From left: Harris Cox, Jeff Brady, Linda Bourassa, Dianne Villesèche, Katie Swales,
Ingrid Wilcox, Valerie Ross, Al Ekholm, Debbie Brewster, and Harry Kern.
Photo by Dale Best for YRMPA

YRQ voyageur arrives!

April 6, 2006

Members of the board of the Yukon River Marathon Paddlers Association, organizers of the annual Yukon River Quest canoe and kayak race, gather in and around the race's new Clipper Langley Voyageur canoe outside the Sport Yukon building Thursday night, April 6. The canoe was jointly purchased with Whiethorse outfitter Kanoe People. The
voyageur, with its birch bark design, will be available for a team to rent during the annual race which begins this year on June 28. The YRMPA board also will make it available for special paddling events. At all other times, it will be available to rent from Kanoe People.

This year's race met its quota of 70 tandem canoe and solo and double kayak teams in late February, but voyageur team applications are still being taken. So far, there are voyageur entries from the Yukon's Paddlers Abreast (which took delivery of its own Clipper Langley this week), False Creek, BC (which is renting the YRMPA boat this year), and teams from Toronto and Prince Rupert. At least two more are expected
before the application period ends May 26.

This year, about 165 paddlers from Canada, the US, Great Britain, Austria, and Australia will compete is the world's longest canoe and kayak race, 740 kms. from Whitehorse to Dawson City, Yukon.