At the gun, the largest field of surfskis ever assembled at any racing event on the east coast tore away from the starting area at a high rate of speed. For such a big crowd on the water I was impressed with the degree of order with which the field moved. From my vantage point just behind the front line of paddlers, I had a great view of the front group, at least for a little while…. Don Keisling, Erik Borgnes and Pat Hemmens were the early pace setters followed closely by me and several others on their wakes.

Photo by Doug Mogill

There was the friendly fellow from New York city, Joe “Glicker” Glickman, Cory Lancaster, a man on a mission this year, Craig Impens from New Jersey on that stealthy looking black V10, Ed Joy, currently of Florida .

With my focus mainly being on what was happening ahead, I was not sure exactly how large the front pack of boats was or, for that matter, whether it was a pack at all, maybe the entire field was moving with this group.

After things settled down a little, I took a look back to see what was going on. A gap had opened behind the front pack and I was hanging on by teeth and fingernails to the waves set up by the leaders. Not a bad place to be but, I was thinking don’t get dropped now!! The work was hard and rewarding as the top guys hauled us all out to the mouth of the river and the open ocean.

As we had navigated the Annisquam River most of the paddlers were accumulating some weeds on the rudders. The first guy in the front pack I noticed slowing a little was Glicker, a two boat length gap had opened between him and Craig Impens, who was still hanging with the front group tucked in nicely on a nice juicy stern wave.

Somehow and with great relief, I found enough speed to catch Impens, as soon as I got there he asked me where Glicker was and I said he’s right behind us.

About this time, the accumulated weeds were beginning to become a factor as Ed Joy and Craig Impens deweeded each other. As they slowed to get this done I went around the two of them and lost my chance to get a deweeding too. A few minutes later both Craig and Ed went flying by me like I was dragging the sea anchor.

As Luck would have it, a few minutes later I caught my friend Margo Pellegrino on her Fuze OC1 and asked her if she wouldn’t mind clearing my rudder, she did and the magic was back in my V12. Glicker had passed me at this point, so the chase was on once again.

Looking around and ahead there was no land in sight due to the foggy conditions. There was a long line of boats ahead as the ski paddlers moved through the field of boat classes that had started ahead of us. Accurate navigation in the fog became a necessity it became apparent because the front pack of skis went wide of the course line and lost enough time to let Craig, Glicker, me and Cory get ahead of them for a little while. I was truly astonished to see the leaders passing me with roughly three quarters of the race behind us. Craig Impens went left for their wake but arrived a little too far behind to catch the train. The train of Erik Borgnes, Don Keisling and Patrick Hemmens was pretty far off to our left. Cory Lancaster was gone and most likely hammering toward the finish line alone.

Glicker was way ahead as Impens and I rounded the breakwater together, I still had some gas and was aiming to pressurize Impens on the final stretch to the finish line when he said to me ” I wish you were still racing outriggers” After a quick chuckle , we got back to the business at hand. Once again we were both with weeds, he maybe more than me as he stopped and backed them off, I stepped on the gas but the full magic of the V12 wasn’t there, maybe it was fatigue or maybe it was weeds, who knows?

As it turned out, it was weeds and Craig was coming after me in full sprint mode. The two of us finished together with Craig just ahead and my wife and her partner Colleen Moore who were their OC2 making for a three way sprint.

A great time was had by all at this terrific east coast event…..~ Erik