Just four days after the third annual, 750-mile engineless-boat Race to Alaska started in Port Townsend June 8, three brothers from Massachusetts made it to Ketchikan, Alaska, on June 15 to become …
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ABOVE: Three brothers from Massachusetts — Trip, Trevor and Chris Burd — took first place in the 710-mile second stage of the Race to Alaska, leaving Victoria, British Columbia June 11 and arriving in Ketchican, Alaska June 15. Photo by Ashlyn Brown
Just four days after the third annual, 750-mile engineless-boat Race to Alaska started in Port Townsend June 8, three brothers from Massachusetts made it to Ketchikan, Alaska, on June 15 to become the first-place finishers.
R2AK communications manager Anika Colvin reported times for Stage 2 of this year’s race, encompassing the 710 miles from Victoria, British Columbia, to Ketchikan, which put Team Pure & Wild/Freeburd literally just minutes ahead of second-place Team Big Broderna.
While brothers Tripp, Trevor and Chris Burd pulled into dock after four days, three hours and five minutes, the team of Sean Huston, Mars Le Baron, and Nels and Lars Strandberg came in second, six minutes later, with a time of four days, three hours and 11 minutes.
In 2016, the three-person crew of Team MAD Dog Racing came in first with a time of three days, 20 hours and 13 minutes.
“The weather this year has been extremely erratic, offering winds over 55 miles per hour, and periods of flat calm,” Colvin said. “No boat has an engine, so when they’re not sailing, they must propel themselves however they can, by paddle, pedal or oar.”
While Team Pure & Wild/Freeburd claimed the $10,000 first-place prize, Team Big Broderna got the coveted second-place prize of “a pretty good set of steak knives.”
By the end of June 15, 28 teams were still battling up the coast for fame or glory, as well as the chance to be the first to say yes to the R2AK buy-back program.
“As each team finishes, we give them five minutes to decide if they want to sell us their boat for $10,000,” race boss Daniel Evans said. “We buy the first team’s boat that says yes, no questions asked.”
The unusual offer was created to offer incentive for teams that knew they couldn’t finish first, but still could race competitively.
Stephane Lesaffre and Jeremy Boyette, of Team Ketch Me If U Can, ultimately claimed the buy-back prize of $10,000 for their Nacra Inter 20 beach catamaran.
By June 19, Team Fueled on Stoke decided to retire from the race, Team Global Diving had broken its boom in Hecate Strait, and Team West Coast Wild Ones finished “in the wee hours of Monday.”
When Tripp Burd, captain of the winning team, was asked how it felt to finally take first in R2AK, after three years of competing, he said, “We finished in half the time as year one, with twice as much work.” Now in its third year, the Race to Alaska is organized by the Northwest Maritime Center, a nonprofit organization whose mission is to engage people in maritime activities.
