FERRISBURGH — High school groups from around New England gathered at the Lake Champlain Maritime Museum in Ferrisburgh on Saturday, May 18, to compete in the annual Spring Wave rowing race. The event included more than 150 youth racers, encompassing 25 crews. Among the competitors were teams from Vergennes Union high and middle schools and from Mount Abraham Union high and middle schools. 
The Spring Wave was comprised of a series of combined timed races, including a 1-mile sprint and a 3/4-mile triangular racecourse. The day’s racing was broken up into three divisions: experienced, intermediate and novice with further division between 4-oar and 6-oar boats. 
One of the closest races of the day was the experienced 4-oar division. Taking home first in the experienced four-oar division was Sound School from Connecticut, with VUHS finishing close behind with only a 10-second difference. The intermediate 6-oar division — the biggest category of the day — was won by Sound School as well, with a combined time of 17 minutes and 52 seconds. 
VERGENNES UNION HIGH School’s 4-oar team with Nate Devoss as coxswain, left, crosses the finish line just in front New York Harbor School in Heat 8 of the Spring Wave rowing race at Lake Champlain Maritime Museum on May 18. Photo by Buzz Kuhns
Vermont’s own Vergennes Union High School took first place in the intermediate 4-oar division with New York Harbor School taking a close second. Sound School took first in the novice six-oar division, with New York Harbor School taking first in the 4-oar division. 
Racing took place from 9 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. with all crews traveling back to their homes after the award ceremony that afternoon. 
Good times were had this weekend with some healthy competition joining like-minded youth rowers from around New England and Northern New York, while sharing a beautiful piece of Vermont. This day of racing was the culmination of the spring youth rowing season on Lake Champlain.