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The "Challenge Skiff"
In the first six years of the WoodenBoat Challenge, the 12' Bolger designed
Teal was used as the competition boat. Several boatbuilding teams had competed
year after year and could almost build the boat blindfolded. Practice had made
some of the boatbuilders almost perfect. In the final Teal year, the winning
building time had plummeted to 1 hour and 11 minutes and the quality of
construction was excellent. It was time to raise the bar.
So the Wooden Boat Show committee asked "B" Coleman of
Seaco Yacht Design in Lexington, KY, to design a new competition boat that
presented more challenge. "B" has been a long time friend of the Georgetown
Wooden Boat Show and he promptly fashioned a superb design that not only offered
more challenge but one that also had a pulchritudinous profile. She was named
the Georgetown Bateau. 2001 was the first year for the Georgetown Bateau. The
winning time was 2:26:31, slower than the winning time for the last Teal
competition, but an eye-opening speed achievement nonetheless. Some teams
struggled to finish within the four hour time limit but all exhibited due
diligence and a smile.
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