Race to Alaska

[Jackie]

The race is back on this year and a few weeks ago the guys in charge visited our (Ketchikan) Rotary club. It was fun and informative. It sounds like a good race this year. They already had 48 entries as of 3 weeks ago! One change is that they are eliminating the first check-in waypoint on the inside passage. That will allow folks to go around the outside of Victoria Island if they choose. They had a small handful of entries that had indicated interest in that already.

They are in need of local area, ie Washington and maybe B.C., boaters to help with stuff on the water during that first leg of the race. I said a lot of C-Brats were interested in the race and that I'd put out a message here.

If you're interested in helping, the man to contact is Jesse Wiegwel at racemarshal@nwmaritime.org.

Cheers,

Jackie

 

[Peter & Judy]

Victoria Island??? I assume you mean Vancouver Island.

 

[Jackie]

Peter and Judy, oops
Next time I'd better proofread!

 

[Peter & Judy]

Peter and Judy, oops Embarassed
Next time I'd better proofread!

I wouldn't want anyone to get lost. :lol:

 

[robhwa]

Peter and Judy, oops Embarassed
Next time I'd better proofread!

I wouldn't want anyone to get lost. :lol:

Probably really lost. You could start in Port Townsend and sail/paddle around Victoria Island, but it'd be quite a trip. Nearest I've been in Tuktoyaktuk, NWT.

 

[Peter & Judy]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/Victo ... 08.0103749

Victoria Island, Nunavut

 

[hardee]

Victoria Island??? I assume you mean Vancouver Island.

:lol: :lol: :lol:

YUP, Eliminating that checkpoint will save a few days of serious paddling, a tone of boat stores, and a whole lot of creative navigation.

I worked with the R2AK Port Townsend water crew for the first 6 years of the race. Always interesting, and occasionally challenging conditions. The First leg was from PT to Victoria, 40 miles, and some times took 2 days to complete, with not all of the entries making it that far. It is the "Washout" section.

BTW, I wish I had a dime for every time I have heard it called "Victoria" Island.

Here is a link to the race web site:
https://r2ak.com/r2ak-explained/

Harvey (who grew up close to Victoria, but have never been to Victoria Island).
SleepyC :moon

 

[NORO LIM]

I have to say I'm ready to be greatly disappointed by this route change. R2Ak will almost certainly no longer be the "Inside Passage" race it was originally advertised as. With Bella Bella as the only checkpoint between start and finish, it will be possible to do the entire trip in more or less the open ocean with a grand total of maybe 20 miles of it in the Inside Passage.

The website says entrants have to get special permission and meet special requirements to go on the outside of Vancouver Island. How will that be enforced if there are no checkpoints on the inside of Vancouver Island?

I hope this is not just an enticement for big boats and big money to get into the race.

 

[hardee]

Bill, I totally agree. I have been with or following this race since it's inception, and have watched as bigger boats got involved. It certainly changes the concept. With that change, the 10K is not even interesting as the costs of the bigger boats will be way over that. It will be interesting to see how the participation shakes out. 35 entries already, but the race applications are not the only thing that has to happen. They have to show up. There may be as many doing the PT to Victoria, and then returning, and the SEVENTY48 numbers may go up. Will have to wait to see.

Would like to see the title of this thread include "2022" to make searching it easier to find later.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[Jackie]

Hey Harvey, I don't think I can edit the title. Really I just wanted to pass on the contract info for anyone who might be interested in helping out on the water. I certainly won't mind it you want to just start a new thread for 2022 before this one gets too long!

Cheers,
Jackie

 

[hardee]

Hey Harvey, I don't think I can edit the title. Really I just wanted to pass on the contract info for anyone who might be interested in helping out on the water. I certainly won't mind it you want to just start a new thread for 2022 before this one gets too long!

Cheers,
Jackie

Hi Jackie, I certainly understand, and you are right, you can't edit that but maybe Mike or Will (admin) can do it. More likely to happen if You send them a PM and ask for it, since you started the thread. Sure glad you did. I have been involved with R2AK since it started, and also the SEVENTY48, both, except for the last 2 years. There have been some struggles for the safety boat side of things. Mostly, communication, as the race control is in Port Townsend, and it is just over the hill from the section of Juan de Fuca that is occupied by the race, so VHF doesn't have the line of sight for the reach (40 miles). In 2020 we were able to recruit a local Ham radio Club to help with relay. A big improvement.

Thanks for starting the thread.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon

 

[hardee]

Well it is ON for Real, and been going for a while. Crazy, scary, dangerous start.

You can check out the daily reports here:

https://r2ak.com/2022-daily-updates/


And here is a great R2AK documentary on YouTube, of the team "North to Alaska" in their 2019 trip on a school project boat. It is a student racing team based out of Port Townsend, WA. Originally launched as a community-based senior project to fulfill graduation requirements at Port Townsend High School, the team built and sailed their own boat-- a 25' Aluminum Sharpie, in the 2017 and 2019 R2AKs. They completed the race each time. here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9IV2lgLGTt8

I spent 6 days on the water, including staging and and race times. The SEVENTY48 was 16 hours of race service time alone. R2AK race time was 12 hours. I was between Protection Island and the Dungeness Lighthouse. Winds varied from 13 to 30k, and waves were everything up to 4-6 feet. I did stay, mostly, out of the white cap zone. I had an excellent observer/assistant with me, and we had a great time inspite of having miserable communication with the race command, mostly due to the geographic lay of the land.

There are multiple news stations that covered the rescues that occurred in the first couple of hours of the race. Winds 20-40 against tides. 4 capsizes, 1 dismasting, 1 grounding and half the racers held back at the start and then wound up on beaches along the route later.

https://komonews.com/news/local/4-teams ... chilly-air

https://www.kuow.org/stories/the-best-w ... mic-hiatus

https://www.alaskapublic.org/2022/06/14 ... t-of-race/

IF you are a sailor or serious mariner, the R2AK is worth following. There are considerable tactics involved, major safety concern preparations, and long term boating issues that are brought out.

Enjoy.

Harvey
SleepyC :moon