R2AK Race To Alaska

RACE TO ALASKA EXPLAINED

Stage 1 Race start: Sunday, June 9, 2024, 5:00 AM, Port Townsend, Washington
Stage 2 Race start: Wednesday, June 12, 2024, High Noon, Victoria, BC
Application Open: Wednesday, November 15, 2023 at noon
Application deadline: Tax Day baby! April 15

The inside passage to Alaska has been paddled by native canoes since time immemorial, sailing craft for centuries, and after someone found gold in the Klondike the route was jammed with steamboats full of prospectors elbowing each other out of the way for the promise of fortune.

It’s in the spirit of tradition, exploration, and self-reliance that Race to Alaska was born. R2AK is the first of its kind and North America’s longest human and wind powered race, and currently the largest cash prize for a race of its kind.

This isn’t for everyone

It’s like the Iditarod, on a boat, with a chance of drowning, being run down by a freighter, or eaten by a grizzly bear. There are squalls, killer whales, tidal currents that run upwards of 20 miles an hour, and some of the most beautiful scenery on earth.

The hardest kind of simplicity

You, a boat, a starting gun. $10,000 if you finish first, a set of steak knives if you’re second. Cathartic elation if you can simply complete the course. R2AK is a self-supported race with no supply drops and no safety net. Any boat without an engine can enter.

Contact: [email protected]

Seventy 48 Race

WHAT

SEVENTY48 aka 70 miles in 48 hours.
Rules are simple: no motors, no support, and no wind. That’s right. HUMAN POWER ONLY. Pedal, paddle, or row. We don’t care. It’s up to you. (And this is a boat race. Leave your 10 speed-towing-a-canoe idea at home.)

WHEN

Race Start: May 31, 2024
Application Open: November 15, at noon
Application deadline: April 1, April fools day baby
Registration deadline: April 21, 2024
Gun goes off at 7:00 PM, and teams have 30 minutes to cross the start line. (And PM is not a typo. We know what it means and so do you.)

WHERE

Tacoma to Port Townsend
First find Tacoma, Washington. The race starts at Tacoma’s Thea Foss Waterway from The Foss Waterway Seaport. Next find Port Townsend. That’s where you hope to end. Only one checkpoint is required: The Port Townsend Ship Canal. Here’s the route map.

Maine Small Craft Celebration

The inaugural Maine Small Craft Celebration will be a two-day event held on the shores of the Fore River in Portland. Occurring during the autumnal equinox, the MSCC will provide participants an opportunity to celebrate the end of New England’s boating season as we start dreaming and planning for next year’s boat, upgrade, or adventure.

Exhibitors will have small boats (sail, oar, and power) on display in both water and on land. Demonstrations, workshops, and lectures will be given throughout the event focusing on building, maintaining, and safely operating small boats.

The most unique feature will be on the water where visitors can “Try it—Like it.” Designers and builders will be there to discuss and demonstrate the features of their boats. Visitors will be able to take them for a test “drive” after learning the particulars about that craft.

There will also be boat races, easily viewed from shore, demonstrations on rigging and rowing techniques, and boat tours of Portland harbor. Back on land there will be a large exhibitor’s area.

A juried boat contest, a nautical flea market, and a children’s marine craft area are being organized. There will be plenty of music, local food, and craft beer available throughout the weekend.

Businesses and organizations that would like to participate in this celebration should contact [email protected] for more information.