Holyoke Flatwater Race, September 29th, 2012: Last year’s 2011 Race Hugh Pritchard Wins Holyoke Going Away!

Holyoke Rows Holyoke Cup

Canoe and Kayak Race’s

Saturday September 29, 2012

Registration: $10.00 at Holyoke Rows Boathouse from 12:00 – 1:00

Start: 1:30 PM Sharp

Distance: 10K racing, 6K recreational and 1K Youth Race

Classes: Recreational and Racing classes for all types of Canoes and Kayaks, Adult, Novice and Youth

Course: Loop course on Connecticut River

Boat rentals available – Contact Mark for more info

Great Oktoberfest Potluck after the race, bring a side dish to share

!!! Prizes for all classes !!!!

Easy to get to at the crossroads of I-91 and I-90

Directions: Jones Ferry River Access Center and our boathouse are located on Jones Ferry Road off of Main Street in Holyoke, MA.

From I90 (Massachusetts Turnpike): Take exit #4 (West Springfield/I91 exit). After passing through the toll booth, bear right to the Rt. 5 exit. Merge onto Rt. 5 North (Riverdale St. / Holyoke). Follow Riverdale Street for about 8/10 of a mile. You will come to a traffic light and a fork in the road. Bear right at the fork onto Main Street. There will be signs directing you to Rts. 116 and 202 and Holyoke Center. Take the first right onto Jones Ferry Road. There will be a sign for a community garden at the entrance to the road. Turn left into the parking lot.

From I91 Northbound: Take exit #14 (Mass Pike). Stay on the left side of the exit ramp and follow the signs for Rt. 5 Riverdale Street. Take the Rt. 5 North (Riverdale St. / Holyoke) exit then follow the directions for I90.

From I91 Southbound: Take exit #14 (Mass Pike). Stay on the left side of the exit ramp and follow the signs for Rt. 5 Riverdale Street. Take the Rt. 5 North (Riverdale St. / Holyoke) exit then follow the directions for I90.

For more information contact Mark Wendolowski at 413-626-3862 orlmsc80@yahoo.com

Visit our web site for the latest information www.holyokerows.org

Below is 2011 Race Report.

Top 3, Joe,Hugh,Mark

With the surfski races over for me, I look forward to the flat water races like the Holyoke Rows Race. The race starts and finishes at the Jones Ferry Boathouse that was built in 2008. The boathouse is a 6,000-square-foot facility that includes an office, shower facilities and a meeting room and boat storage of 5000 square feet. This boat house is home to the non profit organization Holyoke Rows which teaches rowing and houses hundreds of rowing shells. With easy access from the Mass Pike and I91, this makes an excellent venue for all kinds of water events on the Connecticut River. See the link for more info. http://www.holyokerows.org/

While the weather was on and off showers and the River running a blazing 48,898 cfs, there was an excellent turnout in the Racing class of paddlers including Joe Shaw, Hugh Pritchard, Mark Wendolowski (race director), Kurt Kuhnel, and Bill Baker to name a few. We started all classes of boats with a rolling start well upstream since the water was raging. The first leg of the race was a sprint to the bridge made up of Hugh, Mark, myself, Micheal, Kurt and Joe as we jockeyed for position around the swirling water of the bridge abuttment before we headed back up stream in a massive effort pushing hard against the current. Hugh leading the pack, made an excellent turn, with Mark not too far behind. Mark by the way represented the USA in the World WildWater Championships in Augsburg, Germany a few months ago. This is him below.

Mark at World Wildwater Championships in June 2011

Michael cut inside of me and gained a few boat lengths on the turn while Joe made sure he stayed upright in his K1. After the turn, Hugh stepped on the tube that is a substitute for a footplate in the Westside Boats and never looked back. Hugh most recently won the Great Stone Dam race and clocked a 2:47:40 at this year’s Blackburn coming in 6th place in his Thunderbolt X. Mark paddling a Kayakpro Burn was lighting it up, following Hugh and catching Kurt before they made it to the second turn, 3 miles up river. Steadily Joe passed me, then Michael, and just beyond the second turn, caught Kurt, then Mark as we all screamed downriver. With Hugh finishing by over a minute ahead of Joe and Mark, the battle was for second was a photo finish between Mark and Joe.

Joe Shaw

Kurt

Last year I paddled my surfski at this race but so this year I bought a used Thunderbolt X to compete in the flatwater races. The BoltX is faster than the skis on flatwater. So I was expecting I would have a good race, however, I was doubting myself as the top guys turned in some fantastic times. Mark said the river was running exactly what it was last year so conditions were virtually the same. I compared my time and heart rate to last year’s race. It turns out I averaged 20 seconds faster per mile than I did last year and my HR was a few beats faster on average. So in the end I was faster this year than last year,but the the competition was even faster!!!

See more pics at the below link.

https://picasaweb.google.com/111670948231605580163/Holyoke2011

CT River, Holyoke Rows Boathouse, 48,898cfs, 67 degrees, north wind 12mph

K-1 Mens

Hugh Pritchard West Side Thunderbolt X 46.29
Mark Wendolowski KayakPro Burn 47.43
Joe Shaw Vajda ICF 47.435
Kurt Kuhnel Fenn Millennium 47.56
Wesley Echols West Side Thunderbolt X 50.24
Michael Melnikov Epic V-12 51.47
Bill Baker Nelo Vanquish 3 52.31
John Lazenby Kirton Taillsman 55.36
Ed Dvorchak VanDusen Mohican 56.33
Robert Agustynowicz Steller SEL 57.05

Sea Kayak

Terry Coyne 66.15
Bruce Kurtz 72.12

C-1 Men

Stephen Miller 55.33
Paul Dyka 56.27
John Casale 56.33
Seth Miller 59.13
Ron McMahon 64.41

C-2 Men

Jack Moorse / Del Cummings 48.49
Matt King / Keith Mildren 52.36
Bob Allen / Jim Roberts 55.05
Scott Dais / Bruce Daquett 56.31

C-2 Mixed

Tom Ellsworth / Emma Ross 52.01
Priscilla Reinertson / Dave VanDorpe 56.42
Tim Allen / Dawn Allen 64.06

C-2 Women

Laura Walton / Vicki Cummings 56.20