THE STREAMER NEWSLETTER

Streamer: Summer 2000

After weeks of cold rain that swelled local waterways, the skies cleared as the sun warmed thousands of spectators, paddlers, and volunteers at the 18th Run of the Charles Canoe and Kayak Race on April 30. April's heavy rains meant that the Charles was running high and fast, but the gusty wind seemed to offset the quick water.

Nearly 1500 paddlers competed in five different races through Dedham, Needham, Newton, Wellesley, Waltham, and Watertown to the Finish Line Festival at Herter Park, Allston. The Run of the Charles attracts many top canoeists and kayakers in North America as well as college and business teams and families out for a fun day on the river.

Serge Corbin of St. Boniface, Quebec, and Tim Trebault won the 26.2-mile $10,000 Professional Flatwater Marathon sponsored by Boston Duck Tours. Their 3:28:08 time was just off Corbin's 1999 winning time of 3:22:29. Corbin now has won the Pro Marathon all five years professionals have competed in the race.

With their victory here, Corbin and Trebault are leading contenders for the new North American Marathon Canoe Championship (NAMCC). The four-race series continues in May with the 70-mile General Clinton Canoe Regatta in New York, in July at the 120-mile AuSable River Canoe Marathon in Michigan, and concludes in September with the 113-mile Classique International de Canot in Quebec.

The 24-mile relay, sponsored by Boston Edison, drew 112 teams this year. The winning team, sponsored by the accounting firm Mullen & Co. of Burlington VT., was captained by Michael Dylingowski of Amesbury. He and his brother Stephen, part of an eight-person team, paddled the third and last legs of the relay contributing to the 3:35:46 win.

Paddling a one-man kayak, Mark R. Jacobson of New Milford, CT won the 19-mile Race sponsored by Rizzo Associates. His 2:33:27 winning time beat last year's by 8 minutes and 28 seconds. Jacobson was US Junior Kayak National Sprint Champion from 1983-85 and US Canoe National Sprint Champion in 1984.

"It's a very unique race," remarked Jacobson, "one of the most varied courses I've paddled. With the marshy area, the narrow stream, the lake-like section, and even white water, the Run of the Charles is really very interesting." But the biggest surprise, he said, was the scenic backdrop. "It didn't feel like I was coming into a major city. I've paddled races that were really just a river running down a cement culvert. But the Charles is really quite scenic with those unique arched bridges. It was a lot of fun."

CRWA is very grateful for assistance from over 120 race volunteers including 40 Parrot Head Club members, Americorps, the Metropolitan District Commission, Charles River Canoe and Kayak, Suburban World Newspapers, American Red Cross of Eastern MA, New England Medical Center and its Floating Hospital for Children, Race Co-Chairmen Hal Gill and Ron Tallas, Ed Berg and fellow Ham Radio operators, and Classic Communications.