2004 Adventure Racing World Championship, hosted by Raid the North Extreme
Top Four Teams Swap Lead
Susan McKenzie / 03.08.2004
Today, the battle was fought in dories, traditional Newfoundland fishing boats that weigh a ton – and can carry a ton (of cod), too. They’re also strong enough to carry four adventure racers and their mountain bikes across an inner harbour of St George’s Bay on the Gulf of St Lawrence.
Teams must row dories from Flat Bay Cove north to Stephenville. It’s a 16-kilometre, five hour row across the choppy water. The weather held, though, and the top four teams rowed in warm, sunny weather.
“I’m not so sure those are dories that they’re using,� said one of the many locals standing on shore at Stephenville. “We call those flats.�
There are as many styles of fishing boats as there are harbours on this island. “Every harbour has its own style of boat,� was the explanation.
There are dories and flats and Rodneys and French boats and St. Pierre boats, each with its own shape and style. Bows are high off the water, and bows are low on the water. Sterns are square and sterns are pointed. And these boats come in every colour imaginable, too: red and green and white and yellow.
Merrell Zanfel was the first team to finish the dory section, but they had to struggle to reach the CP. The team chose the wrong route and lost most of its lead as it rowed and paddled into the CP. It didn’t help that the team was also weighed down by an inch or two of water in the bottom of the boat.
“I’m not sure what those guys behind us did to make up so much ground,� Robyn Benincasa said as she assembled her bike on the dock. “Man, we were really working hard.� Benincasa took no chances on the dory: she even wore anti-seasickness wrist bands. “I’ve never been seasick before, but I didn’t really want to find out here.�
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