Lighthouse To Lighthouse Race Summaries - 2009

Contributors: Mark Ceconi, Wayne Lysobey & Wesley Echols

L2L Translates to ‘Lots to Love’: Lighthouse to Lighthouse Race 2009
By Mark Ceconi

‘A little bit of everything,’ was how one competitor was overheard referring to the conditions at this year’s Lighthouse to Lighthouse Race, in Westport CT.  The ‘L2L’, as it’s affectionately known to the coolest of the cool in paddler lingo, is a fourteen mile total out and back course that launches from Compo Beach, loops its scenic way around the Norwalk Islands past two lighthouses, roundy rounds around a third, and finishes BATB (back at the beach). A sunny forecast, winds from the northwest, and 1-2 foot seas promised a grand day on the water for all paddlecraft. It did not disappoint.

‘Feels like a mini Blackburn,’ has been the descriptor used for this race. Although Long Island Sound doesn’t offer up the potential ‘Perfect Storm’ conditions of the Blackburn, it does offer a fairly central location for paddlers from ME, MA, RI, CT, NY, NJ, and PA, along with an idyllic setting, and kickin’ finish line party, replete with raw bar. The competitor’s list was long this day: surfskis in abundance, kayak singles and doubles, OC-1s and 2s, and ‘big Hawaiian outriggers’ (M!) in attendance. The day dawned cold and crisp; fall had served notice. The hardworking folks at the registration desk were uber organized, assigning nifty plastic competitor number plates, and dispensing duct tape, and long sleeved t shirts with wide smiles. Race Director Wayne ‘Mr. Striped Singlet, Backwards Rowing Guy’, and his entourage, including Gary Williams, Jean Trapani, and Michele Sorensen, pulled off a grand event, aided by many incredible volunteers.

The surfski crowd was in full attendance. Eric McNett had arrived from ME. The MA boys were there, represented by Cory, the Mikes (Tracy and McDonough), Sean Milano, Chris ‘Jedi Webmaster’ Chappell, and even the multi-talented Joe Shaw, paddling his first and only surfski race of the season. RI contributed Wesley ‘Points Man’ Echols, and Tim ‘Overdrive Gear’ Dwyer. From CT came yours truly, Tom Kerr, and Dave Grainger. NY offered up Joe “Birthday Boy’ Glickman, Paul Banks, Steve Delgaudio, Bob Capellini and Marcus DeMuth. Finally, NJ doled out Sean Brennan, Craig Impens, Ray Zuhowski, and Kathy Kenley, who completed the event after breaking her hip back in June (Go, Kathy!), along with many other familiar names and faces.

The starts were staggered in five minute flights, beginning at 9:15. Flight #4, HPKs, lined up en masse across the line from buoy to buoy; heaps of horsepower straining against an invisible rein. At the honk of the starting horn, the field literally exploded from the line. Looking down at my GPS, heartrate already soaring past 170, the numbers inched up from 8 mph. The leaders were already going away, spurred on by Sean Brennan, who was holding an incredible pace. Before we reached the mile mark at Cockenoe Island, the field was a long punctuated train, bearing down on the back of the previous flight of fast sea kayaks. This was going to be a hard one. My view…

The wind was at our backs, and the tide was with us. My GPS settled into a steady 7.5 mph as I attempted to pick up the rebound swells off the big island. For the first four miles, there were small rides to be had if you kept your speed up and timing was on. Different folks plied different strategies, my own selecting to stay further out to sea, well out beyond Pecks Ledge Lighthouse. It seemed to be to be advantageous, running with the tide. The swell periods were longer out there also, offering the opportunity to work sets of mini runners. I jumped on Mike McDonough’s wake as he came by me in his S1-X. Huki pinned to Huki, I sucked his stern for a while like a well-schooled leech, until he simply powered away. De-mor-a-liz-ing.

