By Laura Caldwell, Expeditionary Programs Manager
On a beautiful Saturday, September 14, rowers and other boaters gathered at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum to participate in the Lake Champlain Challenge Race, an annual three-mile triangular race on Lake Champlain open to rowing gigs and other human-powered vessels. The day started out with pea soup fog, with visibility at about 50 feet. It was so thick it was necessary to use a navigation app to set the race course buoys, but fortunately it cleared up and was warm and sunny just in time for the start of the race.
We were excited to welcome teams from Duxbury, Hull, and Gloucester, MA. We also had a team from Mt. Abraham High School in Bristol, VT and two adult teams from Lake Champlain Maritime Museum. In total, in the rowing category, we had five six-oared gigs and three four-oared gigs competing. In addition, there were seven solo boats including kayaks, stand-up paddleboards and sliding seats.
The teams started the race in two groups, the first wave being the large rowing boats, followed by the smaller solo boats. The crew from Gloucester, in the 6 oared pilot gig Maple, took an early lead and held onto it for the entirety of the grueling three-mile course. They finished first in their division, and overall, with a time of 28:47. A crew from the Maritime Museum had the fastest time in a four-oared gig, coming in at 35:09 in the boat Charlie Burchard.
After the race, everyone gathered on the lawn of the Museum to enjoy an incredible potluck lunch and swap stories. An awards ceremony was held following lunch. Rowers and paddlers received accolades and 1st place awards.
Keep your eye out for next year’s Challenge Race. We look forward to seeing all of you on the race course next summer!
Thank you so much to everyone who participated and put in work to make this race happen. We couldn’t do it without you!! See below for complete times, by category, for the 2024 Lake Champlain Challenge Race and photos courtesy of Nick Patch.
| Team | Division | Boat | Time | Division Placing |
| Gloucester | Coxed Pilot Gig | Maple | 28:47 | 1 |
| Gloucester | Coxed Pilot Gig | Jimmy D | 30:58 | 2 |
| Edward | Sliding Seat Single | 32:18 | 1 | |
| LCMM | Coxed Pilot Gig | Northern Sun | 32:38 | 3 |
| Mt. Abraham | Coxed Pilot Gig | Osprey | 33:59 | 4 |
| James | Recreational Kayak, Male | 34:00 | 1 | |
| Hull | Coxed Pilot Gig | Triton | 34:03 | 5 |
| LCMM | Coxed Four | Charlie Burchard | 35:09 | 1 |
| Lea | Recreational Kayak, Female | 36:27 | 1 | |
| LCMM | Coxed Four | Gail Parsell | 37:09 | 2 |
