Blackburn Challenge 2021

Blackburn Challenge 2021

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. While we have some powerboats on the course to monitor checkpoints, we do not provide boat escorts—you should expect to be out of their sight and fully independent most of the time. Unless you have solid experience in difficult conditions with the boat you plan to use, you should not enter this event. Always plan an “escape” path to safety, and if you encounter any problems along the way, pull out and call to let us know. The orderly, safe and sportsmanlike conduct of this event is your personal responsibility, and is essential to guaranteeing the future of the Blackburn Challenge.

Important Information for 2021 Blackburn Challenge - 'Scaled Down Event'

• NO CAPTAINS MEETING - IMPORTANT INFORMATION: All racers need to check in at the High School Tennis Court area - Look for us.
  1. Check In at High School before starting.
  2. If you pull out of race - you need to call 978-764-9407 so we and the US Coast Guard do not go looking for you.
  3. At the beach at the finish - Look for us to Check Out so we and the US Coast Guard do not go looking for you.
     
• 200 Person Limit - We may be able to add additional racers, but at the time of registration opening we will be limiting entries to the first 200. We are also working on a wait-list type process, stay tuned.
• No First Time Racers - All racers must have raced in the Blackburn Challenge before. For multi person boats, only 1 former Blackburn Challenge participant is required.
• No Formal Start and No Formal Times - This will be a "Check-In and Go Event", with no formal start or formal timing. We will stagger the racers leaving the High School area between 7 and 8:30am - basically check in and go. (This will not be race category based, just first in first out. If desired, race category groups can informally meet at the traditional start or other location and informally race as a group, but solely up to the group to organize) We will register the time of day you started. Once you have completed the race, you will need to check out on the beach at the finish line to verify you have completed the event. We will offer a time based on your check in and out, but no formal times or category results will be posted. At this time we are only planning to post who completed the event. Note: We will be continuing to monitor if funding and conditions will allow us to add some sort of formal timing with results.
• No Medals/Awards - We are working on offering tee-shirts and possibly other swag, but no formal awards are planned at this time.
• No Post Race Party - We will have a tent with water and maybe a light snack so racers can get out of the sun, re-hydrate and socialize.

$60 Event fee to cover full race basics - Insurance, permits, porta potties, chase boats, etc.

Important registration notes:

• All boats, even Singles, need to register as a "Team".
• Boat captains need to register themselves first, then register the remainder of their team one at a time by clicking the "Add Another Registrant" button at the bottom of the page.
• Captains should register their entire team. They will need to supply contact info for each paddler. Please ensure that the email addresses and phone numbers are accurate so paddlers can be contacted with any last-minute info if necessary.
• Emergency contact names and phone numbers are required for each paddler. Please ensure they are accurate.

If you have any questions, please contact us using the email address posted below.