WRTC Canada: Shrinking Leads for both VE3AT and VA7ST; VE3DZ and VE6EX Close Behind

By Jamie Dupree NS3T  radio-sport.net 
Posted October 18, 2008

With scores in from last year's CQ WW DX Contests and the September NA CW Sprint, Ron Vander Kraats VE3AT again slightly extended his lead in Canada's NA #5 WRTC region, while in NA #6, the lead of Bud Mortenson VA7ST is getting more tenuous.

After leading Yuri Onipko VE3DZ by 125 in the last radio-sport.net WRTC update in August, VE3AT's lead shrank to just 74 points - not because VE3DZ outscored VE3AT, but because his new scores replaced lower scores previously in his top 8 qualifying efforts.

The NA #5 battle has been in a near dead heat for much of the last year.

Still more than within striking distance is John Sluymer VE3EJ, who is now just 19 points behind VE3DZ in third, in the battle for the one team leader slot from NA #5.

Sluymer doesn't really have to try too hard - he already has a spot in WRTC 2010 as the defending champ from WRTC 2006, which he won along with James Roberts VE7ZO.

Along with the CQ WW DX Contests, this is going to be a very busy next few weeks in the WRTC competition in the US and Canada, as both ends of CQ WW and the November Sweepstakes are part of the qualifying process.

Out west, Mortenson VA7ST is still holding onto his lead, but it was reduced dramatically by Daniel Lazar VE6EX, who used a first place regional finish in last year's CQ WW CW to net the maximum 950 points.

Lazar also grabbed the max of 660 in the 2008 ARRL SSB and a double max of 600 in the two modes of the NA Sprint contests this year, drawing within 219 points.

If you are looking for a longshot who could still win the NA #6 region, that would be Larry Brailean VE5UA, who has only five total scores so far. A pair of strong CQ WW contests in 2008 could put him near the top.

The Russian qualifying criteria give Canada a pair of teams for the 2010 competition, one from each region.

Here are the top five operators from Canada's two WRTC regions as determined by radio-sport.net. Check the link for a full spreadsheet on each region.

NA #5 includes VO1, VY2, VE1, VE2, VE3, VE4, VO2 and VE9.

• VE3AT 5,730 - (8 scores)

• VE3DZ 5,656 - (8 scores)

• VE3EJ 5,637 - (8 scores)

• VE3EY 4,151 - (8 scores)

• VE2XAA 3,844 - (8 scores)

Check out the full results spreadsheet for NA #5

NA #6 is VE5, VE6, VE7, VE8, VY0 and VY1.

• VA7ST 5,240 - (8 scores)

• VE6EX 5,021 - (8 scores)

• VE7CC 4,521 - (7 scores)

• VE5UA 3,881 - (5 scores)

• VE6CNU 3,828 - (8 scores)

The full results are available on a spreadsheet for NA #6

There are two qualifying events left for stations in the US and Canada, but results must also still come in from seven contests that were held earlier this year (Russian DX, WPX CW, WPX SSB, IARU, WAE CW, WAE SSB and the September NA SSB Sprint.)

The unofficial results produced here by radio-sport.net include the final published results of the 2006 and 2007 IARU, the 2006 and 2007 WAE CW and WAE SSB, 2006 and 2007 CQ WW CW and SSB contests, 2007 and 2008 ARRL DX SSB & CW, 2007 Russian DX, 2007 CQ WPX SSB and CW contests, 2007 November Sweepstakes, the 2007 NA Sprints and three of the four NA Sprints in 2008.

(Radio-sport.net has tried to be as accurate as possible. If you find a mistake, or that your score line is missing a contest result, please send us an email and we will be happy to check and correct the numbers.)

The qualifying rules allow you to submit your top eight scores from certain contests. No more than four may be from multi-operator efforts.

You will note that some scores in the spreadsheets have been colored in. All multi-ops are noted with a yellow background. Scores from a contest operation outside of your home WRTC region are colored in blue.

A score that was both outside your home region and from a multi-op has a purple color.