LCMM challenge

Lake Champlain Maritime Museum had their challenge race Saturday. Originally scheduled in July, it was postponed due to thunderstorms. We gave Tom no end of grief because he's been practicing with a wing paddle on his kajaksport and ordered a racing boat. Now on the 1 day a year with a local opportunity to race, he was off in New Hampshire picking up the new boat.

The race is for any human powered boat, and there were 4 of us in "single men's recreational kayak"
There were also 4 or 5 of these longboats which were made at the museum by high school kids, starting from trees:

From Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

and a couple of Adirondack guideboats:

From Lake Champlain Maritime Museum

I'm not sure who got best time on this 3 mile course. It was either the fastest longboat, or a guy in an outrigger canoe.. both far enough ahead that I couldn't tell! The second longboat, a guy in a Hobie pedal drive, and I were all pretty close, but in different classes. Next time, depending on the weather, I might ditch the PFD. It was *slightly* restrictive for taking deep breaths, and hot. I had to stop paddling a bunch of times to scoop a hatfull of water on my head and rollled just past the finish line.

My local high school finished a few minutes later:



Sunday there was a new boat to try. We launched from Leddy Beach and pretty much stayed in that bay going up, down, and cross wind for 3 or 4 hours. Tom's Rapier only LOOKS twice as long as Jamie's Explorer

From Kayak2008