About mile 4, in the opening approaching Shea Island, the texture changed. The shallow underwater topography of the area funnels current between Shea and Chimon Islands. The result is, as Wesley terms it: ‘jobbly water’. Here I was able to come by several racers, the stability of my S1-R a definite asset for this paddler in the washing machine chop. Passing Chris Chappell in his V10, he jokingly called out:  “Should have taken the Spooooort….!!!” There were battles going on well ahead, the front runners already out of sight over the horizon. The tide still with us, the wind blowing steadily at our backs, I knew the return trip back was not to be so pleasant, and was picturing what the turnaround several miles ahead at Greens Ledge Lighthouse would be like-wobblies and jobblies…’Beware the Jabberwock, my son!’

My prediction was dead on. Shortly before the lighthouse turnaround, the area became a sloppy mess of boat wake, fetch, and backwash chop off the island. This area always displays some activity, and the winds this day furthered it along. I could see the leaders on their return trip back, rounding the lighthouse on the rocks clockwise in the lee. My buddy, Tom, was on my wash. He had recouped after I passed him earlier struggling with his Camelbak bite valve that had popped off for the umpteenth time. I knew Tommy was gunning for me, his goal to hand the other members of our informal team ‘On a Wing and a Prayer’ a heapin’ helpin’ of whuppin’ in a ‘formal race,’ as he put it. All in good fun, but I hate you Tom. I really do. “I’ll pull for a bit when we come around the lighthouse!!!” I could hear him shout over the wind. Here we came past Steve, who had angled far out to sea, ostensibly to go visit Port Jefferson across the Sound. Not wanting to disrupt Steve’s little field trip, we continued around, and upon rounding Greens Ledge, those oh so friendly winds at our back turned on us, driving cross chop into our beam.

Tom angled left toward the islands, and I stayed further out. And he began to pull away. Crossing back through the jobbly section, I noticed many other boats staying closer to land. Eventually a synapse fired somewhere in the vacuous interior of my brain, and I connected the low numbers on the speed readout of my Garmin with the realization that I was smack dab in the middle of the opposing current. Duh. Angling in, following others’ lead, I was relieved to see the numbers climbing again, a full .6 of a mph faster in several hundred yards. Too late, Tommy had kicked it into overdrive and was gone, baby, gone. Resigned to damage control, I settled in, concentrating on stroke, my mind visiting many things: little oily baby geese, cannollis, Sno Cap nonpareils, the usual-my mind wandered through fields of randomness. When you’re paddling alone for distances, the little mind games commence to make the time and miles pass by, like counting state license plates on car rides as a kid. With several miles to go, it was slow going. I could make out Mike McDonough in the distance, and set my sights on reeling him in. Gary Williams and Phil Warner in Phil’s beautiful Guillemot Fast Double mahogany tandem were off to my left. They had gapped me earlier and I was closing. Thank goodness I was doing something right-I credit the encouraging words of my close friends the day before, who had pooh poohed my disclaimers about lack of training, encroaching old age, etc. Thanks, ‘Fam.’

The last two miles were brutal. As we rounded Cockenoe Island, the wind intensified, straight into our faces. I passed Mike finally, but Gary and Phil were right there. Out of the shelter of the big island, the wind was a relentless wall across the open area of the Saugatuck River Harbor facing Compo Beach. I could hear stroke cadence called out behind me. To my surprise, Ziggy and Jeff in their OC-2 slowly pulled around to my left. They were flying, having started in the last flight five minutes behind. Gary and Phil were three boat lengths ahead on my right, and all three boats converged in staggered formation. Three different boat classes to be sure; single versus doubles for the final sprint into the wind’s teeth to the finish.  Ziggy and Jeff put it together, and gapped us by several boat lengths, digging their proverbial holes in the ocean in unison. Gary was calling an unpublishable cadence for the final stretch as I gave it my all. We finished literally nose to nose-we’d have to go to the videotape to see who edged who. Done, done, and done.

