The Run of the Charles is one of the largest kayak races in the United States. Living near Boston has it’s perks: flat water, ocean, World Champions :New England Patriots, Boston Red Sox, Celtics, the storied Boston Marathon, and all the happenings and diversity a big city has to offer and much more.This race draws across all spectrum of paddlers from flat water specialist, surfskiers, recreation paddlers, paddler boarders and canoeist; Fun for all. With the different distances of each race, 6,9,19,24 miles all finishing at roughly the same time, paddlers have their choice of what distance to race. I want to thank all the people that make this great event happen. I also want to thank:
Leslie and Catherine Chappell https://picasaweb.google.com/100893240478342044075/ROTC2012CECLJC, Betsy Echols, Timmy Shields, and
Kelly Zablonski(Neckra),http://www.neckra.org/photos-videos/2012/rotc , for letting me use their pics.
Dave, OnSite Race Director
Betsy Echols and Steve Delgaudio
Boris Markin, Overall Winner, 2:19:00
Start 1st Wave, Rob Flanagan foreground
As in most races, their are many races within the RACE. I can share my race and I hope people will send their race within a race stories so I can share theirs too. After some debate leading up to the ROTC, I decided to do the 19 mile vice the 6 mile race I did last year. The 19 mile has 6 portages that make it very interesting. I have the paddling part down, but the portages are where you gain or lose time. So to minimize “losing time” I chose to purchase a light weight stable Viper 55 vice struggling to portage my faster ThunderboltX. By doing this, I could paddle hard, not kill myself on the portages and enjoy the race. Enjoy it I did! I had the most fun of the any previous ROTC 19 milers.
The first leg went off without a hitch, the unlimited, K1, and touring(my class), all starting together. Great i thought, I can ride wash on one of the faster boats at least until the first portage where the groups tend to splinter. The K1 guys up from New York and New Jersey shot out like rockets including Boris Markin, the winner and arguebly the one of the fastest paddlers this side of the Mississippi. He proved this last year at the East Coast Surfski Championships where he edge out Reid Hyle by a few seconds. Bill Baker, Dave Vandorpe, and Ted VanDusen, Charles River stalwarts, and others followed. As the lead packs were gone, my group jostled for position in the first half mile. Shortly after that my pack settled in: Tim Dywer, Rob Flanigan, Dave Furniss, and I in one pack. Tom Kerr in a surf ski, was always just ahead of us and by the 2nd mile Tom was well head of us and continue to put time on us with excellent portage technique(he can run and does it without the need for wheels). Tom finished with an excellent time of 2:43 and change.
Bill Baker, ROTC Legend, Credit Catherine Chappell
Bill Baker still going strong as ever!
Ted VanDusen/Dave Vandorpe (Credit Timmy Shields)
Ted VanDusen Credit Kelly Zablonski(Neckra)
Meanwhile, I am in the back of my pack trying to decide who to ride wash on for the next 4 miles, Dave Furniss or Tim and Rob. As it turned out, I rode Dave for about a mile, then feeling good, decided to over take Tim and Rob which I did. At this point Tim and I fell into our familiar training regiment sharing the pulling load. Dave and Rob followed us in the train. Not exactly knowing how far until the next portage, I told Tim, I wanted to break the pack up so I put in a surge and we dropped Rob and Dave as we approached the first portage. The first portage is a short portage so I held my own for this portage and the second one. The 3rd portage is a half mile and this is where the race breaks wide open. For the paddlers that excel at portaging, Dave Furniss, Tom Kerr, Dave Vandorpe and others they can gain significant time. At this point, I can’t help myself but to distinguish between the guys who use wheels and those who don’t. The wheel guys in my group,Tim and Rob immediately opened up a hundred yard lead in a matter of seconds over me with no wheels, and increased it with each passing second. No problem, I have a the same choice as they do, wheels or no wheels. What really impresses me is the guys like Dave Furniss in a 40lb boat keeping up with the wheel guys and paddling a touring class boat. Dave won the touring class beating me by 5 minutes. He is STRONG!! Who is also strong are the guys behind me like Roger Gocking, Ray Fusco, Mark Ceconi and many more who portage their 30-40lbs boats. That is ceases to be fun and falls into the PAIN category in my book.
Tom Kerr, Winner Unlimited, Credit Kelly Zablonski(Neckra)
Dave Furniss, Winner Touring Class, Tim Dwyer, Credit Kelly Zablonski(Neckra)
Dave Vandorpe, Credit Kelly Zablonski(Neckra)
Mark Ceconi
Wesley Echols, Credit Leslie Chappell
Dave Furniss, Winner Touring Class
Wesley Echols, Mark Jacobson after race
Wesley,Chris,Francisco
Tim,Steve,Betsy,Tom,Mark
So as I soldiered on through the long portage, with Dave, Rob, Tim out of sight, I hear foot steps with 100 yards to go of this half mile portage. It is Mark Jacobson, one of the managers of Charles River Canoe and Kayak passing me in Bill Baker’s old tiger K1 that Bill sold me, that I then sold to Mark. Mark can paddle and run with it, I could never paddle it! Mark puts some time on me but I slowly reel him in on the water as the next portage approaches. He then puts time on me at the portage and I slowly reel him in on the water. By the time we get to the Broken Dam mini rapids, I am 3 boat lengths back watching intently Mark’s line through the section. Years ago, I capsized here, and Mark just ahead of me, was there having spun out in the eddy. I had that dear in the head light look, that Mark saw, and his firm instruction broke my inaction to action, swim to shore! This year however, Mark had a perfect line through the current while I spun out in the eddy. So for the last 6 miles of the race Mark and I paddled together talking and sharing the pulling. With about a 1.5 miles to go we spotted those big orange rims of Rod Flanagan. I told Mark, let’s go get Rob. We did not get Rob but we closed within a few seconds of him. This was the most enjoyable 19 mile ROTC race I have done.
Pictures take by Kelly Zablonski posted on the New England Canoe and Kayaking Racing Association are wonderful so get a full flavor of the race below. Leslie and Catherine Chappell are also fantastic.
http://www.neckra.org/photos-videos/2012/rotc
https://picasaweb.google.com/111670948231605580163/Rotc2012#
https://picasaweb.google.com/111670948231605580163/Rotc201202
Results:
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