A Texas Water Safari boat zips down Bayou Teche in the 2015 Tour du Teche. The “Big Boat” class, meaning boats with crews of three or more, is one of three categories racing in the inaugural Lower Atchafalaya Sprint in Patterson on Sept. 9. (Photo by Sandy Yonley)
Lower Atchafalaya sprints Sept. 9
Patterson – Breaking with the Tour du Teche tradition of mostly looong kayak and canoe races, the Lower Atchafalaya River Sprint on Saturday, Sept. 9, will be a set of six-mile races with starts and finishes within view of spectators at Morey Park in Patterson.
The race course will loop around buoys in the Lower Atchafalaya River, the section that links historic Bayou Teche to the Atchafalaya at Berwick and Morgan City. Morey Park is at 1114-1116 Main Street in Patterson.
First place price in each of three categories is $500, second $250 and third $100. Plus there will be a prize of $250, $150 and $75 for the first, second and third all-female crew to finish in each category.
The race categories are tandem single- or double-blade, solo K-1 (kayak) and Big Boat, three or more paddlers using either double or single blades.
The race for tandems starts at 9 a.m., K-1s at 11 a.m. and Big Boat 1 p.m.
Registration costs $20 per paddler and is good for all three races.
Day-of registration will be open from 7:30 a.m. to 8:45 a.m. Go to www.tourduteche.com to see how to register online.
Tour du Teche is a non-profit organization responsible for the annual running of Tour du Teche, 135 miles down the entire Bayou Teche; Tour de la Rivière Rouge, the 275-mile non-stop adventure race from Bossier City to Port Barre; and the epic 410 de Louisiane, which combines Tour de la Rivière Rouge and Tour du Teche for a 410 paddle down the entire length of Louisiana. Even most of the “short” races put on by Tour du Teche qualify as marathons. The exceptions are the Petit Tour du Teche for youths and the eight-mile Top of the Teche each spring.
See www.tourduteche.com for more information.