This was the third year of the Sakonnet River Race. For the past two years we had roughly twenty-five paddlers, I expected about thirty paddlers this year but due to the violent and scary thunderstorms that moved up the East Coast, we had a small but competitive group of paddlers. There were many things different about this year’s race. One was that we had a single rower, Bill Russell, who I have chatted with off and on for a few years and enjoyed his good friend Wayne Lysobey who contributes to our site. Bill was clearly energized after the race as he showed me his GPS clocking his fastest max time ever on his shell at 9.1 mph, as he surfed down a wave. A second thing that was different was that we had two doubles in the race: Jim Hoffman/Steve Delgaudio and Mark Ceconi/Sean Milano. There is something pleasing about watching two paddlers in near-perfect union paddling a double. Jim and Steve looked like they were in sync as I watched them just ahead of me most of the race. Mark and Sean could be heard behind me at different downwind sections with the wind carrying their voices over the water and through the fog. A third difference was that I had planned for three race courses based on the weather so we went with option 2 keeping everyone closer together in case of fog and thunderstorms, which worked out very well with 6 miles of downwind and (two) three mile legs upwind and against the current. What was not different from previous years is that I had a lot of help from my wife Betsy, my son Tyler and Chris’s wife Leslie in taking pics, setting up registration and much more.


After some deliberation in whether to have the race or just go for a training paddle due to the weather, we chose to have the race since it looked like on the radar we had a window of weather without thunder storms. Most of the race was close to shore so any of us could have pulled out if necessary. So off we went!!! Unlike the Essex River Race where Tim was calling commands, I was instructing Tim to bear left after the first few strokes so I would stay clear of a mooring, fishing lines, and the sand bar that was all within the first minute of the race. After a half mile, Jim/Steve in their double were a few boat lengths ahead of me looking New York smooth. I would call out to them a few times during the first few miles to bear left as we headed toward Sandy Point Beach. During the 1st mile Tim was with me with others in tow. Shortly after the first mile, I was able to open up a gap headed toward the first buoy turn. I must admit I was tempted to hitch a ride on Jim/Steve but thought better of it since this would be drafting out of class. Instead I was always about three boat lengths behind except where I got a lead around the turn. It was a little confusing which mooring to turn on since two had orange stickers on them. I had placed orange 1ft by 1ft orange stickers on the last mooring but one of the previous moorings had a orange violation ticket on it that proved confusing. So in this slight hesitation on Jim/Steve’s part, I caught them momentarily only to have them pass me with fifty yards as we headed downwind.

Both Jim/Steve and I took a line to get us in the wind and current while others stayed closer in what would prove costly to them. Jim/Steve opened up a gap as I saw them catch a wave that I did not. So off they went, taking a great line headed toward Island Park Beach 6 miles downwind. I don’t think they knew what a great choice they made as they told me later. Meanwhile I stayed out a little further trying to take advantage of my home field(water) knowledge. Jay Appleton, who windsurfed for years in this area took a line even further out as I would occasionally look back to see Jay off my right side. During this time Mark/Sean caught Tim around McCorrie Point at mile 6. (see photos). By the time we got to the Island Park turn mooring, six miles downwind, Jay edge around the mooring ahead of me and my lead had been taken away. Little did Jay know at the time, as we discussed the race afterwards, I was conserving some of my energy for the three mile slog back to McCorrie Point after a torrid three mile start in the beginning of the race. I wondered if I had gone out too fast?

This course makes up my time trial courses that I paddle almost everyday so I felt somewhat confident that I could recapture the lead. As Jay confessed afterwards, his gut told him to get out of the current as he rounded the mooring but he did not. I did however!! Jay looked around trying to figure out where I was and he found me a few boat lengths ahead and about 50 yards to his right hugging the shore line like I have done hundreds times before in my time trials of all my surfskis. I opened a lead of about a minute and held it until the finish. Jim/Steve put the hammer down in this three mile leg despite taking a direct line back in the current to the open up a two minute gap on me. Mark/Sean were closing fast on me in the last mile having passed Jay at some point in this last stretch. So that is how we finished with Jim/Steve taking first overall, me first in singles, with Jay having another great race in second, Mark/Sean next, then Tim rounding out third place in the singles.

Afterwards, we all swapped boats. Tim and I jumped in both the Mako XT double and the Elite Double with what little energy we had left. Most everyone had a go in one of my demo Stellars. I raffled off a paddle won by Dave. So all in all, it was another good day to be on the water with friends and family. We have many great pictures taken by Betsy and Leslie so take a look. Thanks to everyone!! Next race: the storied Blackburn!!! ~ Wesley