R2AK: Careful what you ask for

The 8th edition of the 750 mile Race to Alaska (R2AK) began June 9 with a 40-mile “proving stage” from Port Townsend, WA to Victoria, BC. For those that finished within 36 hours, they would be allowed to start the remaining 710 miles on June 12 to Ketchikan, AK. Here’s the Stage 1/Day 2 report:

Race to Alaska is a lot of things, but it’s at least a race. Yes to Alaska, but first prove you can get to Victoria.

To get there, you need to cross the Strait of Juan de Fuca. We’re public school graduates here at Race Command, but we all agree that in addition to being well-named, WTF sounds classier in its original Spanish.

The Strait of JDF is 90 miles long and 30 miles across and is regularly assaulted by brutal weather. On top of that, it’s an international border/highway that funnels a constant stream of 1,000-foot ships supplying the better part of two countries’ worth of Amazon doodads, the rest of the world with produce and petroleum, all lumbering at 30 miles an hour—two to ten times faster than any team on the course. If they could even be seen amongst the waves, small boats wouldn’t even register as a speed bump.

Ask any member of the collective BC/Washington boating public about crossing “the Straits” and their answer will invariably land somewhere between “Don’t” and “Only if.” Ask Race to Alaska and our answer is “Sunday or Monday, regardless.” – Full report

Event information – Entry list – Tracker

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.

Source: R2AK