A summary follows of the International Dory Races held on August 19 in Lunenburg, Nova Scotia.

Junior Division was a great race, Dylan and Clayton Morrissey got out to a great start. The were up against the Canadian crew of Jason Conrad and Patrick Tanner
The Morrissey’s dominated the race, and won with about a 4 to 5 boat lead. Jason Conrad and Patrick Tanner showed a lot of heart coming into the finish.

Women’s Division: Stephanie Swanson and Molly Griffin represented the United States and the sisters of Nicole and Natalie Jones represented Canada. Stephanie and Molly went out real strong for this race and kept with the Canadians to the flag. The wind did pick up for the race and blew them a little off course. They made the correction at the flag but lost about 2 to 3 boats. Nicole and Natalie Jones took advantage and stretched the lead out to 5 to 6 boats, but a strong surge at the end closed the gap but was not enough to overcome the deficit. This was Stephanie Swanson and Molly Griffin’s first race, they really showed Canada that the women’s crews in the US are on the up and up.

Masters Division: Mike Fronteria and Mike Harmon represented the US and the duo of Wylie Blades and Donnie Mahaney represented Canada. This race was another dead heat to the flags, Mike Fronteria and Mike Harmon got hung up at the flags and Wylie Blades and Donnie Mahaney used there expertise and took advantage to get in the lead. The US Masters crew lost about 2 boats in the turn and then the Canadian duo stretched it out all the way to the finish line.

Senior Division: Scott and Mike Morrissey represented the US and Jarrett Ehler and William Miller represented Canada. Scott and Mike again dominated this race from the start. The Canadian crew was real aggressive at the start and into the turn, but turned the flag in the wrong direction. The Canadian crew lost a lot a ton of time at the flags and Scott and Mike coasted to the finish line in another dominate fashion.

Another tid bit was that Lunenburg put together a fun exhibition race against the Bluenose of Nova Scotia and the Coast Guard Crew from the Grand Isle out of Gloucester. The Bluenose did win the race but the Gloucester Coast Crew did row great for never being in a dory. There will be a rematch in 2 weeks when the Bluenose crew comes to Gloucester for the Schooner Festival.