Changes to the RAC Contest Management Team

Changes to the RAC Contest Management Team

After 22 years of exceptional service to Canadian Radio Amateurs, Bart Ritchie, VE5CPU and Sam Ferris, VE5SF, have retired from managing RAC’s two annual contests.

The new manager for the RAC Canada Day Contest is Jim Roberts, VE7ZO.

Originally from Thunder Bay, Ontario, Jim now lives in Bowser, British Columbia in central Vancouver Island.

Jim has been an Amateur since 1967 and is a highly accomplished contester.

Jim and teammate John Sluymer, VE3EJ, represented Canada five times at the World Radiosport Team Championships, successfully winning the gold medal when it was held in Brazil in 2006.

Jim has been active from a number of high-scoring multi-op stations in the major contests including VE3EJ, NQ4I and W8JI, amongst others. He returned to Vancouver Island in 2021 and has since been building his new station.

The new manager for the RAC Canada Winter Contest is Vlad Milutinovic, VE3JM.

Vlad became an Amateur in 1980 in his native Serbia.

He is highly accomplished, has won and set record scores as a single-op and at multi-ops in major DX contests. Some of the notable multi-op stations he has operated from are VE3EJ, K1LZ, PJ2T and YU1EXY.

Vlad has built a very large station in eastern Ontario. He is highly skilled at SO2R (single-op two radio) operating and an excellent host for multi-ops.

RAC and Canadian Radio Amateurs are very lucky to have two such skilled and experienced competitors taking over.

The outgoing managers, Bart Ritchie, VE5CPU and Sam Ferris, VE5SF, have done a magnificent job with RAC’s contests for over 22 years. Jim and Vlad will continue that legacy and build upon it.

– Dave Goodwin, VE3KG – RAC Contest and Awards Committee