By EDDIE D’AMICO
For the Sentinel
MARGATE CITY — A tie-breaker decided the winner after the Atlantic City Beach Patrol and Longport Beach patrol tied with 8 points each at the Margate World War II Memorial Lifeguard Race Aug. 2.
The ACBP’s better finish in the doubles row gave the team the title in the race’s 78th year at Decatur Avenue beach, right behind Lucy the Elephant. The Margate City Beach Patrol was third with 7 points.
The Margate WWII Memorial Lifeguard Race is the second of the three largest races of the summer. The first was the Dutch Hoffman Memorial Lifeguard Championships and the last will be Friday’s South Jersey Lifeguard Championships.
The Margate races featured three traditional events, the one-mile doubles row, half-mile swim and the 1,000-foot singles row. The evening’s ocean waters were rough with strong winds and stronger currents leading to challenging conditions for the lifeguards.
The doubles race began hectic and tight as teams fought to get their boats out in the turbulent surf conditions. Atlantic City and Margate began to lead the charge to the flag. After rounding it, Brigantine and Longport pulled ahead in a neck-and-neck race but ultimately Brigantine’s brother duo of Jack and Joe Savell caught a large wave that drove them to the finish line.
“It felt good, it was really rough today, and we had some great competition,” Jack Savell said. “I felt like we started to pull away from the others after we rounded the flag turn but Longport stayed with us. We were tied for a while, but in the end we just caught more waves than them. It was a good fight out there though.”
Atlantic City’s Nick Guidara and Vince Granese were second, and Longport’s Sean Duffey and Mike McGrath, due to some unfavorable waves, placed third. Margate’s Chris Spiers and Bob Bechtel were fourth and Sea Isle’s Danny Rogers and Pat Scannapieco were fifth.
In the swim, it was Margate’s own Zach Vasser who was able to power through the waves to finish first.
“It always feels good to win it, but at home it adds a lot to it, with all the guards cheering for me,” he said. “Here on my home beach means I know the environment a little more. I’m used to certain currents and I know where the breaks form. Water was choppy but I like it a little choppy. It adds another element to the race, makes it a lot more fun.”
Sea Isle’s Andrew Taylor was second and a mad dash to the finish led to Ventnor’s Brian Faulk placing third. Ocean City’s Dylan Dewitt was fourth and Alex Zoldan of Avalon fifth.
In the singles row, Atlantic City and Brigantine initially took the lead, but as the teams rounded the flag to head back to shore, Avalon and Longport began to close the gap. As the boats glided toward shore, the competition intensified, with waves catching and paths shifting.
While Atlantic City and Avalon appeared to be leading, Longport’s Mike McGrath began pulling away from the pack. McGrath caught an incoming wave, propelling him into first place. This victory marks the third consecutive year McGrath has won the event.
“Singles is all about three things: start, turn, turn, finish,” McGrath said. “You have all those aspects, you have to try to simplify it and not overcomplicate it. You just row, focus on breathing and don’t panic if you’re not in first. The past ten years have been great, I’m so grateful I can keep doing this and participate in these races with my patrol,” he added.
Granese of Atlantic City was second and Avalon’s Ryan Finnegan, who won the singles row at the Dutch Hoffman Memorials, was third. Ocean City’s Taylor Smith was fourth and Jack Savell of Brigantine fifth.
Ultimately, Atlantic City clinched victory for the second consecutive year despite not winning any individual events. Their strong performance, securing second place in two events, gave the team an edge. The decisive factor was the doubles row, in which Atlantic City outperformed Longport, breaking the tie.
After Margarte in third with 7 points, Brigantine was fourth with 6 points and Sea Isle fifth with 5 points. The South Jersey Championships in Brigantine are Friday, Aug. 9.
– STORY by EDDIE D’AMICO/For the Sentinel
– PHOTOS by CRAIG D. SCHENCK/Sentinel staff