Racers were cheering fellow competitors on in the shallows off the beach, telling tales, slapping backs, and clacking paddles in congratulations. The wind was still blowing and I was shivering. Tim assisted me in throwing the ski on the roofrack, and I dove into the car to change out of my saturated clothes. Craning over into the backseat for some dry apparel, I happened to glance up in the rearview mirror-my face was pure white with crusted salt spray; I was a human salted pretzel.

Racers continued to come in, burgers and dogs were grilling, beverages were flowing freely, and pots of seafood and corn chowders, and two types of chili were percolating. The burger line stretched with hungry folk like tweens on a Miley Cyrus concert ticket line. Volunteers were working doubletime to feed the ravenous racers. I take my hat off to you and thank you from the depths of my two cheeseburger, seafood chowder heart. Some time later, Eddie Stillwagen and his oyster and clam raw bar wagon arrived and set up shop. Many of us wait all year for this; he was shucking like lightning. Life was good. Awards were announced some time later, and eventually, albeit reluctantly, people packed up for their road trips back home. It was a grand day. ~ Mark

Lighthouse to Lighthouse Race 2009
by Wayne Lysobey                                                                     

Outriggers, kayaks, rowing shells, competition, blue sky, 175 friends, food, sunshine, waves,  “talk like a pirate” day, beer, clams and oysters.

How many stories might be written with the above words?  How many days see all of the above?  Such a day was September 19, 2009 at the Soundkeeper’s Lighthouse to Lighthouse Race, 14 miles of open water fun.

I have been regatta chairman of this race since 2003.  I had call in the spring of that year and was told “Jeff Mard (previous chairman) says you’re running the race this year”. First I had heard of it! I’ve been doing it ever since, with a hearty and wonderful bunch of volunteers.

We had six different flights this year at five-minute intervals. The sliding seats were in flight two.  We had Dolphins, a Maas, an Echo and a Wintech, plus a couple Alden’s in touring class.

At 9:10 am I lined up at one end of the line, Bill Russell the other. It was a fast start. Bill, Ray, Jake, Jeff, and Tim must have thought they were at the Jamestown Revolution (race last month).  In that race the fleet took off at what must have been 38-40 strokes a minute.

I was at the back of the fast pack and losing ground (water?).  The pack moved ahead of Peter in the Alden Ocean Shell and Pam Ellett and Mary Ellen Ludwig in the Alden Double. The first mile leg to Cockenoe Island was one mile of slight tailwind and wind ripples. I thought about the rumors of Captain Kidd’s buried treasure on Cockenoe, and the old pieces of eight found to back up the claims. Kidd you not!

Keep the pace, keep the faith. Watch my speed, my heart monitor and try to get a good stroke every stroke. My HR was running up to 158, a good effort.  If I held that the whole 14 miles I knew it would be a respectable race for me. I try to drive my legs hard enough to feel most of my weight come off the sliding seat.

I’d spot Bill wearing his green shirt, in my rowing mirror once in a while.  Then we were passing the boats from flight one and the seascape in my mirror became more confused. There was a kayaker in a green shirt also. I lost track of Bill. He was ahead somewhere.

I got around Cockenoe and headed 235 degrees WSW towards Copps Rocks. There are nasty rocks off Copps Island, mostly covered at half tide. This is my home water, so I go through here often.  Kayakers go closer to Copps and get a better line. There are big rocks in there, close to the surface. It’s easier to spot them if you are facing forward!

I get past Copps, past the 3-½ mile point where the 7-mile course racers will turn around. This leg is west. Going past the break in the Islands called Middle Passage, the broadside chop is enough to notice. Over to my starboard I see two guys rowing in a double sliding seat Whitehall. A Whitehall is a classic design, a standard fixed seat workboat from “the old days”. Now they often rig them with sliding seats - very seaworthy.

I am confused- didn’t think they were in our race. They didn’t have a race number I could see.

“Hey, you guys in the race?” I yell over.

“No, we’re just rowing the course,” they say. I hope they join us next year!

