Different Bull, Still Holding On!

2019 Ride the Bull Race

I had the idea to several years ago that we needed a rough water race that would test our skills without being off shore. Having paddled in Jamestown for many years, there are sections that can be challenging on most days. If the wind is Northerly, the Jamestown Harbor will be chopped up while the section from Bull Point to Mackeral Cove will be in the lee except for the entrance to Mackeral Cove. This section still gets the ocean swells, refractory waves and if the wind is out of the west or southwest you can add this to the mix. Add the opposing tide, and you get Ride The Bull conditions. If that was not enough, stir in major boat traffic that includes car carriers, mega yachts, sailboats racing and you get a day in Newport/Jamestown.

We have changed the course over the years to include navigation cans and major turning points such as rocks with a two loop course along rocky cliffs, rocks, ledges and even a tidal race. Today’s race forecast called for increasing winds 15-20 gusting to 35 mph which would have been a survival paddle that no one enjoys so we changed the course.

Before the start of the altered course for this race, two excellent rough water paddlers chided me on the course change. I told them we will have four miles of downwind and many paddlers would not be happy with chaotic waters of the original course since the wind was beginning to pick up. So instead, we all got nine miles of mixed condition racing where everyone came away satisfied to complete the race.

With the wind, current and boat wakes, the start of the race on my count was uneven since I was drifting quickly into moored boats. Everyone made it through the gauntlet of sailboats and motorboats. One sailboat race had their race buoys in a direct line with our course to House on the Rocks. I have never raced in that much boat traffic. So I am glad we all made it safely in this section of the race.

My two person race group was made up of Kurt Hadem and Kirk Olsen who were within a few boat lengths when we passed House on the Rock before turning around Bull Point Rock. Kirk took a tighter turn as I watched him not miss beat, as I paused slightly and got lined up for a direct line under the middle span of the Newport Bridge. Kirk told me later conditions on their previous Beverly Tuesday night races were much more chaotic than today’s conditions.

As Kurt, and Kirk, got a quick few boat lengths ahead, I quickly closed on Kirk and I believe Kurt capsized shortly there after. This was the beginning of the four mile downwind leg to Gould Island as watch Kirk stay slightly ahead of me always in shouting distance. I shouted to Kirk several times alerting him to few sailboats that were skipping across the bay. Just two weeks ago Kirk reeled me in at the Sakonnet Race on a flat day.

Today I was chasing him the whole race in my new to racing Think Zen with 6 inch DK rudder. In all my racing career, I have never raced an SS20+ class ski that includes the Zen, V8, S18S, Bluefin and others. I typically don’t buy this class of skis to review though I get asked all the time to compare which I have when I borrowed or owned skis in this class. I did borrow the S18S 2G to review it last year and since then I have sold Think skis for the past 18 months. So I have access to the Think boats including my custom color Zen that I used today. I posted a first take on the Zen in January of this year(2019) and have updated that review as I have gotten more bucket time. I have clocked some fast times on my Zen, so I was naturally very curious, how I would fare in today’s race compared to my fellow racers having never raced this class of skis before. So I was very excited how it paddled and my 7th place in a mixed condition rough water race.

As we got to Northern point of Gould Island, Kirk was a few lengths ahead and Jim Hoffman pulled up beside me. Rounding Gould Island we quickly realized it was going to be massive upwind grind on choppy quarter beam seas with winds 20-25 mph. The question for everyone was which line to take back to the Newport Bridge, go directly into the wind, or bear right(quarter beam) to hopefully get some relief from the S/to SW winds by being in the lee of Taylor point. Kirk took a more westerly line before turning up directly into the wind. I chose to a more direct line into the wind and caught Kirk. Then wanting to be out of the wind as I was 3/4 mile from Taylors Point, I jogged right and Kirk regained his lead and put a about 20 seconds on me by the time we reached the Newport Bridge. With a half mile to go, I up the tempo and caught Kirk with about 50 yards to the finish line coming in a 7th and 3 seconds of Kirk.

Everyone made it back safely. I was worried as the Race Director if everyone could paddle upwind for that distance. As I have said for years, New England paddlers are grinders and so we did some grinding and some bull riding. See Greg’s race summary of the top paddlers fared. Congratulations of all who paddled today and the podium winners, Melissa, Greg, Jan, and Chris Quinn.