AREA — The Penobscot Nation and communities of Old Town, Bradley, Orono, Veazie and Eddington will welcome paddlers to the 2015 Penobscot River Whitewater Nationals Regatta 8 a.m.-6 p.m. Thursday through Sunday, July 23-26.
Four days of paddling events for open canoes, kayaks, decked canoes and SUPs will crown American Canoe Association downriver racing national champions and celebrate the newly free-flowing section of the Penobscot River, and long time home to the Penobscot Nation.
Official practice and opening ceremony will be Wednesday, July 22. Downriver racing will commence Thursday morning with the open canoe mixed race and Jr.-Sr. classes, and the K1 Short Men and K1 Long Women kayak races.
Races will start in Old Town, with the longer downriver races ending in Eddington.
Children’s races will start in Orono and end in Veazie.
Saturday will feature “sprint” racing through the Class 3 Great Works rapids near Old Town.
Paddlers are encouraged to preregister at https://paddleguru.com/races/PenobscotRiverWhitewaterNationalsRegatta by July 10.