It was fast going in the lee of Sheffield Island with the NNW breeze. Then I got past Great Reef at Sheffield Point.  It is one mile to Greens Ledge Lighthouse from there. The breeze picked up. It was 10-15 and some strengthening close to 20 mph. there’s a good one-knot current out there and the breeze was at an angle to it. The water was plenty squirrely. It’s been worse in other L2L’s, but we knew we were in open water.

A half-mile from Green's light I saw Tim Willsallen on his return leg. So he is one mile ahead of me, probably be two miles by the end of the race. Then I see the other rowers, Jake, Jeff, Ray, and Bill go by in about that order.

Green’s Ledge has some history also. Some story about pirates leaving someone tied to the rocks at low tide waiting to drown with the incoming tide. Or was it pirates that were left to drown? Makes you ”shiver your timbers” either way!

By the time I got to Green's Ledge there was a dive boat "The Silver Dolphin”, anchoring at the Lighthouse, blowing their horn and spewing diesel fumes. My timbers started to shiver. I did not enjoy the diesel fumes while pushing my lungs at race pace.  (Hey, could I use carbon monoxide poisoning as an excuse for not going faster?)

Got past the Silver Dolphin. Wonder if they heard the notice to mariner's report about the regatta? It was slightly easier going back through the waves, and good to be in clean air.

Once in the lee of Sheffield I could put on some speed again. Some of the OC-6 's and fast kayakers were passing me now. Hut, hut, hut go the OC-6’ers. Outriggers like to set the pace that way, with the stern paddler calling the pace. You can hear them coming- and going.

It was a good mix of water for open water racing. We had calm, chop and nasty.  And then there was the ominous looking boat wake that had me stop and sit tight, thinking, ”I probably won’t flip.” I didn't (power of positive thinking!). There were a couple kayakers that did go into the water around Greens Ledge - nothing serious though.

I saw John "Ziggy" Zeigler and partner go by in his OC-2 somewhere around Copps Island, one quarter of the race to go. Mark Ceconi got by me around Goose Island. I made 2 or 3 hydration stops along the way. Most paddlers use a camelback system and drink out of a tube. Saves on hydration stops that way.

I got to the corner of Cockenoe. One mile to the beach, the beer, the food, and the race stories. Here was a 15 mph headwind, a head sea and currents at the mouth of the Saugatuck River that didn’t help much either. I set the speed coach on my boat to meters per second. Sprinting in wind ripple flat water might show me 3.8 m/s. The faster parts of the course I saw 3.0-3.2 m/s. That last mile it was hard to get much over 2.0 m/s. Closer to the beach we had more and more of a lee, less head wind and flatter water. I do like to finish a race with some panache. I was close enough to hear Coop yelling encouragement. I was pulling ahead of the fast sea kayak that had been close to me that last tedious mile. About 0.2 miles to go I was able to pick it up to a respectable pace and hit 34 spm and 3.8 m/s for a proud finish. Coop yelled again, this time “good finish.” I suppose any finish is a good finish.  Now for the beach!

It was a record day. Course records were broken. There were a record number of boats - 98. It was an Outrigger ECORA Race. We haven't had six OC-6's since 2003. It was the last in the new series of open water rowing races started by Ray Panek. It was a surfski series race of intense and record breaking competition. It was a sea kayak and fast sea kayak race extraordinaire. It was a neophyte open water race for some. It was a day of volunteerism and extraordinary people. It was a record good time! A day that made the world just a little better.

