2015 Blackburn Challenge Results

Good People,
Attached please find the preliminary results for this year’s Blackburn Challenge.  The race happened yesterday, Saturday July 25.  It’s a 20-mile open ocean race around Cape Ann.
Chris Chappell, you can post this on the web site to get the usual feedback from race participants regarding the accuracy.
There are many, many stories from this race.  Tamsin, Donna tells me you were there when some of the #$@% was hitting the fan on the beach, so you know a little bit about what was going on.
Although the wind speed was fairly normal for this area, the wind direction made for tough conditions (north, north-east blowing down the back shore).  Here are some facts that make this race stand out:

• There were 59 participants who started the race and did not finish.  Last year there were 6.  I wouldn’t be surprised to learn we had the largest number of DNF in Blackburn history, but I don’t know that.  The last big weather year was 2000, and I count 33 DNFs that year.
• This was the year of the High Performance Kayak.  There were only four boats that finished in under 3 hours, all of them single HPK men.  Last year 48 boats finished in under 3 hours, and they were all different kinds of boats.  The winning HPK boat finished sixth overall.  Normally the big multi person boats and the sliding seat racing boats own the fastest times.
• The race committee accounted for every single boat, every single human.  The participants were excellent to help us out by calling the race number when they stopped.  We took to putting the official race number on the wrist bands we use for meal tickets.  That has proven very helpful. 
• The timing boat followed in the last two participants relieving the coast guard who had a very busy day. 
• The chase boats won the day with their immediate response to challenging conditions.  
• The Gloucester police were also very helpful on the water lending a tow rope to a boat in distress. 
• Many, many race participants put aside their competitive nature to help a fellow racer in trouble.  We deduct time from participants who lose time helping others. 
• The ham radio guys keep track of all the boats on the course.  They know how many have dropped out, how many have passed half way, how many rounded the breakwater.  This proved invaluable for tracking the boats.
• It was a very well run race.

2015 Blackburn Preliminary Results are up on the website for download. If any questions, discrepancies please let us know. http://www.blackburnchallenge.com/CARC_Race_Results.asp