrow a canoe
$28 if you have your own canoe that only you will use
$18 if you have your own canoe and will allow others to use it when you aren't racing
If you are 18 and under click on this link to register: JUNIOR REGISTRATION ONLY
Registration will be open until Sunday May 24th. If you plan on borrowing a canoe you MUST register online. This is only way we are able to figure out the logistics of providing everyone a canoe. If you are an adult and are an experienced paddler please enter the open division. The novice division is intended for paddlers with three or less years of experience.

#8 Wed, 05/12/2010 - 7:38pm

goto

Novice = three or less years of experience in the V1, or three or less years of experience paddling? I know that someone got DQ'ed at Race Around the Hat for racing in the novice heat when they weren't technically novice...

#9 Thu, 05/13/2010 - 7:12am

HVA

3 years of ANY paddling experience will make you an Open paddler. Similar to the three novice years allowed in other organizations.
For those experienced paddlers really concerned that you won't be able to handle the rudderless... It's not as hard as some paddlers may have led you to think. Boats will be rigged early and available for you to go out and experiment with on race day. We will also have a short clinic before the race to give you some pointers on handling, steering, and paddling the V-1.
The experienced paddler who was DQ'd out of the novice division last year had actually never paddled a V-1 in the ocean before but still moved the boat very well.

#10 Thu, 05/13/2010 - 9:25am

goto

That guy sounds like a dork.

#11 Thu, 05/13/2010 - 9:29am

Jim

Prediction: Goto will totally dominate the novice division.

#12 Thu, 05/13/2010 - 12:26pm

HVA

Just an update on race schedule.
Registration will be 7:30 to 8:30
Clinic and demo 8:30 to 9:30
Races to commence immediately following clinic. Schedule will depend on number of beach entries. The youth and novice races will be run first. Open final will be the final event.
Refreshments will be provided all day.

#13 Wed, 05/26/2010 - 5:16pm

luke

Remember-- 18 and under is free and you can borrow a canoe-- so hopefully we'll see all you guys down there.

#14 Fri, 05/28/2010 - 8:31am