Another weekend…another race!
This time it’s a foggy morning at the wharf in Lunenburg where Canada competes against the USA in international dory racing competition!!
What is a dory, you ask?
The dory is a small, shallow-draft boat, about 5 to 7 metres long. It is usually a lightweight boat with high sides, a flat bottom and sharp bows. Dory boats are easy to build because of their simple lines. For centuries, dories have been used as traditional fishing boats, both in coastal waters and in the open sea.
And how did dory racing begin?
In 1951, Lloyd Heisler of Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia and Tom Frontiero of Gloucester, Massachusetts, met in a bar in Lunenburg. They began a conversation that turned into a debate about which dory rowers from which fishing town were the superior rowers. They decided that the only way to settle the matter was to challenge each other to a race. Tom took the idea of this challenge with him back to Gloucester and the process of the International Dory races had begun.
In June of 1952, Lloyd and his dory mate arrived in Gloucester, Massachusetts to settle the bet. Although the race did go to the Canadian team, the competition and comradery that developed between the two fishing towns could not be forgotten. Every June since 1952, Lunenburg, Nova Scotia sends their best teams of rowers from each category to race against their American counterparts in Gloucester, and every August since 1952, Gloucester teams take their turn coming to Lunenburg to race in Canadian waters. This year will mark the 63rd anniversary of dory racing and the tradition is still going strong. These past 63 years has continued to strengthen the bond between these two fishing towns, and every year we once again look forward to some fun and competition with our American friends. Dory racing is a part of our heritage and we hope to continue this tradition many years into the future.
Today on the Adams & Knickle wharf, Canada meets USA again as is tradition, and this time we were there…
An overcast, foggy, misty morning… typical Lunenburg. 5 races. Juniors. Mixed. Women’s. Over 50. Seniors.We didn’t know what to expect. Believe it or not we never watched these races before. Let’s just say TODAY in Lunenburg, Canada that the Canadian Dory Teams didn’t disappoint. They WON ALL 5 races!!! Wow!!
And that’s it for another year! It was so interesting and so much fun!!!
Just An East Coast Girl 