St. Joseph boat club gearing up for kayak, canoe race this weekend

By Leah Rainwater

Boat lovers will have a chance to hit the water this Saturday in the St. Joseph Boat and Yacht Club’s first NEMO 50 race.

This is the first year the Boat and Yacht Club is hosting and sponsoring this race down the Missouri River.

“It’s a kayak/canoe race from Rulo, Nebraska, to the St. Joseph Boat Club,” said Stacey Rasco, a club member. “It’s approximately 54 miles.”

Rasco said, per the permit retrieved from the Missouri Department of Conservation, the maximum amount of racers that can participate in this year’s race is 70.

Rasco said they have about 30 people who have signed up for the race, each bringing different boats, or being a part of different “classes”.

“We have kayaks, we have surfskis, we have canoes, we have tandem boats,” Rasco said. “And I think we do have a paddle drive boat coming.”

Rasco said she got the idea to put on a big race when she participated in the Missouri River Paddle Race a few years ago, and she was the only person to show up.

“At that time I was the only one that showed up for it. And so it was in October and so we did the race — I did the race … and then we joined the boat club,” Rasco said. “Then I was like, ‘Would you like to have a big race?’ Because I race all over the country doing these races and so we just decided ‘yes.’ We missed it last year because we were trying to get it together, and so here it is.”

Rasco said there are plenty of safety features implemented on the water for those who are participating.

“They have to have a lifejacket and a whistle … but just to be able to paddle … more endurance,” she said. “There are paddle stops and we have two checkpoints.”

For those who may have overestimated the distance they can paddle, that’s not an issue when it comes to participating in the NEMO 50.

“We do have safety boats on the water, so if somebody wanted to come out and try it, you know and they make it two or three miles down and they’re just exhausted and can’t go on, we have safety boats that can pick’em up and take ‘em to the nearest checkpoint,” she said.

Rasco also said that there will be one highway patrol boat and a few Missouri Department of Conservation boats out monitoring the race.

Rasco said participants don’t have to have any qualifications when it comes to race day.

“Anybody can come out and do these races,” she said.

And to celebrate those who participate in the race, Rasco said there’s a little incentive for people to enjoy.

“We have finisher medals for everyone, we have first, second and third place medals for everyone that’s first second or third place.”

Rasco also said there’s a meal at the end of the race for all of the participants to enjoy.