I am organizing a RHIB Race around Vancouver Island, Canada.
The Race would begin in Sooke British Columbia and end in Sooke British Columbia.
The Race would consist of 3 classes.
1) Unlimited = Fastest Boat around the Island
2) 9 Meter Plus + Search and Rescue Rally
3) 9 Meter and Less + Poker Rally
Prizes would be up to $50,000.00 + Canadian Dollars and other vendor prizes.
Please contact Jim Matei:
jmatei@aoecanada.ca
Vancouver Island, located in
British Columbia,
Canada, is the largest
Pacific island east of
New Zealand.
[nb 1] Originally called
Quadra and Vancouver Island after Spanish navigator
Juan de la Bodega y Quadra and British navy officer
George Vancouver, the island was first explored by British and Spanish expeditions in the late 18th century. The former's name was eventually dropped and has since been known solely as Vancouver. It is one of several
North American locations named after this British
Royal Navy officer who explored the
Pacific Northwest coast of North America between 1791 and 1794. While the city of
Vancouver is located on the North American mainland,
Victoria, the capital of British Columbia, is located on the island. Along with the minor islands near its southern portion, it is the only part of British Columbia that is south of the
49th Parallel.
The island is 460 kilometres (290 mi) in length, 80 kilometres (50 mi) in width at its widest point, and 32,134 km2 (12,407 sq mi) in area. It is the largest island on the western side of North America, the
world's 43rd largest island,
Canada's 11th largest island, and
Canada's second most populous island after the
Island of Montreal. The Canada 2011 Census population is 759,366.
[5] Nearly half of these (344,630) live in
Greater Victoria. Other notable cities and towns on Vancouver Island include
Nanaimo,
Port Alberni,
Parksville,
Courtenay, and
Campbell River.
The island was originally named
Quadra's and Vancouver's Island in commemoration of the friendly negotiations held by Spanish Commander of the
Nootka Sound settlement Juan Francisco de la Bodega y Quadra, and British Naval Captain
George Vancouver on Nootka Sound in 1792, to find a solution to the
Nootka Crisis.