George Hill brought his fixed seat rowboat, Adirondack Guideboat. Only fixed seater this year. Could use some more traditional rowers. Could have been some at Slocum River Regatta, held the same day. We had Frenchman Francois Michaud, just three weeks in the USA. He brought his sliding rigger Virus Turboskiff. Francois did the 7-mile course. The rowing world needs more sliding riggers, especially in the Open Water events. When is some rowing shell maker going to make a real racing class open water sliding rigger? Virus Turboskiff is great and really fun to row, but hey, it's too short. Come on Virus, Maas, Peinert, Wintech, and Echo. You know it is the better design. In sliding seat boats most of our body weight slides back and forth on every stroke. Our boats lurch. Surfskiers just cruise. Make me a boat around 24 feet with a sliding rigger. Make it tough enough for real water. Maybe I could keep a few more of those surfskiis from passing me then!  If not, I may just have to earn my fame with my smoked corn and clam chowder.  While the surfskiis are smokin' me out in the open water!

I was thrilled this year to have even more support than usual from my rowing club, Norwalk River Rowing. They (we) have been a growing part of the L2L for a few years. The always good timing was even better this year with NRRA members Jim "Coop" Cooper and Sarah Kline joining veteran L2L helper Malcom Watson in the starting/ timing boat. If I say it ran like clockwork, is that a pun, or just the plain truth?

Volunteerism - that is the key. Any regatta takes lots of people and lots of volunteer hours. The danger of mentioning names, such as above, is that it seems like you are leaving people out. There will be thank yous, written and spoken.  Thanks Ellen Hertensten (I just had to throw that one in!)

It’s a race. It’s a beach party. It’s both. What a great venue, Compo Beach in Westport CT, beautiful beach with plenty of parking just steps away. Westport- thank you, thank you, thank you!

I would like to take credit for the beautiful weather. Would that be stretching it a bit? Heh, I did pick the date!

One of this year’s rowing stories was the inaugural open water race of NRRA member Jake Watkins. Jake had been getting in a few rows in the club Peinert Dolphin. Last week I heard from Jake that he had been out to the end of the harbor in a few waves and was having second thoughts. "I thought I was going to flip eight times!"  Bill Russell and I gave Jake a few rough water pointers, like stay relaxed, be flexible, shorten the stroke if needed and feel the oars grab before applying pressure. I sent Jake a couple links to rowing in rough water.

The tips and articles must have worked. The water out by Greens Ledge Lighthouse was a lot tougher than Jake had seen at the mouth of Norwalk Harbor last week. Jake came in third place for sliding seater's, beating very competitive Ray Panek, more and more competitive Bill Russell and veteran "the older I get, the better I was" rower, yours truly. Tim Willsallen came down from Ithaca to take 1st place sliding seat racing 1x, beating Jeff’s record from last year.

The surfskier times were amazing!  Cory Lancaster beat the course record set last year by Ken Cooper. And Cory’s time was only 4th for kayaks! The first place guy, Sean Brennan, had an inhuman time of 1 hour 47 minutes 19 seconds. This is a fastest boat ever course record, beating the “Sea Line Eight” eight person rowing shell from 2003 by 6 minutes! We will have Sean’s name put on the trophy cup.  Joe Glickman and Craig Impens were 2nd and 3rd for surfskiis and overall!  Four kayakers broke previous kayak records. It was not a fast course either! Tim Willsallen, fastest rower, took 4th overall.

The OC-6’s broke their own course records. NY Outrigger found beating the previous OC-6 course record was only good for 2nd place this year. Manu’iwa came in 6th place overall to take OC-6 gold and OC course record!

At the Captain’s meeting I mentioned it was “International Talk Like a Pirate Day”.

“For those of ya that put your backs into it, thar be gold and silver out there!”

I guess everyone listened!

Long Live Open Water!
Wayne Lysobey
9/20/09

Lighthouse to Lighthouse Race - Wesley's Perspective
by Wesley Echols

Sean Brennan Smokes the Field
Tom Kerr in the Top 10
Chris Chappell, One Year Milestone

It was a beautiful day to be in Westport, Connecticut, one of the wealthiest communities in the United States and perhaps, the best venue for a surfski/kayak/rowing/OC with a long sandy beach, public restrooms, easy access on and off I 95, lighthouses, expert organization by Wayne Lysobey, and the weather seems to always cooperate.

