Race to AK, 2026

[thataway]

It's this time of year, (or every other year these days) for Race to Alaska. The second leg leg of this race is from Victoria Harbor BC to Ketchecan, AK. The second day out, a Farrier 32SR foiling Trimaran "Northbound Nutters" is way in the lead having already passed thru Seymour Narrows. Race to AK home page: https://r2ak.com/.

Here is the race explained: https://r2ak.com/r2ak-explained/

Here is the latest update, June 18. https://r2ak.com/2026-daily-updates/game-on/

My favorite commentary in Saling Anarachy: https://forums.sailinganarchy.com/threads/r2ak-2026.257609/

 

[Tom Hruby]

R2AK is a favorite here in the Pacific Northwest. It is run by the Northwest Maritime Center in Port Townsend; a non-profit maritime education group. They also run the Wooden Boat Festival. Each boat in the race has tracker and you can find where it is here https://cf.yb.tl/r2ak2026?utm_source=substack&utm_medium=email . To give you an idea of the "vibe"; the first prize is $10,000 nailed to a tree in Ketchikan, and the second prize is a set of steak knives. Comments from some racers suggest the steak knives are preferred!

For those just watching, one of the best parts about the race is the commentary provided by the race boss.
Here is the beginning of his latest "comments."
The start itself was a delightfully congested exit from Victoria Harbour. Bells ringing, spectators yelling, adorable miniature water taxis idling nearby. However, waiting outside the breakwater was a continued "not much."

Wind existed, don't get us wrong, but of a kind that requires squinting at barely-there ripples and convincing yourself it’s a puff. Most of the movement came from a fair flood current that dragged teams along the southern shore of Greater Victoria. Our human-powered fleet took this as an opportunity to remind everyone that canvas is mostly decorative when there are three knots of wind, staying ahead of almost everybody for the first several hours while the sailing teams tried to remember their ASA 101 lessons. Wednesday afternoon belonged largely to the paddlers…