River race gets off to a fast start
Paul A. Tamburello, Jr.
June 24, 2004
Early morning rain didn't dampen the spirits of the paddlers of 36 boats in the Westport River Watershed Alliance's first annual River Run, a canoe/kayak race on the Westport River on Saturday, June 19. By mid morning, the weather had cleared and the organizers had sent off 10 boats in the challenge class and a 26-boat flotilla in the family class. The boats launched from the staging area in the waters off Hix Bridge.
High spirits seemed to share top billing with skill as sleek kayaks, broad-beamed rowboats, and canoes of various vintages raced or cruised toward the finish line at the Head of Westport.
The 6.5 mile challenge class started on the south side of Hix Bridge at 10 a.m., wound its way south around Upper Spectacle Island and headed back north to the finish. The family class set off with much whooping, hollering and splashing of paddles. This group stretched across the breadth of the river on the north side of Hix Bridge, made an orderly starting line under the watchful eyes of race director of Sam Ladd of Osprey Sea Kayak Adventures and charged off at 10:30 a.m. 
Between 11:13 a.m. to just past noon, men, women and children in conditions ranging from perspiration to exhilaration were cheered as they threaded their way past the colorful flags at the narrow finish line, which was just short of County Road at the Head of Westport.
"It was a good surprise to come around the corner and see the flags waving in the breeze and hear the cheering," said kayaker Matt Daniels of Wayland.
First place in the challenge class went to Westporter Whitmore Boogaerts, whose kayak crew included his eight and six-year old daughters. Their job was to cheer as their dad did the paddling in his Kajak Sport.
First-place finishers overall in the family class were Gina Purtell of Mass Audobon and Mike Sylvia of North Dartmouth, rowing their Old Town fiberglass canoe.
Race organizers Ann Fitzgerald and Larry Hookey pronounced the day a resounding success. They are already making plans for the second annual River Run next year.
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