Texas Water Safari
The Texas Water Safari is a boat race down waterways from San Marcos, Texas, to Seadrift, Texas. The total distance traveled is 262 miles. Racers must take all equipment needed with them, receiving only food, medical supplies, water and ice along the way. The primary requirement is a boat powered only by human muscle. The event was first held in 1963, and is run annually.
History
In 1962 Frank Brown and Bill "Big Willie" George decided to navigate from San Marcos to Corpus Christi, Texas, without a motor. In 1963 they created the Texas Water Safari which would become an annual race.
The race is scheduled to begin on the second Saturday of June of each year, unless extremely inclement weather prevents it from being held safely. The Safari has been postponed in only three years (twice in 2004, making a total of four postponements).
Course
The Safari course includes natural rivers like the San Marcos, with rapids and dams. Most boats destroyed on the course are lost in the upper river. The San Marcos River converges with the Guadalupe River and becomes wider and slower. The main dangers in the middle river are sweepers, downed trees, logjams and dams. Near the end of the course there are lakes and swamps, and it ends with a crossing of the San Antonio Bay. Other challenges on the water include alligator gar, alligators, sharks (while crossing the bay), poisonous water moccasin snakes, fire ants, and mosquitos. Participants' boats are frequently damaged along the upper river.
There are 12 official checkpoints, including the finish line. Their locations are published and they are staffed with race officials. Each official checkpoint has a cutoff time which the racers must meet or be disqualified. The final cutoff time at the finish is 100 hours. The Team Captain of each team must be present at the checkpoint to sign off the team's time as the team leaves.
Official checkpoints:
- Staples Dam
- Luling 90
- Zedler Mill-Luling Dam
- Palmetto State Park
- Gonzales 183
- Hochheim
- Cuero 766 (Cheapside)
- Cuero 236
- Victoria City Park
- Invista (formerly Dupont)
- Salt Water Barrier
- Seadrift
Participants belong to one of a number of classes. The Unlimited class is one of the best known to spectators, and is restricted only to watercraft powered only by human muscle. Attempts have been made to win in craft of unconventional form, but the best results have been achieved by a well-trained team in one of the multi-man canoes (the records for largest team and fastest finish time are held by nine- and six-person canoes respectively). In 2006 the Unlimited class was further restricted to no more than 6 persons on a team. Other classes include Tandem Unlimited (similar to unlimited, but only two entrants per boat), Solo Unlimited (one entrant), and other Canoe sprint classes.
Records
- Youngest USCA C-1 Finisher & Winner, Female - Courtney Weber, 20Y 11M 28D, 2011
- Youngest USCA C-1 Finisher & Winner, Male - Max Feaster, 17Y 9M 1D, 2010
- Overall Fastest Time - 29:46, 1997, Bryan & Fred Mynar, John Dunn, Jerry Cochran, Steve Landick, and Soloman Carriere
- Youngest Finisher - Jessica Bugge, 9Y 5M 12D, 2003
- Youngest Woman Solo Finisher - Rebekah Zeek, 18Y 4M 28D, 2009
- Adult-Child - Fastest Finish: 46:11, 1997, Kyle & Joe Mynar
- Novice - Fastest Time 44:03, 2004, Allen Chellette & George Melder
- Aluminum - Fastest Time 38:55, 1997, Donald and Daniel Baumbach
- Standard - Fastest Time 38:18, 1992, Lynn wilson and Ron Lightfoot of Canada
- Master's - Fastest Time 36:06, 2004, John Maika, Vance Sherrod, Pete Binnion, Jim Pye, and Pat Petrisky
- Women's USCA C1 - Fastest Time 57:49, 2014, Holly Orr
- Men's USCA C-1 - Fastest Time 37:07, 2007, Jerry Rayburn
- USCA C-2 - Fastest Time 36:27, 1997, Allen Spelce and West Hansen
- Mixed - Fastest Time 37:45, 2007, Deborah Lane and Fred Mynar
- Tandem Unlimited - Fastest Time 35:17, 1987, John Bugge & Mike Shively
- Women's Solo Unlimited - Fastest Time 49:26, 2004, Holly Nelson (now Holly Orr)
- Men's Solo Unlimited - Fastest Time 36:03, 2007, Carter Johnson
- Women's Unlimited - Fastest Time 44:51, 2007, Hannah DeGray, Sarah Walliser, Holly Orr
- Unlimited - Fastest Time 29:46, 1997, Bryan & Fred Mynar, John Dunn, Jerry Cochran, Steve Landick, and Soloman Carriere
Records current as of 13 January 2015
External links
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