No matter how many times I row or paddle Essex River, I can never seem to get the steering just right (can anyone?!)– And 2009 was no different. After an admittedly overzealous start in the Fast Touring Class, I had a bit of a lead coming out of the early twists and turns, but lost it all with a navigational blunder which exposed me to the worst of the foul incoming current west of Cross Island. By the time I reached the turn at bottom the two lead Unlimited skis, plus the top Fast Touring competition had caught up with me. From there on James Doucette in a Looksha II, and I in an Epic 18X were neck-and-neck the rest of the way around the island and back up the river (try as we might, neither one of us could stay on the draft of the assorted ski packs for long as they came by), with Jonathan Katz in an Endurance 18 right behind and gaining. It all made for a very close finish, with James holding the preferred position on the final inside turn, and a couple of overtaking skis thrown into the mix…. just 13 seconds separated Doucette (first), myself (second), and Katz (third) at the line. It’s great to see such close competition and equally-matched boat speeds at the end of 5.8 miles… and keeping track of where those shoals and currents are as high tide approaches remains a daunting challenge! Perhaps advance tracking of the ideal course at mid-tide with GPS (and tapping a little local knowledge regarding tidal currents) is the only way to avoid the common steering errors to which we all repeatedly fall victim! ~Dana