The Challenge Rage at LCMM.
LCMM Challenge Race
On Sunday July 15th, over 40 people rowing, paddling and pedaling an incredible diversity of craft participated in the 11th annual Challenge Race held at the Maritime Museum’s North Harbor. Pilot gigs, racing and recreational kayaks, single and double sliding and fixed seat rowboats, canoes and even some boats called “other” started the 3 mile course together.
The weather held off and everyone looked thrilled at completing what can be a grueling yet beautiful event.We thank all for participating!
LCMM Launches New 32’ pilot gig at Basin Harbor
Students and staff launch Crouching Lion,
the latest addition to LCMM's pilot gig fleet.
Summer 2007.
On Thursday May 24th, the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s Champlain Longboats Program ceremoniously launched it’s newly built 32’ rowing gig Crouching Lion. The boat was built over the winter with a group of 14 students and staff from the Champlain Valley Academy, an Addison County public school program for students in transition. They have been working on the boat four days a week starting on January 2nd, 2007. The boat builders spoke before a crowd of over 200 people after which this remarkable accomplishment came to fruition as Crouching Lion hit the water for the first time. She was accompanied around Basin Harbor by five pilot gigs built with students at the maritime Museum and rowed by youth from area rowing programs. Our deepest congratulations to the boat builders.We can tell you there there wasn’t a dry eye in the house at the launch celebration.
Students row at the falls in Vergennes, VT during the
2006 Chili Challege. Photo by Buzz Kuhns.
Eighty students and staff from Team Millenium at the Vergennes Middle School teamed up with the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum to complete the Chili Challenge on Monday, November 13th. In two shifts the students rowed five of the museums 32' and 25' rowing gigs from the falls at Vergennes, eight miles to Lake Champlain.
The vast majority of these students had never rowed a boat like these or experienced the beauty and history of Otter Creek in such an up close and personal fashion. Two Vergennes High School seniors, Elaine LaBombard and Kara Grimes were coxswains (captains) of two rowing gigs in the Chili Challenge. Both students have been members of the Vergennes rowing team since 7th grade.
Students from Vergennes Middle School
participate in this year's Chili Challenge
on Otter Creek. Photo by Buzz Kuhn.
There were some blisters and chilly rowers at the celebratory chili lunch and award ceremony which took place at the Vergennes Middle School following the event, but everyone was glowing with a sense of accomplishment.
The Vergennes intermediate six-oared team races
at the Icebreaker with downtowm Boston in the background.
On November 18th, LCMM’s Champlain Longboats Program traveled to Hull, Massachusetts to participate in the Northeast Regional Youth Open-Water Rowing Championships, the “Icebreaker,” sponsored by the Hull Lifesaving Museum. Over 50 students from Vergennes Middle and High Schools, the Diversified Occupations Program at the Hannaford Career Center in Middlebury, Bellows Free Academy in St. Albans, and the Champlain Valley Union High School made the trip. There were 160 youth from New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Vermont, and Maine at the event.
The teams were divided into three skill levels and all rowers rowed in four separate heats culminating in a full nautical mile race as the sun went down. Teams' times were accumulated for the first four heats and the final nautical mile race was timed separately. There were 25 individual races held between 9:30 AM and 4:30 PM.
A novice six-oared team from the Diversified Occupations
program in Middlebury reaches for the finish line
in the combined event.
Vergennes won 1st place in the six-oared intermediate nautical mile, 1st place in the four-oared novice combined time category and 2nd place in the six-oared intermediate combined time category. Champlain Valley Union High School placed 3rd and 4th in the intermediate six-oared combined time category. The Diversified Occupations Program from the Hannaford Career Center placed 4th in the novice six-oared combined time category. Bellows Free Academy, St. Albans placed 5th in the novice six-oared category.
This was an incredibly challenging event and it was clear that without exception, everyone gave it their all. Many victories had nothing to do with how teams placed. It was a day to be proud of.
Over sixty youth from the area, and as far away as Maine participated in the James Wakefield Rescue Row in Burlington Harbor on Saturday, October 14th, 2006. Teams came from Champlain Valley Union High School, Vergennes Middle and High Schools, the Hannaford Career Center in Middlebury, BFA St. Albans, Vinalhaven Maine High School and from Station Maine, based in Rockland.
The series of three races commemorates the courageous rescue by sailmaker James Wakefield and his son Jack of the crew and passengers of the canal schooner General Butler as it crashed into the Burlington breakwater and sank in a winter gale on December 9, 1876.
Conditions at race time were blustery and cold and all crews handled the situation with great skill and sportsmanship. Vinalhaven, Maine went home with first place honors but all involved deserve recognition for the skill and courage which they exhibited in harsh conditions. James Wakefield would have been proud.