Submitted by Peter Turcan
Scottish weather may have kept the entry light, 22 boats, but the competition was tough. With Juraj (pronounced Uri) in the front seat of the spectacularly well designed Fenn Mako double surf ski, and with me filling up the rear seat, we kept our warm up short in the rain. Thankfully the rain backed off and the clouds lifted for the race.
The start was a blast – our GPS recorded bursts of speed of 16.9 kph – so quick we had to back down to save blowing a gasket. This left us in fourth position, with the rowing double of Bob Maki and Richard Ramsey taking a slight lead over the mixed double of Peter Hirtle and Christy Mills, and the ever present Tyler Peterson lying third. We lost “ground” and gained it again surfing the swells out to the first turn. Our speed varied from 12.9 to 15.9 kph. Lying fourth but still in touch we gained a little on the turn – as kayaks usually do over rowing vessels – and slowly hauled passed Tyler. He was going well so I assume he stopped for tea soon after this to account for the five minute gap at the finish.
Both rowing doubles gained on us on the second leg across the sound, though we pulled a lot back on the second turn. Up to this point our style was a little choppy – recovering perhaps from the start. Following the second turn Juraj set the smoothest style of our race – perhaps because it was into a head-wind all too familiar to us at Green Lake. Keeping a bit more out to sea than the rowers (to stay in the deep water) we slowly gained about two inches per minute to pass both doubles, the mixed double of Peter and Christy trying very hard to close the gap on Bob and Richard. Being the strong competitors that they are neither double faded once they were passed, as so many do. We held a slight lead of a boat length maybe for a while, but then Bob and Richard in more sheltered water inched back passed us and took a lead of a few boat lengths. However our smooth run continued and within sight of the finish line, about a mile out, Juraj upped the pace from about 12 kph (still into a headwind but will calmer water) to about 13 kph. This meant burning calories at a fierce rate, controlling breathing and movement to avoid blowing up.
We inched up behind the double shell then pulled off to the side a bit to clear their wake. Keeping up this pace we inched passed the double shell and took a short lead – all within sight of the finish line crew and spectators now yelling support for one boat or the other! Bob and Richard did not seem to have a response to our sprint after being such tough competitors for most of the race. My guns started to complain at the pressure and my stroke suffered a bit, but we held the pace to the end for a time eight seconds under the hour. I stuffed my face with the chili and fruit pie served up by the volunteers to celebrate a rare first place.
Other sights of the race included Vern, Janet and crew in their wooden OC6, Mike Lampi’s fast and slim contraption of a pedal boat, the Johnston’s family double, and Rob O’Brien sticking his tongue out at Michal Lampi’s camera and screwing up his timing with Theresa, and some good paddling and rowing from the rest of the competitors. And unlike some previous years the attentive safety boats could watch rather than rescue.
