PORT TOWNSEND — The 40-foot monohull sailboat team We Brake for Whales neared the finish line in the 2023 Race to Alaska by 4:45 p.m. Tuesday.
At that time, the eight-person team was entering Alaskan waters with 52 miles remaining to the finish line in the 750-mile race that began in Port Townsend on June 5. The second-place team — the trimaran Dogsmile Adventures — was roughly 156 miles from Ketchikan.
A first-place finish — which, due to the chaotic nature of sailing is not a given, organizers say — would be the second Race to Alaska win for We Brake for Whales’ team captain Jeanne Goussev, who won in 2017 with the team Sail Like a Girl.
Several teams have dropped out of the race due to damage to vessels, and in an update posted Tuesday, race organizers said heavy winds and driftwood logs have threatened racers’ chances at victory more than other teams.
“For the last two days, the race has been less about working the classic boat vs boat tactics of most boat vs boat races, and more about dodging weather, logs, and how to keep the gremlins of destruction at bay,” the update said.
According to the update, five teams had left the race because of damage. Teams Mojo, Tres Equis and Hornblower all suffered rudder damage and the trimaran team Trimorons had a hole punched in their hull. The solo kayaker Robert McCall of team Zen Dog Again pulled out after a rouge wave smashed his kayak into his arm while he was sleeping.
The first team to reach Ketchikan will receive a $10,000 cash prize. Second-place will win a set of engraved steak knives.
No other prizes are awarded in the race.
Teams have until July 1 to reach the finish line, and several teams appeared to be taking their time.
According to updates posted by the race organizers, members of the team Madame Oracle and Prairie Porch Pirates — currently in 22nd place — were going for hikes and exploring abandoned mines. Team Ship of Fools — sixth place — was returning to the checkpoint in Bella Bella, British Columbia, for more coffee creamer.
None of the human-powered racers had yet cleared the northern end of Vancouver Island, but some of them were placed ahead of larger sailing vessels.
Tuesday afternoon, the race’s lone stand-up paddleboarder, team SUP N IRISH, was traveling close to one-person kayak teams Bella Bella and Beyond and Sporting Chance north of Campbell River on Vancouver Island.
Teams can be tracked in real time on the race’s website, R2AK.com, and many of the teams have social media pages where they post updates.
The race is organized by Port Townsend’s Northwest Maritime Center, and the handle @RacetoAlaska can be followed on Facebook, Instagram and TikTok. Videos can be found at the center’s YouTube page.
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Reporter Peter Segall can be reached at peter.segall@peninsuladailynews.com.
