Flat, Fast, Friendly, 2014 Sakonnet River Race

We had a great turn out at this year’s Sakonnet Race with 27 boats including sea kayaks and double kayaks from the Achilles Team. The weather forecast was spot on with light northernly winds switching to southwest during the race to flatten the last three miles to almost glass. Caroline Pierre made the long trip from Montreal to participate and along with Beata who represented the women for today’s race. Two trailers of boats made their way from Connecticut, one from Achilles with Gary Williams at the helm and the other trailer from Ocean Paddle Sports East with Jim, Steve, Mark, and Tom.

Caroline Pierre from Montreal

This is my seventh year of hosting this race. Each year it continues to grow by a few surfskis and today as I mentioned we had two single kayaks (John and Eddy) join us which is super. My wife Betsy who has supported all my surfski endevours if you can believe that, was there to help me along with Leslie Chappell taking pictures. Leslie was able to sneak a six mile paddle and Betsy was able to demo her ski after the race as well.

Chris, Leslie,Betsy, Wesley

The start was uneventful with everyone avoiding the sand bar on their way to the turn buoy 6 miles down the river. Everyone separated quickly with one pack going close to shore to avoid the incoming tide while Borys, Greg, Beata chose to be in the middle of the Sakonnet. We could see them a third of a mile to our left. Eric McNett(3rd) and Andrius(4th) chose a less taxing line closer to shore well ahead of our pack made up of Chris, me, Joe Shaw, Eric Constanzo and Mike McDonough. Both Joe and Eric C. and Mike commented that Chris and I set a quick pace for the first three miles before all three passed Chris and I at Black Point. I was not feeling the MoJo early on, so thankfully, my partner in crime, Chris, virtually pulled me the whole race, thank you, thank you, a friendly race indeed! I was struggling the first six miles until we made the turn and then I felt much better after a gel and hydration.

Miles five and six, Chris and I slowed slightly to bring my heart rate from 167 down to a respectable 160 so I could recover some. We watched the faster boats come by us at the turn buoy but unlike Chris’s visible Huki, it was tough to discern who some of the other paddlers were. Some where in that lead pack was Matt Drayer (6th)who had a super race. Borys(1st) at the turn lead Greg(2nd) by a few minutes, virtually the same margin Greg had on Eric M. While Mike, Eric C, and Joe were ahead of Chris and I at the turn, Tim, Bruce, and Tom were reeling us in. With the tide now behind us, Chris and I took an outside line picking up the pace since but these guys trading pulls closer to shore, were about to over take us. So at mile seven with Tom leading their pack, I jumped on Tom’s bow wash with Chris now behind me if only for a short time. Chris took the lead which he held from mile eight to the finish pulling our group the rest of the race.

Our pack virtually stayed in tack until the finish with Bruce dropping off about a mile to go and Tim only a boat length or two behind us. So just before the sand bar at McCorrie Point and the finish, Chris accelerated dropping both Tom and I. Tom slowed to make some kind of adjustment in his boat, so I thought great, I now have the separation I needed. As I led over the sand bar, I got sucked in by the shallow water, and Tom just few yards to my right pass me at this point, finishing two seconds ahead. Tim made another great push finishing seconds behind me. Our pack did manage to close the gap in this leg on Mike, Eric C, and Joe, and pass Beata, as we had the better outside line.

Finish of the race

While we did not get any wave action today with flat conditions, it was the fastest race ever with Borys and Greg eclipsing Sean Breenan’s 2011 course record. I clocked my fastest time as well by a couple of minutes. It was a very competitive race with six paddlers, Mike M, Chris, Tom, me, Tim, and Beata all finishing within a minute of each. The pack just ahead of us, saw Joe Shaw nipped Matt at the line followed by Eric C a few seconds back.

Borys with a Course Record

Greg with course record also!

Thanks to everyone for coming. I want to thank Chris Laughlin of North Coast Kayaks for donating the MTI pfd won by Beata at the raffle, along with Adventure Joe’s Coffee brought by Eric M. Also thanks to Vaikobi for sponsoring the series and for the crew at Ocean Paddle Sports East for bringing the trailer of demo boats for all of us to try.

Some more pics. I had problem with one of my cameras so many did not come out.

https://plus.google.com/u/1/photos/111670948231605580163/albums/6022298663847458705

UPDATE: Additional Photos from Leslie