Historical Records - The Connecticut River Raft Race

08/09/75 - 1st Annual Connecticut River Raft Race
Racecourse - Deep River Landing - Knot Island
Charitable Donation: American Cancer Society

08/14/75 - "WET DREAM" COMES IN FIRST
08/19/75 - ROLLING DOWN THE RIVER (1 of 2)
08/19/75 - ROLLING DOWN THE RIVER (2 of 2)
08/??/75 - Ingenuity Reigns in Raft Race
08/??/75 - Modern-Day Huck

1 - Wet Dream
Capt. Frank Burton
2 - Knocker
Capt. Stan Baxter
3 - Morning Star
Capt. Charlie Hosmer
4 - Unknown Name
Capt. Stan Pipkin

07/24/76 - 2nd Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

03/16/76 - River rafters beware, the race is on!
??/??/76 - Rafts To Be Launched In Race July 24...
07/25/76 - Raft Yachtsman Poor Excuse for a Huck Finn
07/26/76 - RAFTS AND RAFTS OF FUN (1 OF 2)
07/26/76 - RAFTS AND RAFTS OF FUN (2 OF 2)
07/29/76 - Essex Raft Race Is A Big Splash
09/??/76 - Rafts race for charity
07/??/76 - Raft Race Fulfills Fantasies Of Long Ago
??/??/76 - POST-race action at Nott Island.

1 - Morning Star II
2 - Virgin II
3 - River Queen

07/30/77 - 3rd Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

05/26/77 - The 3rd Great Connecticut River Raft Race Is Going Strong!
07/15/77 - Rafting Down the River (1 of 2)
07/15/77 - Rafting Down the River (2 of 2)
07/30/77 - No tall Ships, But Still Some Sight
07/31/77 - Riding to Essex - If It Floats, Get On It
07/??/77 - A Summer Celebration and 50 Floating Riddles
08/01/77 - Raft Race is beery, beery slow
08/01/77 - Loss Didn't Dampen Their Enthusiasm
08/01/77 - Waiting For The Gun
08/15/77 - Rafts (The New Yorker, Aug 15, 1977)
??/??/77 - The Great Race
??/??/77 - Raft Race to Essex
??/??/77 - Wallace and Dodd Act to Save River Event
??/??/77 - Wallace Heads Slate Approved by Cauucus
??/??/77 - Despite Setbacks He Had Good Time
12/11/77 - Main Street, Raft Race, Democrats Are Prominent in 1977 Essex News

1 - Morning Star III
2 - Snuffleupagus
3 - River Queen

7/22/78 - 4th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

??/??/78 - Register Now!
11/16/78 - Charitable Donations
05/??/78 - Raft Race Organizers Anticipate 150 Entries In 4th Annual Event
??/??/78 - CANOEING, RAFT RACES, & TUBING
0??/??/78 - Connecticut River Raft Race Bubbles; Thousands Expected at Saturday Event
07/20/78 - Raft Race Promises "Organized Chaos"
07/23/78 - On to Nott's Island - The Traffic Was T'riffic
07/18/78 - 140 Entries Ready for Saturday's River Raft Race
07/27/78 - Rafters Race, Party Way Down The River
07/27/78 - Some Wanted To Win
06/15/78 - Entries Pouring In For River Raft Race
??/??/78 - New London Racers Hit Water Before Rafts
2nd Annual Flotsom and Jetsam Raft Race
07/28/78 - Rafts Rerouted Away From Essex
??/??/78 - Lions Divide Race Profits
??/??/78 - Men Work Secretly To Build Racing Raft
??/??/78 - Coast Guard Refuses To Rescind Essex Raft Race Permit

1 - Riverwurst
2 - Morning Star IV
3 -

08/04/79 - 5th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

??/??/79 - "Rubber Lips" Outsmarts "Em
08/09/79 - Spectators Allege Many Raft Racers Were Not Sailing With A Full Deck
06/14/79 - Editorial - The Great Raft Race
06/12/79 - Raft race faces fight
06/08/79 - Raft Race Draws Criticism From Riggio, Shop Owners
??/??/79 - Organizers Promise Control Of Raft Race
07/24/79 - Over 100 rafts registered for race
07/21/79 - Essex Explorers To Sail On Raft of Milk Containers
07/24/79 - Busy summer for Sea Explorers
09/??/79 - A Human Sea of rafts and racers
09/??/79 - River Raft Race wet and then wet
08/06/77 - Connecticut River Race Has A Booming Start
09/06/79 - River Race Fun For Everyone
??/??/79 - Outspoken - Race Was Chaotic
12/15/79 - Town Fails To Sink Raft Race
08/06/79 - And they're off
??/??/79 - The Raft Race In Retrospect - The Nature Of Things
??/??/79 - Raft Racers Ignore Post-Race Downpour
07/26/79 - Raft Race Set Despite Gripes
??/??/79 - Raft Racers Make Record Time
08/05/79 - On Their Way to Keg of Beer
??/??/79 - Lyme Entry Sloshes Home For River Raft Race Win
??/??/79 - River Raft Race Is On Despite Complaints
??/??/79 - "Youthful Offenders"
?7/??/79 - Merchant Tells Selectman Of Worries About Raft Race
??/??/79 - Raft Racers Avoid Village; Riggio Pleased With Results
??/??/79 - River Queens
??/??/79 - River Raft Race Ready
07/27/79 - He Who 'Rafts Last, Rafts Best,' Captain Says
??/??/79 - Raft Race's Key Ingredients: Man, Women and Will Power

