Blackburn Challenge Race Around Cape Ann July 25, 2015

Posted on by paultmorrison

A week from Saturday the gun goes off for the race around Cape Ann. Still time to sign up before the July 20 deadline. Click here for race info at awesome Cape Rowing Club that sponsors the race.

Start at the high school, gun goes off north of the railroad bridge, paddle down the river and then start taking right turns until you go all the way around and into Gloucester Harbor to the Greasy Pole Finish line. Simple.
Start at the high school, gun goes off north of the railroad bridge, paddle down the river and then start taking right turns until you go all the way around and into Gloucester Harbor to the Greasy Pole Finish line. Simple. (Click the map for a better view and secret messages from Donna and Rick as well as the Milk Island Seagulls.)

Rubber Duck and I have done this race five times and it is great fun, uh, a wonderful test of endurance, uh, an accomplishment for an old fat dude who sits in front of a computer too much of the year! It is a staggered start so a standard sea kayak gets to go before all the high performance vehicles paddled by sinew and muscle. It is entertaining to watch them all fly by on wakes you could water ski behind.

Over 300 of these crazy people have signed up. They are probably all doing an Iron Man Challenge this weekend followed by a double marathon the day before the Blackburn. When you talk them they seem like such normal people. Jimmy Tarantino types.
Over 300 of these crazy people have signed up already. They are probably all doing an Iron Man Challenge this weekend followed by a double marathon the day before the Blackburn. When you talk to them they seem like such normal people. Jimmy Tarantino types except he does the whole race in a Grand Banks Dory!! Jimmy T, why don’t you stop by Joey’s dock and stick ten wooden lobster traps in your dory and make it a real challenge?

So I was thinking of changing it up a bit for the Rubber Duck. The day before (Friday July 24) high tide is at 5:41 AM. So if I did the paddle from the tennis courts at the high school at 6AM I get a nice tide, the cool morning for most of the paddle, and no crowds mowing me over. Might even be all the way around before that dreaded southwest wind starts piling up in your face.

Anyone else want to go for a paddle on Friday? Leave a comment. I have two spare kayaks. We won’t try to break any speed record. Maybe even stop for lunch on Straitsmouth Island or Thacher Island. And if the Good Harbor Beach looks like a good finish line then why not pull in there instead of those last grueling miles in the Harbor?

Yo Adam Bolonsky! Ed Collard! You’ve both gone all the way around. Anybody else? On Saturday we could hang on Pavilion Beach, “Oh yeah, did that yesterday mon.” (That’s a Jamaican accent, I will pack bear can lettuce and tomato sandwiches. If you say that with an accent you will get it.)

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Published by paultmorrison

4 thoughts on “Blackburn Challenge Race Around Cape Ann July 25, 2015”

  1. Rubber Duck and master,
    If you do the Blackburn on Friday, Glass Slipper will not be on station off Lanes Cove. When you get around to the outer harbor you will see a bunch of 420s racing between Ten Pound Island and SW harbor. The Glass Slipper crew will be there running the races for the Sail GHS summer sail training program and you can check in with me there. I will swear that you went by me.
    Damon

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    1. Thanks Damon, I will be sure to hunt Glass Slipper down so my finish can be notarized. If I leave at 6AM about 4 to 5 hours later by 11 AM except lunch on Straitsmouth and snacks on Thacher could slow me down.

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      1. Good. We wrap up racing at about 10:45, then haul the marks and tow the boats in to get the sailing students ashore at noon. I will try to remember to bring a stamp and witness on the committee boat.

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