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Big Little Boat Festival: Part 2
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When we planned the 2021 Big Little Boat Festival over the winter of 2021, we decided that racing was a good socially-distant activity. We offered races for paddlers, paddleboarders, rowers, and sailors. A regular gallimaufry of small craft showed up, making for fun racing. And sometimes frantic timing and spreadsheet work on the part of the race committees.
Find full racing results here
The 20-mile "Deale or No Deale Race" comprised a dash down the Bay to a turnaround off Skipper's Pier in Deale and back to Camp Wabanna. This mixed-fleet race started early, with six paddlers, four sailboats, and two rowers.
The paddling division was dominated by surf skis racers, though sea kayaker Mark Nye held his own, finishing third in class with his Nick Schade-designed Yukon. Rowers Dale Haak with his Oxford Shell II and Kevin Littell in his Annapolis Wherry made up their own class in fine style.
David Edinberg's custom 16-foot racing dinghy won the sailing division of the 20-mile race, with CLC's own John Staub in his Outrigger Junior not far behind in second place.
Later in the morning, the starters for the eight- and three-mile races went off in a group, with paddlers and rowers going first, followed by the sailing fleet. The breeze was well suited for sailing but the resulting chop made paddling and rowing a bit more challenging.
By far the largest contingent of competitors were in the stand up divisions of both the three- and eight-mile races. Race director Nicky Stimpson had her hands full tracking times for each division of each race.
Racing was very close in the sailing division of the 8-mile race. Although Charles Fausold's Southwester Dory is in the lead at this photo of the turning mark, at the finish line he fell to second by a mere two seconds behind Dan Radovsky's Goat Island Skiff.
