The sky was dotted with wisps of clouds on a perfectly sunny Memorial Day, as friends, family, and river race boat enthusiasts gathered at the Mattapoisett River Herring Weir at Route 6 and River Road in Mattapoisett for the conclusion of the 2022 Boat Race.
Children ran along the bank, hurling the occasional stick into the slow-moving water and cheering on a nearby family of geese with the slightly misinformed chant of “GO DUCKS, GO!” The more seasoned spectators brought folding chairs, as others claimed picnic tables, rocks or shady patches of grass.
A mobile kitchen was set up by the Rochester Fire Department, serving food and drinks to racers and fans alike. Among them was Fire Chief Scott Weigel, participating in the bank side of the race since 1976. While donuts and soda are an integral part of the celebrations, the fire department also sets up various safety checkpoints along the route. Most of their job is keeping track of the boats rather than jumping in for a rescue.
“The river’s not that deep in most places,” Weigel explained, so the biggest threat to racers is muddy shoes and lost time.
Not everyone there could boast as deep a history. A pair of younger onlookers, Trevor and Faith, said this was their first year coming to watch. “It’s his birthday today,” Faith said cheerfully. “We just thought it’d be fun to come check it out together.” Trevor was a self-proclaimed boat fan, preferring the scenic flora and fauna of the river to the wide-open expanse of the ocean. “There’s a lot of mallard ducks,” he noted sagely.
The first boat to be glimpsed was met by wild cheers, the racers’ neon green shirts emblazoned with large black sevens, making them easy to spot as they rounded the bend. Wearing them were the victors of last year’s race, Alyssa Watling and her husband William D. Watling III. Not the type to coast to victory, the couple paddled with fast, determined strokes, gliding across the finish line in just under two hours.
Boat No. 3, manned by Eli and Ian MacGregor, was the next to arrive, only a few short minutes after lucky No. 7. William Watling admitted they had been the boat he was “afraid of,” as the MacGregors had come in second place last year, close on the Watlings’ tail.
That fact didn’t stop Alyssa Watling from helping the MacGregors lug their boat up the bank, though, and the air of camaraderie amongst all the competitors was more than apparent.
The race has been a yearly event since 1934, which means most of the adult participants had been racing for years, or even decades. This also lends itself to multigenerational racers like the MacGregors, whose boat was originally built by their father and his racing partner.
Having been the first to set off from the starting line at Grandma Hartley’s Reservoir off Snipatuit Road in Rochester, the MacGregors stayed in the front for most of the race.
“We spooked a deer,” Ian nodded, indicating that they’d been the first to reach that part of the river. Finishing first doesn’t guarantee first place, though; the final ranking is based on each boat’s recorded time. In the case of the Watlings, they actually passed a few boats that had started before them, including the MacGregors’.
“I knew (the Watlings’ boat) was breathing down our necks. We were trying to hold them off all the way to the end, but…,” Ian shrugged.
No one seemed particularly sore or even surprised at the Watlings’ domination.
As more racers finished and boats were lined up on the grass, the dark black of the Watlings’ boat, emblazoned with a neon green “7,” made it easy to spot. Most of the other boats were various shades of tan, made from plywood or foam, with the occasional painted decal, but as William Watling explained, theirs was made of carbon fiber and Kevlar. Not the bulletproof stuff but rather a “structural weave” that keeps it light and sturdy, allowing it to take a hit without breaking.
It wasn’t just their unique craft that led to their victory; the team has been training since March, fitting in laps on the pond whenever they can.
“We have two kids,” William offered as a means of explanation. No more needed to be said. As for how being married affected their racing, Alyssa was quick to offer up “communication skills” as a huge benefit.
“Every year you get [more] used to each other,” William agreed. “You know what the other person’s going to do.”
This was their third year competing as a couple and their third year placing first, earning them the Jim Hartley award, named for the cofounder of the race and given to those racers that can secure a triple win – consecutively. It has previously been awarded to Amy Hartley-Matteson and Katherine Hartley, who secured their third win in 2014.
Before Alyssa Watling took up a paddle of her own, she was an enthusiastic spectator cheering on William and his previous racing partner, Dan Lawrence, with whom he set the Open Division record (1:46:59) in 2013. She even took part in the tradition of lobbing orange slices at the racers as they pass.
“I’ve hit him (with the slices)” she grinned, prompting a laugh from William as they reminisced. Whether or not she intended to is another matter entirely.
Jay Lawrence, one half of boat No. 10, stated that he was a fan of the orange slices, regardless of the potential risk of impact. “Love ’em. Little bit of river water with orange, y’know?” he said, seeming entirely sincere. His racing partner of over a decade, Andy Weigel, heartily agreed. When asked about the negative aspects of the race, Jay listed leg cramps, while Andy firmly pointed to poison ivy.
“The water was a little low this year,” Andy noted, echoing the sentiment of his fellow racers. “They hold water at Snipatuit Pond – a couple ponds that kinda feed the river. They’ll hold water there before the race, and then they’ll pull some planks out slowly over the weekend. (The Mattapoisett River) is probably like, at least 3 to 4 feet higher today than it was at the beginning of (last) week.” Last year a plank apparently broke as a result of heavy rain, resulting in a more tumultuous journey, albeit a faster one.
When it came to potential newcomers to the race, Andy’s advice was simple: “Just have fun with it.” Ian MacGregor agreed, “You gotta try it.”
Their enthusiasm was well at home amidst the boisterous crowd. Each new boat that appeared was met with cheers just as loud and exuberant as they’d been for the very first.
Rochester Memorial Day Boat Race
By Jack MC Staier