PORT TOWNSEND — The buzz around the Race to Alaska grew over the weekend, as several of the participating teams arrived and began assembling their crafts.
The race, which begins at 5 a.m. Thursday, requires participants to travel from Port Townsend to Ketchikan, Alaska in vessels of their own choosing, with the only rule being they must travel without any type of engine on board.
As of Monday afternoon and after two cancellations, 55 boats were scheduled to be at the starting line at Northwest Maritime Center, 431 Water St.
Twenty-two of them signed up only for the first leg to Victoria, and the remainder committed to the whole race.
This makes the race “an amazing success,” according to maritime center Executive Director Jake Beattie, because he only expected that 10 teams would participate when the event was announced at the 2014 Wooden Boat Festival.
The maritime center is producing the inaugural Race to Alaska.
Beginning last weekend, teams assembled and began filling up Point Hudson and the Boat Haven and could be seen on the bay testing their vessels and conducting sea trials.
The public will have a chance to get up close and personal with the racers at the “Pre-Race Ruckus” from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. today (Wednesday) at Pope Marine Park where all racers will be present and the vessels on display.
To prime the festive pump, there will be music by Dirty Beat Duo, food, beer and a simulated rowing exercise to Victoria sponsored by Jefferson Healthcare hospital.
Beattie said that he expected quite a crowd to gather at the pre-dawn sendoff Thursday, adding that many people are coming into town especially for the “Ruckus” and the launch.
Prior to the launch, Jefferson Healthcare chef Arran Stark expects to paddleboard out to each racer and present them with a breakfast of bacon cookies and cereal.
“This is giving us a bump in visitors to Port Townsend,” Beattie said of the race.
“It is helping to put us on the map in the maritime world. It is another signature project that we hope to build year after year and turn it into the next big thing.”
Beattie’s not sure if there will be a second race as the maritime center will need to evaluate this year’s results.
“This needs to be done safely and efficiently and be sustainable for the maritime center,” he said.
“I promised my board that we could to this and not lose too much money.”
Beattie said the announcement about a second race will probably be made at the 2015 Wooden Boat Festival, scheduled for Sept. 11-13.
Racers must complete the first 40-mile segment in 36 hours or less to qualify for the remainder of the race, which will be an additional 710 miles in estimated 50-degree water.
From Victoria, the boats will travel on the Strait of Georgia to Seymour Narrows and then to Bella Bella, B.C.
Other than those two required stops, participants can take any route they choose and stop for any length of time along the route.
Beattie expects the winner to arrive at the finish line at Thomas Basin Boat Harbor in Ketchikan about 10 days after the race starts, and he plans to greet them there.
The deadline for all boats to arrive at the race’s end is July 4.
Boats must arrive during the allotted time without needing to be rescued, Beattie said.
The crew of the boat that arrives first will win $10,000.
The second-place finisher will get a set of steak knives.
“I’m not looking to win,” said Chris Spohr of the Bahamas who is soloing in an 18-foot camp cruiser. “I’m just after the adventure.”
Spohr, 62, a retired hotel and restaurant operator, has lived a life of adventure for around 20 years.
“This lifestyle isn’t for everybody, otherwise everybody would be out there,” he said.
“I have a lot of wonderful friends and family, but they aren’t into the adventure because they aren’t into being uncomfortable which this is. In a small boat, I still get seasick.”
Matt Sorenson, 25, from Oakland, Calif., is part of a three man catamaran crew.
“We don’t know if we will win, but we expect to be competitive,” he said.
Sorenson, who has been sailing all his life is an information services contractor, performing technology jobs between his various adventures.
For more information, visit http://tinyurl.com/PDN-Alaska.
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Jefferson County Editor Charlie Bermant can be reached at 360-385-2335 or cbermant@peninsuladailynews.com.
