WATCH: The Race to Alaska is touted as America’s most dangerous sailing race with only one rule. Ceilidh Millar reports.
The childhood tune “row, row, row your boat” takes on a whole new tune in the Race to Alaska.
On Thursday, competitors travelled from Port Townsend, Washington to Victoria’s Inner Harbour for the qualifying round of the boat race.
Among the racers to finish in the top 10 of the first round are three paddle boarders.
“We crushed it today,” Karl Kruger of Team Heart of Gold said.
“We went 42 nautical miles in under seven hours.”
Believe it or not, this is only the qualifying round for the real race.
A gruelling 1,200-kilometre boat race from Port Townsend to Ketchikan, Alaska.
There’s only one rule – no motors allowed.
“Last year nobody thought it was possible for us,” Kruger explained about his paddle board. “There were three of us paddling together and we came in just behind the fastest sailboat today. I don’t think people are doubting us anymore.”
“There were three of us paddling together and we came in just behind the fastest sailboat today. I don’t think people are doubting us anymore.”
Sixty-one competitors have entered the race in everything from row boats and paddle boats to catamarans.
Dominique Preney and Mathieu Bonnier are in their sixties and have travelled from France to compete in their homemade boat.
“We decided to present our boat to come here and make this race,” Bonnier said. “We are very lucky because fortunately, we have won the first leg.”
While the waters are calm now, there’s no telling what the journey could bring in its wake.
“Every day has an advantage to a different boat,” Matt Johnson of Team Take me to the Volcano said. “Today was the day for human powered boats [such as] pedal and row boats. Another day the sailors would have left us in their dust.”
“Today was the day for human powered boats [such as] pedal and row boats. Another day the sailors would have left us in their dust.”
The winner will take home $10,000 in prize money and the runner-up will receive a set of steak knives.
Racers will leave Victoria’s Inner Harbour at noon on Sunday for the journey to Alaska.
Ceilidh Millar
