MR340

Missouri River 340 Race from Kansas City to St Charles

Which Boat to Paddle in 2010 MR340 Race?

boats & gear, MR340 / By

68 days to the 2010 Missouri River 340 Race and I am still not decided which boat to paddle. In the first four MR340 races I paddled four different solo boats:
2006 – Spencer X-treme canoe (mostly double blade)
2007 – WSBS Thunderbolt-X kayak (double blade)
2008 – Kruger Sea Wind canoe (single blade)
2009 – Surfrigger outrigger canoe (single blade)

Well, I don’t have a new boat for this year race. It also seems that I need to add a new criterium to my boat selection ranking: which boat (or rather paddle) hurts less my shoulder, wrist, elbow, etc. This year the elbow provides a challenge.

Recently, I was mostly paddling the Thunderbolt kayak. It is because I am lazy and this boat is the easiest and quickest one to upload on my car roof. 116 miles on the North Platte River in Wyoming with Sea Wind this incoming weekend will provide some additional data to think (and feel) about. The worst scenario: replacing a paddle by a camera.

Related posts:
2010 Missouri River 340 Race
3 Years of the Missouri River 340 Race series:
Bryan Hopkins, West Hansen, Christina Glauner, Chuck and Di McHenry, Katie Pfefferkorn
My Experience in Three Famous Ultra Marathon Paddling Races

2010 Missouri River 340 Race

gallery, MR340 / By

340 nonstop miles from Kansas City to St Charles, 88 hour or less, July 27th – 30th, 2009 at full moon – the 5th Missouri River 340 Race.

On-line registration was traditionally opened at midnight January 1. 100 slots available in the men solo class were filled in a day or so. 340 boats will be accepted this year. There is still plenty of room in other classes and a waiting list of male soloists. Dragon Boat/Voyageur Class can accommodate a lot of paddlers. See 2010 Roster.

I have been paddling MR340 and writing about this race for the last fours years. Below you can find a list of my posts, picture galleries and articles by guest authors.

Related posts from Missouri River 340 Races

3 Years of the Missouri River 340 Race series:
Bryan Hopkins, West Hansen, Christina Glauner, Chuck and Di McHenry, Katie Pfefferkorn
My Experience in Three Famous Ultra Marathon Paddling Races

2009 MR-340
My 2009 Missouri River Race as Recovered from a GPS Track
7 Tips for Solo Land Crew in MR340 Race by Connie
Missouri River 340 Race Records
2009 Missouri River 340 Race – Before Start
Do I Need GPS for the Missouri River 340 Race?

7 Tips for Solo Land Crew in MR340 Race by Connie

MR340 / By

Here are a few tips for Team Captains (land crew) and paddlers in long distance races like Missouri River 340, based on my experience. They are, perhaps, most appropriate for paddler/ground-crew-spouse combinations. Of course, every couple is different, so be your own best judge as to how to do things. Also, I’ve only been part of a “one-solo, one ground crew” team. It’s always been Marek in the boat and me alone on the shore. I’m sure that larger teams have their own dynamics.

1. Paddlers, please provide your ground crews with as good driving directions as possible. Don’t expect that your spouse will do this by him or herself. Not everyone lives, eats, sleeps and breathes MR 340 as you do. Weird, I know, but there it is.

2. Ground crews – you will get lost. It’s ok, don’t panic. Just persevere and you’ll eventually find your way there. If all else fails, as you near the river and can’t find the access point go downhill. I think it was Daniel Boone that said, “I’ve never been lost. Sometimes I’ve just been very confused for a few days.” Also, the more tired you get, the harder it gets to find the access points. Expect to take some wrong turns and try not to blame yourself or anyone else.

Related posts:
Adventures of a Team Captain – 4 Years of Texas Water Safari in Retrospect
12 tips for Team Captains and 10 Tips for Paddlers Starting in Texas Water Safari

Missouri River 340 Race Records

gallery, MR340 / By

MR340 started in 2006 with just 15 boats and four years later we had 271 boats at the Kaw Point. I counted 437 racers in the race roster in solo, tandem and team divisions. How many people participated in the race if we add all organizers, volunteers, safety boats, and land crew? 1000 or more?

Here is an approximate statistics of 2009 racers by state. Most of them were local paddlers from Missouri and Kansas, but 21 US states and Canada were represented in the race.

Texas racers followed West Hansen and had always a strong representation in the MR340. They brought Texas Water Safari racing style, unlimited boats, and then team boats. Some other influences are also visible. An outrigger canoe powered by a wing paddle is not a Safari boat. It is interesting to observe how many local paddlers become strong racers during these four years of the MR340.

Recently, Scott Mansker compiled a list of MR340 records. I am posting it below with some pictures added.

I am a slow though persistent soloist. I completed the MR340 4 times with my wife, Connie, as my land crew in three races:
2006 – 78:32 in Spencer X-treme canoe
2007 – 68:00 in WSBS Thunderbolt-X kayak
2008 – 62:17 in Sea Wind canoe (self supported)
2009 – 61:11 in Surfrigger (outrigger canoe)
Four races and four different boats. Well, I don’t really have another boat for the 2010 MR340 …

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