2022 R2AK - does anybody care?

[Gerarddm]

After a two year Covid-caused hiatus, the race is back. Starts 5AM tomorrow.

[David G]

I'm keeping half an eye on it. Don't know anyone in it this year, except for one 'support' person.

[Paul Pless]

i do

[LeeG]

thx for heads up

[Yeadon]

Sounds like fun.

[bluedog225]

I want to boat it. Racing seems such a shame for that coast. Will watch with interest. Some tough cookies.

ought to be limited (or a class) to boats the crew can pull down from the high water line, sail and oar, etc

[Paul Pless]

race up with friends
cruise back slowly solo

[StevenBauer]

race up with friends
cruise back slowly solo

Or the other way around.

Cruising in company is the most fun. Racing doesn’t really interest me much.

What’s the best way to follow along?

[timber_cruiser]

What’s the best way to follow along?

The R2AK web site has a live race tracker feed.

https://r2ak.com/

They should also post some video updates taken along the way as the race progresses, at least they did prior years.

[timber_cruiser]

Weather conditions in the Strait of Juan de Fuca look rough today. Forecast for winds 25 to 35 kts.


From the web site:

Proving Ground Update from Race HQ

With a weather forecast between seasick and dangerous for the next two days, R2AK High Command is extending the proving ground by 24 hours.

[Gerarddm]

I see a couple of team names from past races, but basically it's all new teams.

[ron ll]

Is it still $10,000 for first place and a set of steak knives for second?

[Ted Hoppe]

Tomorrow! Paul! Ok next year.

[bluedog225]

Wasn’t there a guy on a SUP?

[bluedog225]

I can’t imagine how much fun this would be.

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[ron ll]

I can’t imagine how much fun this would be.

Have you seen the Straits of Juan de Fuca on a day like today?
E6176E29-6AF8-4EFB-B56D-A92DABFBA61C.jpg

[ron ll]

And in addition to the easterly wind shown above, during race time this morning there was a 14’ tidal current heading the opposite direction. I hope everyone is okay.

[L.W. Baxter]

And in addition to the easterly wind shown above, during race time this morning there was a 14’ tidal current heading the opposite direction. I hope everyone is okay.

jeebus

[bluedog225]

What’s a strait? (joke…kinda)

I’m familiar with tides. Ours is about 6”.

[Jack Loudon]

They're forecasting winds in the Straits of 20-30 kts with 3-5' wind waves, and the boats will be broadside to all this. I have crossed in a bigger keelboat in similar wind but no opposing tide, and it was not fun. It would be terrifying in a small open boat.

[stromborg]

Re-posted from above decks, one of the big trimarans was dismasted and a couple of boats capsized, all safe. Race Committee added 24 hours to time window for getting to Victoria, a handful of smaller boats where still in Point Hudson when I left there about 0900.

[stromborg]

https://photos.smugmug.com/Boats/Cru..._1923-1280.mp4

The start, yes the wind was very light. They used to play the Russian anthem, this year the Ukrainian instead.

Well count that a fail...

[ron ll]

Yeah, in Port Townsend. Until you round Point Wilson and see the real conditions. Been there done that.

[john welsford]

One of my customers built a "Pathfinder" yawl, 17 ft 6in centreboarder, as a way of recovering from the death of his wife, and is competing singlehanded as part of that process. Her epitaph included, "She'd rather be sailing".

I do hope that he keeps us posted.

John Welsford

[Jack Loudon]

One of my customers built a "Pathfinder" yawl, 17 ft 6in centreboarder, as a way of recovering from the death of his wife, and is competing singlehanded as part of that process. Her epitaph included, "She'd rather be sailing".

I do hope that he keeps us posted.

John Welsford

The Welsford Pathfinder 'Dark Star' appears to be (currently) tucked behind Protection Island, west of Port Townsend. Likely waiting for better wind/sea conditions before crossing. Still breezy here in Seattle.

[chas]

On Wednesday and Thursday the checkpoint at Seymour Narrows will be alternating between a 12 knot ebb and a 15 knot flood, over six hours. Here is how the current flows in various spots.
1B20CDDB-5588-4DD7-919D-6238667B2F96.jpg
Tricky indeed in an engineless boat. / Jim

[Paul Pless]

'Dark Star'

great boat name

[rgthom]

That first year I sent in my entry for stage 1 with my rowing Walkabout. No chance of winning anything, but I knew I could row 40 miles on calm water and the ebb current should help a lot. I was lulled into thinking many days were calm on the strait, but on the leadup in May and June every single day was strong west wind. It would be wind on tide over most of the distance. In the end I chose to not even make the 1000 mile drive to the start, and the conditions on the day were not anything I would have been able to do. Still tempted to train up and try someday, but am probably too old already...

Rick

[stromborg]

Come up for the 70/48 race. Tacoma to Port Townsend, strictly human powered and it is scheduled so it ends at 1900 the night before the R2AK starts at 0500.

[stromborg]

One of my customers built a "Pathfinder" yawl, 17 ft 6in centreboarder, as a way of recovering from the death of his wife, and is competing singlehanded as part of that process. Her epitaph included, "She'd rather be sailing".

I do hope that he keeps us posted.

John Welsford

I thought that was one of your designs. Best I could do with my cellphone camera.

[Hugh MacD]

Looks like a lot of the field has already scratched or else they're waiting for the wind to abate.

[TerryLL]

Sooner or later this race will produce dead bodies. Having made the trip from Seattle to Sitka I can attest that this stretch of water ain't no place for noob wanna bees looking for a participation trophy.

[Nicholas Carey]

Looks like a lot of the field has already scratched or else they're waiting for the wind to abate.

Weather today in the Straits of Juan de Fuca were (apparently) 25-35 knots, seas in the 5-10 foot range.

Several boats capsized, Coast Guard helos and rescue swimmers saved the day.

One boat, a Farrier 32 trimaran (fairly seaworthy vessel), was dismasted. They made it back to Port Townsend.

Looking at the race tracker, there's a couple of boats that decided to, discretion being the better part of valour, spend the night on the beach inside at the tip of Dungeness Spit.

https://r2ak2022.maprogress.com

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[Breakaway]

great boat name

One of the best Grateful Dead songs, ever.

Kevin


Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Pro

[timber_cruiser]

Looks like another day with strong winds in the Strait of Juan de Fuca.