22nd Annual Blackburn Challenge, Gloucester, July 12th

July 7, 2008

Blackburn Challenge If you want to witness an interesting race around Cape Ann by a diverse collection of small craft, then visit Gloucester Harbor on saturday.

This saturday morning at approximately 7:45 a.m., the Cape Ann Rowing Club will kick-off the 22nd Annual Blackburn Challenge in Gloucester in the Annisquam River near the railroad bridge.

The Blackburn Challenge is a 20+ mile open water circumnavigation of Cape Ann. Participants row or paddle small boats in the open ocean waters around Cape Ann, and conditions can vary dramatically throughout the day. Occasionally the water can be very rough, with strong winds and high waves.

The Blackburn Challenge is open to all seaworthy oar or paddle powered craft. Classes include men’s and women’s Banks dories, fixed seat singles, doubles, multi-oars with cox, multi-oars without cox, sliding seat singles & doubles, single & double touring kayaks, single & double racing kayaks, surf skis, and outrigger canoes, in about that order.

A staggered start by boat class begins at 7:45 a.m. and continues until approximately 8:30 a.m. when all the craft have made their entry into the race. You can view the finish at Pavilion Beach on Stacy Boulevard in Gloucester, which is pretty close to where the Gloucester Fisherman statue is located.

The boats start arriving at the finish line at approximately noon time. Award ceremonies & Festivities are held at 3:00 p.m.

The Blackburn Challenge both celebrates and helps to keep alive the story of Howard Blackburn’s desperate mid-winter 1883 rowing of a small fishing dory from the Burgeo Bank fishing grounds to refuge on the south coast of Newfoundland.

Blackburn and his dorymate Thomas Welch had become separated from the Gloucester fishing schooner Grace L. Fears during a sudden squall and found themselves nearly sixty miles from the nearest land. Over the course of the ensuing five-day ordeal, Welch would give up and succumb to a merciful death, whereas Blackburn would allow his bare hands to freeze to the shape of the oars, and row until he reached land.

Though Blackburn survived he ultimately suffered the loss of most of his fingers and toes due to frostbite. In spite of his handicap, he later went on to twice sail solo across the Atlantic Ocean, earning himself the title “The Fingerless Navigator”.

For more information on the Blackburn Challenge, visit the following website: