Boateater Race to Be Revived on Farmington River Rapids

The Farmington River will be the scene of two canoe and kayak races April 3 hosted by the New England Canoe & Kayak Racing Association — the Punch Brook Slalom and the Boateater Downriver Canoe and Kayak Race.

Organizing the Boateater event is Granby resident Eric Jones, who took part in several of the association's races last year. He said he was looking for an opportunity to give back to the association when he decided that the Farmington River provided whitewater rapids that were not being utilized. So he opened his mouth and took action.

“It used to be a regular race for a number of years,” Jones said about the route he chose. “It hasn’t been run for four or five years now, so it’s a revival of an old race.”

Officials of the Boateater race will be coordinating their efforts with the Slalom on the Farmington River on the same day. The Punch Brook Slalom, a much longer race than the 5.5 mile Boateater course, will start earlier in the morning and break around 11 a.m. The Boateater race will be held during the break in the Slalom race.

The Boateater race will begin in Burlington, just below the Collinsville Dam on Route 179, where a fishing access point will provide racers with parking and an area to get ready. The course will finish downstream in Farmington by the Little League fields.

Jones said the level of experience that participants should have with a kayak or canoe for the race is intermediate.

“If you’ve never been in a canoe before, it’s not the place to start,” he said, adding that one of the biggest concerns for racers is the temperature of the water, which will still be very chilly in early April.

“Dress appropriately,” Jones said, meaning either a wet or dry suit to go along with the required personal flotation device and helmet. Boaters who are not properly dressed for the weather will not be allowed to race. Racers must also be at least 10-years-old.

“It’s an intermediate course, I would say,” Jones said. On the traditional six-point scale used to determine river difficulty, the course will include some level I and II rapids and some much harder level II and III rapids, he said. One stretch is called "the boateater rapid," for which the race is named.The difficulty of the course will also depend on the water level, he said.

The course also contains “pool drop rapids,” which occur when the river has a segment of faster rapids that drop off into a calm pool, Jones said. This allows a racer who falls out of a boat to collect himself in the calm of the pool and continue.

Jones expects around 20 to 40 racers for the event. There will be several classes to accommodate varying age and skill level.

An awards ceremony will be held at in Farmington after the race. Ribbons will be handed out to winners of each class.

“Between the two events (the Boateater and Slalom race), there should be plenty of action on the water that day,” Jones said. Spectators are also welcome to come and watch from the rocks and trails along the river.

For more information or to pre-register for the race, visit the Boateater website or Boateater-Challenge on Facebook. Registration will also be open between 9 and 10:30 a.m. the day of the race. The cost of the race is $10 per paddler plus $5 event membership for participants who are not members of the American Canoe Association.

More information about the New England Canoe & Kayak Racing Association is available from the  organization’s website.