Rochester Boat Race buoyed by rain

Georgia Sparling
May 27, 2013
Carl Dias and Aren Johansen finished with smiles on their faces. The pair came in 19th place. BY GEORGIA SPARLING
Tucker, 5, and his dad Jonathan rowed in their third race this year. BY GEORGIA SPARLING
For parents Lindsay and Harrison Harding and kids Wyatt and Chloe, the boat race is a family affair. BY GEORGIA SPARLING
Cassandra Charron, 6, cheered on her dad along with her brother Eric, 3, and cousin Sophia Cordeiro, 3. BY GEORGIA SPARLING
All boats are homemade for the race, which began as a 4-H event in 1934. BY GEORGIA SPARLING
The race starts at Grandma Hartley's pond, with boats going one at a time to make sure there isn't too much bottlenecking at the portages between ponds. BY GEORGIA SPARLING
Many of the boating pairs were parent child teams. BY GEORGIA SPARLING
Jake and Sophia Fleurent, of Fairhaven, said they would be happy to just finish the race. BY GEORGIA SPARLING
Rowing through several ponds means the racers have to hop out in a few locations and run across the street. BY GEORGIA SPARLING

Attachments

PDF icon 2013 Rochester Boat Race results

The thing about the Rochester Memorial Day Boat Race is you can’t get cocky.

Beginning at Grandma Hartley's Pond on Snipatuit Rd., the timed race has no winners until the last boat crosses the finish line at the Herring Weir in Mattapoisett.

In its 79th year, the boat race has a lot of repeat competitors.

Buoyed by the fact that the Mattapoisett River was running high and fast from several days of rain leading up to the event, many boaters hoped this was the year they would get their hands on a win.

To get ready for the race, Rochester residents Jonathan Roy and his son Tucker, 5, rowed the course in the rain. “It wasn’t good for practicing, but it was good for the race,” said Jonathan.

The pair competed in their third race together this year. “I always wanted to do it,” said Jonathan. “Tucker’s my first partner.”

After taking second place and fourth place in the parent-child division, Jonathan said, “We’re hoping to get in first through third.”

With Tucker paddling to the end, the duo reached their goal. They finished second place in the parent-child division and 11th overall with a time of 2:08:14.

“Practice, practice, practice” was the mantra of the Hardings. But the family also had plenty of experience on the course.

“It’s not our first rodeo,” said Lindsay Harding, a native of Rochester. A race veteran, this year was Lindsay’s first time paddling with her son Wyatt, 4, who raced with his dad Harrison the previous two years.

This year, Harrison took the couple’s two-year-old daughter Chloe for her first race down the Mattapoisett River. It’s all part of the race’s tradition, said Lindsay.

“It gets passed down from to the kids,” she said. “It’s fun. It’s exciting.”

Harrison and Chloe came in 41st place over all with Lindsay and Wyatt close behind at 44th place.

Practice and the risen river seemed to help many racers. Dan Lawrence and William Watling, III, both of Rochester, finished first overall and broke the record for the open division with a time of 1:46:59.

Alex and Paul Milde came in second overall with 1:48:30, followed by Jake Goyette and Ian MacGregor in third place 1:51:37.

Andrea and Sean Shaw, of Rochester, also broke a race record. The pair came in first in the co-ed division with a 1:59:01.

For complete race results, click the link below.

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