Essex River: Terror on the Low Seas

The Essex River Race holds a special place in my heart. At the 2004 race, I stood on the shores and watched the most fascinating collection of watercraft I had ever seen. A month later, we bought a house 5 minutes down the road (perhaps correlation doesn’t imply causation, but it seemed at least kismet in this case) and I started training for that summer’s Blackburn. Flash forward 23 years and there I am hoisting the Essex River trophy with my remaining arm. But I’m getting ahead of myself…

As always, the race would be a 5.7 mile voyage down the winding Essex River, around Cross Island, across a wide estuary, and back up the river.  Between tidal currents and sandy shallows, choosing the right line can tax even the most seasoned navigator.  Which is why most people just blindly follow whoever happens to be in front of them at the moment.  The entire field of 1997 was found having lunch at an Ipswich clam house after the lead rower got hungry midway through the race.

…please visit Greg’s Blog to read the complete article.  
Be sure to check out his Race Results Pages!!

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