1 - Rubber Lips 1
2 - Riverwurst II
3 - Morning Star V

07/26/80 - 6th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

08/22/80 - Aircrafters Race Rafts
07/28/80 - Sixth Raft Race a Memory Today
08/20/80 - Next Year's Raft Race Will Not End In Essex
08/19/80 - State wants raft race moved to another site
??/??/80 - River Race Fun For Everyone
??/??/80 - Essex Raft Committee To Pay 3 Constables
05/07/80 - "Orderly" River Raft Race Anticipated By Riggio
03/??/80 - Essex Gears Up and Battens Down for Sixth Annual Raft Race
??/??/80 - If It Floats, Enter In The River Raft Race
??/??/80 - 100 Entries Are Due For River Raft Race
??/??/80 - Fat Chance
07/30/80 - Good Rafting Editorial
??/??/80 - Hodgepodge Floatilla of 95 Compete In 6th Connecticut River Raft Race
07/30/80 - Rafters Break Record In 6th Annual Race - 1 of 4
07/30/80 - Rafts were outfitted with stereos, torpedos, and bathrooms - 2 of 4
07/30/80 - Rafts were outfitted with stereos, torpedos, and bathrooms - 3 of 4
07/30/80 - Essex Officials Pleased With Race Organization - 4 of 4
??/??/80 - Lets Elliminate The Raft Race
08/06/80 - Raft Race Elicits Complaints; Officials' Reports Are Good
08/06/80 - Raft Race Could Be Closed To Spectators

1 - Last Chance
2 - Spread Eagle
3 - Rubber Lips
4 - Titantic
5 - Wet Dream VI
6 -
7 - Morning Star VI

Pink Oar
Award
River Queens VI

Mark Twain
Award
Coke Float

Space Raft
Award
Wulb-N'Kcus II

The Aft
Award
Youthful Offenders

Morning Star VI
Crew List

Morning Star
1975-1980
Crew List

Invitation
from Delaware
Raft Race

08/01/81 - 7th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

01/??/81 - Coast Guard Orders Raft Race Moved Up River
02/04/81 - River Raft Race Is Up The Creek Without A Site
04/02/81 - Raft Race Plans Advance; New Date Set
05/07/81 - Great Raft Race Is On! Haddam To Be Finish Line
06/10/81 - Raft Race Gets Permit For August 1 Event
06/12/81 - Coast Guard Set to Approve Raft Race
??/??/81 - River Raft Race Is a Happening
08/02/81 - frolicking aplenty
08/28/81 - River Race Leaves Good Will in its Wake

??/??/82 - 8th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

??/??/82 - Crafty Rafters Engaging In High-Seas High Jinks

??/??/83 - 9th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

08/05/83 - 100 Rafts in Connecticut River Race
08/08/83 - New Norelco Raft River Race Winner
08/08/83 - Some happy rafters who guided their boat

1 - Norelco America
2 - No Corporation
3 - ?

??/??/84 - 10th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

07/22/84 - River Raft Race A Test of Ingenuity
07/24/84 - River Raft Race Is Set Saturday
07/28/84 - Avast, Rafts!
07/30/84 - Raft Race Finish seen By Hundreds

??/??/85 - 11th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

08/02/85 - River Rafters Gathering For Saturday's Showdown
08/04/85 - Rafters Enjoy Riotous Race on River
08/05/85 - Six Drivers Are Charged As They Leave Raft Race
08/13/85 - They peddled, paddled and sailed the river
??/??/85 - The crew of the EB Exterminator

Outer Limits Award
1 - Norelco America
Cruising Class Award
1 - Wet Dream XI
2 - EB Exterminator

??/??/86 - 12th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

07/29/86 - This old party gurl is still going strong at 80
08/01/86 - Rafters Tune Up for Annual River Race
08/04/86 - They Find the Fun Is Getting There
08/04/86 - Norelco Rafters River Champs
08/04/86 - Norelco Rafters Again River Champs
??/??/86 - River Queens gear up to paddle to near victory
08/11/86 - Moodus rafts
08/11/86 - The spirit of the race
08/12/86 - Connecticut River Raft Race

Outer Limits Award
1 - Norelco America
2 - EB Exterminator
3 - River Queen
4 - Terminator
Cruising Class Award
1 - Wet Dream XII

??/??/88 - 14th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

07/23/88 - The Connecticut River Raft Race Set for next weekend, event promises a good time
07/27/88 - Women Rafters New Grandmother Class Entry
07/31/88 - Rafters set sail for fun, charity
08/01/88 - Annual River Raft Race Attracts 79 Homemade Crafts

1 - Raft USA
2 - EB Exterminator
3 - Triceratops
4 - Norelco New Management
Pink Oar Award
Norelco New Management

07/29/89 - 15th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

07/31/89 - Ideal Weather Provides a Perfect Setting for Raft Race

??/??/92 - 18th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

08/07/92 - Spish, splash Raft race is just for fun

08/06/94 - 20th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

05/23/94 - A safe raft race

07/27/96 - 22th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

07/28/96 - River raft race features a stately drift

08/02/03 - 29th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

08/01/03 - Rafters To Float Through Area for Annual River Race
08/03/03 - Floating For Fun

08/09/05 - Simplified 'Net orders get patent
Ken Fischburg was the Chairman of The Connecticut River Raft Race

07/29/06 � 32nd Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

07/29/06 - The Boat Floats, So Now It�s Time To Race
The North End Action Team

08/04/07 � 33rd Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

08/01/07 - River Raft Race Remains Afloat
08/03/07 - Kids Set To Make A Splash In River Raft Race
08/05/07 - Little Willie Proves Up To Task In Raft Race
The North End Action Team

08/01/09 � 35th Annual Connecticut River Raft Race

08/01/09 - Connecticut River Raft Race Returns
The North End Action Team

The calm before the storm

Race anthem and cannon

Knotty Gurl in action

Millenium Buzzard finish

2010 Raft Race Video Clips

Little Willie

Lin Lee in action

1975-2019 T-shirt Artwork