A Race With A Meaning...Before the Fall of the Towers

Following the Intrepid's annual Tug Races on Sunday, September 2, I had the opportunity to ride back from Pier 86 on 46th St. in Manhattan to Staten Island on the Janet M. McAllister. I remember sitting on the edge of the tug, the waves slapping against the sides, as the powerful vessel motored south from Midtown Manhattan to the Staten Island port where the company keeps its tugs. I also vividly remember seeing the World Trade Center as I had never before — from a tug in the Hudson River. Little did I know that this would be the very last time I would ever see them — for the next time I would view them would be from the roof of my 12-story office building, smoke billowing from the top — collapsing in front of my eyes.

The tug, which has been dubbed New York City's most powerful, finished second all-around with a time of five minutes, 23 seconds at this year’s Intrepid Tug Races — right behind Tugz's Z-Two, which defended its title as last year's winner. Z-Two crossed the finish line at Pier 86 with a time of five minutes, 17 seconds — better than its winning time last year of seven minutes, 32 seconds.

The tugs lined up at the 79th St. Boat Basin, racing along the Hudson down to the finish line at Intrepid's Pier 86. Coming in behind the McAllister and Tug-Z vessels were Janice Ann Reinauer, which finished third with a time of five minutes, 38 seconds, and K-Sea's Beaufort Sea finishing fourth.

An interesting twist that developed during the race was that the actual winner (though not formally registered) of the race was Don Jon Marine's Anchor Handling Supply Tug Powhatan with a time of five minutes, seven seconds. The supply vessel, which was a last minute entry managed to pull ahead of its smaller competitors — capturing the title as this year's (unofficial) winner. — Regina P. Ciardiello