Jack Tatelman was looking to stay healthy and challenge himself after beating prostate cancer.

Tatelman, a Marblehead resident and member of Marblehead Rowing Club’s Rock and Row team chose rowing to keep him in shape. To challenge himself he chose to participate in Saturday’s 21st annual Blackburn Challenge.

The Blackburn Challenge is a 20-plus mile circumfluent around points of Cape Ann. The course began at the railroad bridge off the Cape Ann Marina, ran out the Annisquam River and continued through Ipswich Bay. It turned right to Halibut Point, looped around Rockport, went through the cut of Straitsmouth Island before finishing the last quarter along the Back Shore and Gloucester Harbor, then finished at the Greasy Pole.

“The sport keeps me healthy,” Tatelman said. “Plus this is a phenomenal race. There is no first or last place in a race like this, it’s about challenging yourself.”

Tatelman said that the tides, currents and weather conditions were the most difficult to deal with.

The Blackburn Challenge attracts rowers from all over the country going as far away as Hawaii. Debbie Hall rows out of Kent Island, Md., and took part in her seventh challenge.

“It’s an awesome time,” Hall said. “It’s such a great, challenging race.”

Hall said that the venue and the challenge keep her coming back to race every year.

“I have so much fun coming here,” Hall said. “It’s a beautiful venue with challenging conditions, and the people are great.”

This year’s race had the biggest registration ever (252 participants), and went of smoothly, much to the delight of the race committee.

“The day (went) very well,” Race committee member Bill Kuklinski said. “We got the biggest registration ever, and a huge upgrade in experienced racers.”

Rich Klajnscek President of the Cape Ann Rowing Club, is happy that the popularity of this event is growing.

“I am very pleased to have this event in Gloucester,” Klajnscek said. “It is getting bigger every year. Right now it is the biggest open water event in the Eastern United States.”



Blackburn Results

Event Team Time

Banks Dorys Double Eric Dombrowski, Glenn Harrington 4:03.15

Combined Racing Men Greg Barton 2:32.58

Combined Racing Women Kathy Manizza 3:08.45

Fixed Seat Double Bill Armitage, Russell Smith 3:42.57

Fixed Seat Single Men Paul Neil 3:33.56

Kayaks Fast Touring Single Men Ciro de la Vega 3:02.40

Kayaks Fast Touring Single Women Pam Browning 3:32.15

Kayaks Touring A Single Men Raymond Fusco 3:17.55

Kayaks Touring A Single Women Fiona Cousins 3:49.30

Kayaks Touring B Single Men Richard Wheeler

Kayaks Touring Double Men Tom Mailhot and Tom Haynes 3:01:03

Kayaks Touring Double Mixed Tamela Lynch and Bill Vickers 3:11:07

Kayaks Touring Double Women Sue Sweeney and Elena Bergin 4:11:51

Multi With Cox Chris Fraher, Alice Bellone, David Gomez, Ted Mellos 2:42:22

Multi Without Cox Ed Smith, Mike Staritski, Todd Millay 3:57:17

Open Shelagh Donahoe, Ken Parker, Bill Wolbach 2:51:57

Outrigger Canoes Double Bill Reagan 3:04:04

Outrigger Canoes Men John Mathieu, Blake Conant, Mike Fairchild, Ross Flemmer, Paul Dyka 2:29:11

Outrigger Canoes Mixed Tristan Stewart, Debbie Hall, Jim Hall, Lang King, Christine Rozycki, Nancy Wallace 3:01:40

Outrigger Single Men Kurel Tresnak Jr. 2:47:10

Outrigger Single Women Kelly Rhodes

Sliding Seat Racing Double Men Steve Tucker, Alex Zosuls 2:11:11

Sliding Seat Racing Double Mixed Carin Reynolds, Peter Kermond 2:33:43

Sliding Seat Racing Single Men Andre O’Brien

Sliding Seat Racing Single Women Robin Clark

Sliding Seat Touring Double Men Jim Gorman, Gary Piantedosi

Sliding Seat Touring Single Men John Mathews 3:29:21