With almost 100 paddlers registered, including 24 of the top surfski paddlers on the East Coast, the depth of paddlers was almost on par with the Blackburn Challenge.  Chris Chappell and I met Sean Brennan (former Olympic sprint paddler) at the porta john,  pre race.  I asked Sean what type of boat he would be paddling and he said with a casual yet confident, easy going manner, “Surfski”  At that point I realized I had seen his name on a results page or group email and knew he was one of the top paddlers.  I asked him what his strategy was and he said “just go out and have a good race and see what happens”. 

Well, what happened was he and Craig Impens literally exploded at the sound of the horn, so astonishingly fast that I commented to Tim Dwyer, 30 seconds into the race, “ my gosh, it is unbelievable how fast those guys are”.  Not too far back was Joe Glickman and Cory Lancaster.  After the race Joe told me Cory was right behind him until about mile 5 or so before the Lighthouse when he dropped Cory. Cory went on to a 4th place finish.   Meanwhile Sean was leading the pack and finished with a Lighthouse Course Record for any craft at 1:47:19. His name will be engraved on the Cup Trophy as all winners are after each race.  Joe managed to stave off Craig (1.54.19) for a 2nd place finish at 1:54:05.

Minutes behind the leader, the second pack of paddlers made up of Joe Shaw and Marcus Demuth who took a wide line to the lighthouse, were slightly ahead of Mike Tracy and Tim Dwyer, while I had been dropped at mile 4 by Mike and Tim but at this point only one minute behind.  We all converged at the lighthouse with Mike, Tim, and Marcus within close proximity heading for home.  I passed Joe Shaw just past the lighthouse and maintained my lead on Joe as he rode my wash from mile 9 to mile 13.5 when I dropped him sprinting toward the finish.   Similar to the Double Beaver, Marcus rode Mike’s wash for the last half of the race while only tapping Mike’s boat 4 times vice 25 times at the Double Beaver.  Marcus was able to sprint past Mike within a half mile of the finish for a 5th place finish with Mike coming in 9 seconds behind.  Tim closed the gap on Mike and Marcus in his first race in his V12 to within a minute to take 7th place.  

Approximately 3 minutes behind these guys rounding the final turn home at mile 13, was me, Joe Shaw, and Roger Gocking (fast touring winner).   Joe took a slightly better line heading toward the beach with a boat length lead while Roger on my left was slightly ahead of me.   I increased my pace to gain on these guys but out of nowhere on my right was hard charging Tom Kerr.  I tried in vain to keep pace with Tom but he was too strong and finished 19 seconds ahead for Tom’s best race of the season for a 8th place finish in a highly competitive field.

This is the second back to back race Tom has done extremely well in. He finished within seconds of our group at the Jamestown Revolution Race.   With all Tom’s training he should have a good showing at the Mayor’s Cup and having gotten a taste for international paddling at last year’s Dubai race, is gearing up for next year’s Molokai.  Tom also completed the U.S. Surfski Championships this year.

It was a year ago on this beach that Chris Chappell, paddling partner and web master for our site, discussed the SurfskiRacing.com for the very first time.   Chris completed his first kayak/surfski race at last year’s Lighthouse and has now completed eight surfski races this season and is in 6th place for NE Surfski point series.  While still getting use to paddling in the ocean bumps, Chris’s flat water paddling has not gone unnoticed.   Chris routinely races on the Charles River in Boston every Wednesday evening with a highly completive group of flatwater specialists, continuing to improve his flatwater skills powering his Ted Van Dusen designed Mohican (recently nearly breaking 39 minutes in the 4.95 mile course). It is just a matter of time before Chris is able to transfer his power on flatwater to the ocean in his new to him V10.

For next season we should have even more surfskis at the Lighthouse to Lighthouse Race.  Finally thanks to Wayne, Gary, and Michele and their crew for putting together another fantastic race for all of us to enjoy. ~ Wesley