Top of the Teche registration open

Registration is open for Top of the Teche, a 7.5-mile race for kayaks, canoes and pirogues from Leonville to Arnaudville Saturday, April 5.

The competition is for trophies and certificates, with divisions for men, women and youths 10 to 17 years old. Entry is $40 per paddler.

Proceeds from the race benefit the The Arnaudville Chamber of Commerce and the Leonville Volunteer Fire Department.

This year Top of the Teche will be run in two waves, with boys, girls and mixed youth divisions starting at 9 a.m., adult and mixed age divisions starting at 11 a.m.

Late registration and boat check will start at 7 a.m. for the youths, with a mandatory safety talk at 8:45 a.m. For adults and mixed adult-youth teams, late registration will be 9:30 to 10:30 a.m. with the safety talk at 10:45 a.m.

Top of the Teche starts from the public boat ramp just below the La. Hwy. 31 bridge in Leonville. The finish is at Myran’s Maison de Manger just past the La. Hwy. 31 bridge in Arnaudville.

The race is one of three staged by Tour du Teche, Inc., during the year. The other two are the 135-mile, three-day Tour du Teche, which always begins on the first Friday in October, and two days of competition for youths, the Petite Tour du Teche, set for Aug. 2 and 3 this year. (The Great Bayou Teche Dog Paddle, a leisure paddle with pets from Breaux Bridge to Parks to benefit St. Martin Parish Animal Services, will be May 10.)

The boat classes are:

•Fourre Tout or Catch-All (Class A) – Limited to a maximum of four paddlers. No length limit. Paddlers may use either single or double blades and may switch between the two.

•Solo Double Blade (Class B) – May use a rudder.

•Tandem Double Blade (Class C) – May use a rudder.

•Solo Single Blade (Class D – No rudders allowed.

•Tandem Single Blade (Class E) – No rudders allowed.

•Solo Pirogue (Class F) – Must conform to the traditional cross-section of a pirogue (flat bottom, hard chines). No rudders allowed.

•Tandem Pirogue (Class G) – Must conform to the standard cross-section of a pirogue (flat bottom, hard chines). No rudders allowed.

•Pedal Drive (Class H) – May use a rudder, and single or double blade paddles in addition to pedal drive.

Entry forms can be downloaded from www.tourduteche.com, or you can pick one up at the Teche News, 214 N. Main St., in St. Martinville, during regular business hours.

For more information query info@tourduteche.com.