I went through what seemed like a three minute blizzard somewhere on Route 128, 15 miles from Hull. Otherwise it was a good trip, although I did have to backtrack once when I was in the wrong lane somewhere on 95. Didn’t see the sign while switching from my sunglasses to regular glasses.

Wayne at his Lighthouse To Lighthouse Race – Sept 2011

“You got to fill out a form first, then you stand in a line.” Sings Paul Simon.

I stand in the registration line with form filled out.

“Surfskier?” I say to the guy behind me.

“Yeah, first time I’ve done this race. How does the course go? What is the buoy on the other side of the island?”

“It’s this big day marker beacon thing. You can probably see where everyone else is headed.”

“Well, I hope I’ll be in front!”

“Oh! You must know Wesley and those guys, if you’re in front, they won’t be too far behind, maybe you can see which way they are headed. You know, I always thought you kayakers should wear mirrors like I do, and then you can see who is coming up behind you! I’m Wayne Lysobey by the way.”

“Sean Brennan.”

“Oh yeah, I remember you from the Lighthouse to Lighthouse Race. Well- maybe you will be out in front!”

Skip to the awards- Sean was indeed out in front. Broke 30 minutes. Smoked the field by four minutes. The top times were Sean in his surfski, Ray Panek in an Echo 18 sliding seat, and Pilot Gig Belle Fast. Three very different kinds of boats for the top three finishers. Amazing. Gotta love the Snow Row.

Back to the start. Looks like lots of bright paint was sold to the big fixed seat boat people this year. Very colorful start. There are lots of old salts, wooden boat lovers and tough competitors in those boats. My favorites though are the high school teams, some fixed seat and some in the open water sliding seat fours like from Cohasset. I noticed at the awards some fellow nutmegers from the Sound School in New Haven, CT got awards for something. Way to go Sound School!

My race was OK. Fast start, after a couple minutes I had to bring down my pace. Gary and Jim, rowing right behind me, didn’t look like they were ready to slow down.

“Right ahead of you, I’m moving starboard.” They got ahead and stayed that way. At least I didn’t get run over! They were fastest sliding seat double in their Merry Sea. They do need to take off that lettering that says “Tom Mailhot and the Other Guy” on one side, and the same for John Zeigler on the opposite side.

The week before the race I had been thinking I was not too excited about competition. Then I started thinking about the Snow Row and my favorite competitors.- wind, waves and currents. I heard reports they were expected to show again this year. That’s what floats my boat! The pontoons help float my boat also. They were mandatory for the skinnier sliding seats like mine this year. Pontoons were all de rigueur. Good thing I had them on my riggers. The first leg of the course, out to the Island, is where we had the current, following sea and tailwind this year. My old friends, come to play.

It’s a rush feeling the boat running downwind as I am flying, “rushing the slide”, up to get the next bladefulls of water to keep propelling me through the following seas. I love the sound, the sight, the feel and the salty taste of it. I probably was never going more than eight knots. It felt like 100. The bow buries, the blades need to hurry through the water, just to try and keep up with the boat. The churned up water feels light against the oars while the boat is surfing forward. You need quick strokes, some short, some long, depending on the feel of the wave.

Don’t let the flat water rowers know how much fun this is. It may get too crowded out there.

Long Live Open Water!
-Wayne Lysobey 
Lighthouse To Lighthouse Race Organizer 

Check out the “Official Snow Row Video” by Tarah Llewellyn[youtube xfFPgjv5_qY 560 315]