‘Race to Alaska’ – Approach with caution

September 2022

By Marilyn Pond Brigham

Many of us are familiar with traditional, organized sailboat races – class boats, handicaps, courses set by Committee, rules and trophy cups presented at a classy club. The Race to Alaska (R2AK), which runs annually in June, covers 750 miles of open water from Port Townsend, WA, to Ketchikan, AK. It has only two rules – no motor and no support. The winning boat may finish in a week; last place finishers can cross the finish a week or so later. Most entrants don’t finish at all. The first prize is $10,000.00 nailed to a log; the second prize is a set of steak knives.

Sound different?

The “Race to Alaska” movie chronicles the unbelievable challenges of harnessing both wind and human muscle by all manner of vessels in attempting the race. There are monohulls, multihulls, row boats, kayaks and standup paddleboards. Most have additional human power to replace the engine; such as bicycle or paddle wheels or flippers on the stern or mid-ship oars or paddles.

Seven-hundred-and-fifty miles. They either make it, or they don’t. The perils are ever-present – logs, freighters, rocks, forceful eddies, 15-knot tides that change direction every six hours, 30-knot headwinds, gigantic waves.

Fall overboard, and the water is very cold. Beach your boat to rest and camp… watch out for bears. Exhaustion, injury, or simply the decision that the race is too much for your boat… or crew, is common.

The movie shares racer-shot footage and narration over several years of the race – covering harrowing sailing experiences to the everyday humdrum of eating and sleeping. There are also post-race skippers’ reflections, their motivation to compete and their thoughts on our elemental link with the sea (accompanied by spectacular drone filming of beautiful Alaska).

R2AK isn’t for sissies. As one racer put it, “The winner is the least interesting thing about the Race.” The movie is great – no bears.

It runs 1 hour and 20 minutes and is coming to a theater near you. If you can hold out, it will be streaming in the fall. Directed and written by Zach Carver and co-writer Greg King, it has previously screened at the Woods Hole Film Festival and many others. More information about the race and movie schedule is available at R2AK.com.

Marilyn Brigham, along with her co-captain/spouse, Paul, sails Selkie, a Catalina 445, out of Quissett Harbor, Falmouth, Mass.