VUHS, Mt. Abe row at LCMM-sponsored meet
BURLINGTON — Rowing teams from Vergennes Union High School won three out of five races on Oct. 6 at the James Wakefield Rescue Row, a series of youth rowing races sponsored in Burlington harbor by the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum.
One-hundred-sixty-seven high- and middle-school rowers from schools from Vermont (including Mount Abraham as well as VUHS), Maine and Massachusetts competed in the Saturday event.
All raced in boats built in the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum’s Champlain Longboats program by Addison County high school students. More than 20 boats have been built since the start of the program in 1999. Those interested in learning more about the boatbuilding and rowing program may contact Nick Patch at the museum at [email protected].
VUHS rowers won in the novice four-oar division with a time of 15:43, in the experienced four-oared division in 12:53, and in the experienced six-oar division Vergennes with a time of 12:13.
Burlington High School prevailed in the novice six-oar division in 13:48, while Belfast, Maine, won the intermediate six-oar division with a time of 12:39.
Also competing during the increasingly breezy day were Vermont teams from Champlain Valley Union, Rice Memorial, and South Burlington high schools; and teams from Rockland, Maine, and Martha’s Vineyard, Mass. Patch said it was the largest youth rowing race to date on Lake Champlain.
The races are named after a daring shipwreck rescue in Burlington harbor in December 1876. James Wakefield and his son Jack saved the crew of the 85-foot canal schooner “General Butler” from imminent death while their schooner slid into icy waters off the Burlington breakwater.