Working Harbor Committee win an award for perpetuating this event and calling it race AND competition.  And at the expense of making this post almost as long as some of those cinema and music award shows, I’d like to add some aditional awards . . .

like for “best improvised bowsprit on a tugboat” . . . Ross Sea,  [doubleclick enlarges all fotos]

“most spirited better-late-than-never”   . . . The Bronx,   [more The Bronx soon]

“best press boat disguised as a tugboat”  again, The Bronx,

“best connection to the cliff at Weehawken”  Sea Wolf,

“best crew-to-crew face off . . .

 . . . over a series of two fotos”  to Pegasus and Ross Sea,

“most crew rallying on the foredeck” Maurania III.

Next we have many line handling awards.  First up, “best right-hand follow through form” to Quantico Creek,

“best send the whole coil at once” to Sea Wolf,

“best hand and leg follow through form”   also to Sea Wolf,

“best mascot with cute purple antennae” also to Sea Wolf . . .  might this BE THE sea WOLF?

“biggest line-thrower cheering section”  Maurania III,

“best facial expression”  to Susan Miller,

“best overall posture award”   Ross Sea,

and now a break from line-throwing awards . . . best photographer-aloft . . . Shipshooter on Ross Sea.

“best  ‘make-that-line-walk'”   . . . also Ross Sea,

“most earnest line thrower expression”   . . . Catherine C Miller,

“best ‘looks-like-that-was-overhand'”   Freddie K Miller,

“best ‘over-the-bollard-and . . .

…put-turns-on-the-quarterbitt'”  Pegasus,

“best and longest lariat twirling followed by the

longest throw”  Growler.  Note for next year . . . the Growler crew might decide to dress as rodeo folk, given that the 30-second lasso-demonstration prompted a comment from some unnamed person behind me . . . “Next year for Growler we should replace that bollard with a fiberglass cow.”  Great showmanship!!

“best winch-matching costume” the inimitable Jeff Schurr, frequent and erudite commenter on this blog.

“best Lab mascot” . . .  Peaches on Ross Sea,

“best mascot with a hat and pin”  Salty of The Bronx,

And “my favorite mascot and name,”  goes to the bantam fowl named Jack E. Sparrow . . . of the mighty Sea Wolf crew.

You’re all winners in my book . . .  Get in touch if you want higher-res version of your foto.

Finally and last but not least  . . . two technical awards  . ..  for “best dredger”  Maurania III, and

“best watercolor creation” . . .  Sea Wolf.

All fotos by Will Van Dorp.