The Northwest Maritime Center (NWMC) is throwing a party today, June 3, in honor of all who are involved in the Race to Alaska, and everyone is invited.
The Race to Alaska (R2AK) is open to boats …
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Jimi Wright of Team Saint Brendan tinkers with his 17-foot Kevlar Kruger Sea Wind kayak at Point Hudson on June 2. Equipped with a modified sail rig, Wright is racing in stage one of the Race to Alaska, which starts at 5 a.m. June 4 on Port Townsend Bay, headed across the Straits of Juan de Fuca to Victoria. Photo by Robin Dudley
The Race to Alaska teams are checking in at Pope Marine Park in downtown Port Townsend today, June 3. Kicking off the informal "boat show," Thomas Nielsen and Scott Viers of Team Sea Runners set the "crab-claw" sail on their 17-foot Wharram Hitia catamaran. Everyone is welcome to check out the boats and meet the teams at the Pre-Race Ruckus today on Water Street, which is closed between Madison and Monroe. There are 36 teams signed up to go all the way to Ketchikan, and nearly 30 more are racing on just the first leg, to Victoria, B.C.; the race starts at 5 a.m. Thursday, June 4. There'll be food, music and a beer garden at the Ruckus Wednesday evening, starting at 5 p.m. Photo by Robin Dudley
Piper Dunlap and Norton Smith, aka Team Hexagram 59, are racing Ketchikat, a Hobie 20, from PT to Ketchikan, Alaska, in the Northwest Maritime Center–sponsored Race to Alaska, beginning June 4. Submitted photo
Roger Mann, aka Team Discovery, is racing this 16-foot Hobie Adventure Island trimaran to Alaska. "Adventure racing is my thing, just something I do." Photo by Robin Dudley
George Corbett is going to race to Alaska with Mike McCormack, "but he took the wrong ferry," Corbett said. The boat is a 17-foot Windrider Rave trimaran "that's been modified pretty ridiculously." They're from Squamish, British Columbia. Photo by Robin Dudley
The Northwest Maritime Center (NWMC) is throwing a party today, June 3, in honor of all who are involved in the Race to Alaska, and everyone is invited.
The Race to Alaska (R2AK) is open to boats of all sizes and kinds – as long as they don’t have an engine. Dreamed up as a way to generate excitement about human- and wind-powered on-water adventures, R2AK is already a huge success, due in large part to its unusual rules: no engines, no prearranged help, no adding of crew partway through. The first boat to Ketchikan wins $10,000. Second place wins a set of steak knives. The race starts at 5 a.m., Thursday, June 4 at NWMC.
Boats are assembling the day before along Water Street at the NWMC corner; Water Street closes between Madison and Monroe at 9 a.m., June 3. All are welcome to ogle the boats and meet the racers at the “Pre-Race Ruckus” taking place on the street from 5 to about 8 p.m. The Ruckus includes a beer garden, food vendors and music by the Dirty Beat Duo.
"It's going to be about as chaotic as the race itself," Jake Beattie, NWMC executive director, said of the Ruckus. "It's a fun way to welcome the racers to our community," and is also for "people interested in meeting some of these skillful lunatics" who plan to race.
There are 36 boats signed up for the race, plus about 30 more that are just taking part in the qualifying leg, the 40-mile sprint across the Strait of Juan de Fuca to Victoria, British Columbia. The race teams number about 120 people, and they're bringing friends and family to Port Townsend, said Beattie.
Teams that make it to Victoria, without help, by 5 p.m., June 5 may proceed to Ketchikan, starting at noon on Sunday, June 7. There are 36 teams registered for the full race. Learn more at
r2ak.com.
