The Blackburn Challenge

The Blackburn Challenge is a 22-mile open water rowing and paddling race in the Atlantic Ocean held in Gloucester, Massachusetts. It is named after Howard Blackburn, the famous fisherman who survived five nights at sea with his hands frozen to the oars after his dory became separated from the mother ship during a winter storm in 1883. The race is one of the longest and best attended open water races on the East Coast.

The Alden Ocean Shell is one of the most popular rowing shells, and is the boat credited with popularizing "open-water" type rowing using rear-facing sliding-seat rigs in boats capable of open water.

Ron Rantilla in Alden Ocean Shell

In 1996, Ron Rantilla entered his Frontrower™ equipped (forward facing) Alden Ocean Shell (see photo) in the Blackburn Challenge Race. There were lots of other Alden Ocean Shells entered in the race, all equipped with the standard rear-facing sliding-seat rigs. These were classified as "sliding seat touring singles", along with other touring type rowing shells meeting the class standards. The Frontrower, because of its unconventional design, was placed in the "open" class, which started a couple of heats after the sliding seat touring singles.

Over 100 boats finished the race. Ron Rantilla won the open class, and during the race passed the entire fleet of rear-facing sliding seat touring singles, bettering the fastest (and the class record) by seven minutes and fifty seconds.

In the real-world conditions of a 22-mile open water race, competing with some of the best open water rowers in the world, the Frontrower proved its ability to outperform rear-facing sliding-seat systems in the same boats.