Race to Alaska Podcast

The Race to Alaska will hold its 8th edition in 2024, continuing with its 750-mile course from Port Townsend, WA to Ketchikan, AK. And now there is a podcast series prior to the June 9 start. This episode profiles how Team Brio rises from the ashes of the non-starter TRON-inspired Team Skywalker from 2022 and checks in with the sponsors of the 2024 Oaracle Blister Prize…Team Oaracle.

Team Brio
The squad of Douglas Walker, Karl Krüger, Matt Scharl, and Daniel Joram hail from Colorado and will be racing a 2009 Corsair 28CR. Douglas and Karl have finished R2AK already, in very different ways. Daniel has wallflowered the race pretty hard since the start. And Matt? That guy is a wildcard.

Race details: https://r2ak.com/

The 8th edition of the Race to Alaska (R2AK) returns again in 2024 for the 750 mile course from Port Townsend, WA to Ketchikan, AK.

Stage 1: The Proving Ground – June 9 start
Port Townsend, WA to Victoria, BC (40 miles)

R2AK starts with an initial jaunt across open water, two sets of shipping lanes, and an international border. While not a race in itself, the Proving Ground is designed as a qualifier for the full race and as a stand-alone 40 mile sprint for people who just want to put their toe in.

Stage 2: To the Bitter End – June 12 start
Victoria, BC to Ketchikan, AK (710 miles)

Racers start in Victoria at high noon and continue until they reach Ketchikan—or are tapped out by the sweep boat. Unlike the 2022 and 2023 races, the western side of Vancouver Island is no longer an option as the course has returned to the original format with two waypoints at Seymour Narrows and Bella Bella.