Even with the threat of high winds and rain, 29 entrants participated in the annual Megunticook Regatta for sliding-seat rowing on Sept. 8.  Racers from Ontario, Canada to Southern Connecticut, gathered together at the Barrett’s Cove Beach to circumnavigate Megunticook  Lake (10 miles) in a mini-marathon, or race the three-mile section of the lake that parallels Route 52.

Most exciting to the host organization, Megunticook Rowing of Camden, were the seven young adults of Megunticook Crew, all first-time competitors, who also train on the lake.

Both the three and ten mile races had a beautiful flat calm to start and cool weather for the early sections of the race.  All racers beat the start of the wind, but the three miler’s got acorss the finish line even before the downpour began. 

With both singles and doubles in two separate races, as well as men, women, and juniors, there were many winning categories to receive the much coveted, handmade, Megunticook Regatta mason-jar-lid medals.  Not all are listed here.  In the ten-mile race, Russ Cone, 46, from Watertown, MA, was first over the finish line with the fastest elapsed time of 1:06:52. Andrew Nelson, 63, of Norwalk, Conn., finished first with a ‘corrected’ time of 1:04:50 (includes age handicap calculation). Third place went to Paul Gross, of Hanover, NH, with a time of 1:07:27.

Three-mile winners in singles were; 1 - Tom Beretich from North Yarmouth, ME, in 23:00; 2 - Camden summer resident, Richard Rovner in 24:16.  In a double were Stu Miller and Ellie Shivel at 20:57. Megunticook Crew’s Kate Sensenig and Ella Simon rowed the junior double finishing with a time of 22:58; and in single sculls, Elijah Gass finished at 25:11 and Rachel Bower at 26:43.

Our annual pancake breakfast, beneath the blue tarp tent on Barrett’s Cove beach, was set to the music of raindrops and gusts of wind, but never was there a more spirited and enthusiastic group of athletes.  Anyone interested in understanding more about Megunticook Rowing or wanting to learn the sport for themselves, can contact Megunticook Rowing through its website at megunticookrowing.org.