Event Date
The premier open water race for human powered boats, the Blackburn Challenge is not always fun to do, but it is fun to have done. The event starts in the Annisquam River and goes clockwise around Cape Anne, and finishes about 20 miles later under the greasy pole in Gloucester, MA. Some 250 boats typically participate in this event from traditional Banks Dories to 6-man Outrigger Canoes as you would expect to see in Hawaii.
I don't do this race with any expectation of winning, but it gives me a goal to get in shape for, and allows me to test the limits of some of my boat designs. It is fun to see all the different boats on the water, and there are usually a good selection of hand-made boats.
