Olympian Adam Kreek, Guinness World Record Holder Jordan Hanssen, Captain Charlie Rowley and OARNW Executive Director Otto Loggers enjoyed standing atop the winners platform at the 6.8nm Rat Island Race. Both Canadian and American flags could be seen flying from poles not far from Saturday’s event, but our own internal anthems soon faded. The announcer indicated, under his breath, that the James Robert Hanssen (JRH), an extraordinary ocean-crossing machine at only 29 feet, was the only vessel in its class.
The four intrepid rowers held heads and esteem high as they rowed away from the event…only to return 10 minutes later to pick up three more Sound Rowers participants. The real win for OAR Northwest was to witness the smiles and support of each Sound Rowers member pulling at JRH’s oars and making headway on a simple and pleasure-filled 0.5nm journey into Port Townsend Bay.
OAR Northwest met many new rowers…and some beachcombers…through this first-of-its-kind activity for OAR Northwest in its new capacity as a service and education organization. Future adventurers of all types, ages and abilities boarded JRH to share in the joy that is to use human power to move oneself and crewmembers across water’s surface.
Simple strangers bonded by sharing both a new meaningful experience and genuine communication to ensure unison rowing actions. Also, it dawned on one mother/daughter duo that this special moment of rowing revelry was their first as a pair. OAR Northwest believes these groupie events may bring back “Kodak Row-ments.”
Simply and openly sharing our vessel with our rowing colleagues was our racing prize. We want to thank the entire Sound Rowers and Rat Island Rowing and Sculling Club memberships for allowing us to join in the festivities and to win by such a large smile-margin. We look forward to more races to ensure preserving dominance in our boat’s class. Bring it on!
PS. Shout out to Captain Rowley, who with 2 hours sleep after piloting his Delta Airlines jumbo jet from Paris to join our day’s crew. His unwavering and slurping abilities to down multiple fire-roasted oysters at the Port Townsend Foundry is outstanding, and it brings us great bivalve-joy.