Local paddlers took advantage of some recent wet weather over the weekend, competing in a busy slate of canoe races on local rivers and streams. On Saturday, competitors headed to Hampden for the third annual Eliot Lamb Memorial Souadabscook Stream Canoe Race, while the nearby Marsh Stream hosted races Sunday.
On Saturday, co-race director J.D. Burke said paddlers were treated to ideal conditions on the Souadabscook.
“[The water] was at a perfect level,” Burke said. “It wasn’t too pushy, and it wasn’t too bony.”
Burke said a total of 64 boats, including 20 kayaks, competed.
On Saturday, organizers staged three separate races on the Souadabscook: a 7.5-mile downriver race and two shorter versions.
In the downriver race, James Mabee and Clayton Cole maneuvered their two-person medium racing canoe through the rapids to the day’s fastest time, 59 minutes, 53 seconds. Rounding out the top five: Damon Galipeau and Apeme Sim Galipeau in the medium recreational canoe class (1:06:46), Kaite Owen and Jeff Owen in the two-person mixed recreational class (1:08:28), Chris Hewke and Ryan Waterhouse in a short recreational canoe (1:09:19), and Kell Fremow in a short kayak (1:11:54).
On the whitewater course, Alex Horne paddled her kayak to the fastest time of 39:16, with Jack Dailey a second back in his own kayak. And on the short course, Joseph Quinn and John Quinn were the fastest, paddling their medium recreational canoe to the finish in 45:42.
In Sunday’’s Marsh Stream races in Winterport, paddlers had an option of a short course or a long course. In the long-course races, Ray Wirth paddled his long kayak to the day’s fastest time, covering the 6.3 miles in 34 minutes, 37 seconds.
Making up the rest of the top five: Jeff Owen in his solo canoe (36:02), Jason Cross and Will Jeffries in their medium canoe (38:43), Adelia Mabee and J.R. Mabee in the junior-senior canoe class (38:57), and Ted Steele and Nolan Steele in a medium canoe (39:25).
In the short-course race, Dan Baumert paddled his short kayak to the overall win in 38:38. Cayden Richards and Aaron Winslow posted a time of 39:44 in the junior/senior canoe class, while Bob Winslow paddled a solo canoe to third overall in 42:22.
