Five Washington teens are gearing up to sail 750 miles to Alaska with no engine, no support, and no easy way out

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elmalabarista65@reddit

Gonna be real friendly with five on a 27’ boat 🙂

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turtlehelper@reddit

Really? We have a crew of 7 on T10s and they're not much larger.

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The difference between a 27 and 33 foot boat is staggering. Those six feet make a world of difference - to give you a sense, cruising boats at 27 feet often don't have a proper head that isn't just a closet that blocks access to the V Berth, and by 33 feet you can find boats that have two heads. I know you're on a racing boat, but the space in a 33 foot boat is astronomically more than a 27 footer.

Source: Solo'd a 27 footer around Vancouver Island and have also sailed a 34. They feel like completely different types of watercraft.

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br0wntree@reddit

Depends on the boat and especially the width of the boat. Boats have fattened significantly over the years so a boat of a certain length 30 years ago will have significantly less interior volume compared to a boat of the same length of today. Different brands, styles, types etc. will also have different hull shapes which will affect the interior space.

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Sh0ckValu3@reddit

The interior of a SC27 is about as comfortable as a 5 gallon bucket.

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Proud-Suspect-5237@reddit

My first cruising boat was a shared Catalina 30 from 1980 (that's 35 years ago, feel old yet?). It felt palatial compared to my positively pregnant 1975 CS27. The thing had tumblehome for days and while spacious for a 27, is still very much a 27.

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Proud-Suspect-5237@reddit

I've had four on a 27 footer for a day sail and it was uncomfortable. Then again, for R2AK you probably will have two sleeping at any given point for most of the voyage so only three on deck.

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Sh0ckValu3@reddit

When you're freezing and exhausted, "down below", regardless of how cramped and grungy it is, feels like the damn Hilton.

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Proud-Suspect-5237@reddit

Can confirm. Going around the island a couple of years ago had the most miserable day of my life - wind shifted 180 against the forecast, beating up against the current in heavy fog and rain around Estevan Point, and then a dock line came loose and wrapped the prop, so I couldn't just use the single-cylinder sail. Anchored in Hesquiat Harbour in 3 foot chop, jumped in naked with a knife and freed the prop. Anchored up in the lagoon-ish thing by Coogar Annie's. My HElly Hansen rubber rain jacket had somehow soaked through, my shoes were basically sponges, and to add insult to injury I turned on my diesel heater only to find out it was broken and wouldn't even run just on fan mode to get some air circ in my cold, million-percent humidity main cabin.

Stripped down, crawled into my V-Berth and went to sleep. Best sleep I've ever had.

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ACAB007@reddit

I feel cramped alone, let slone when I have someone over in my 30 footer. So I second this notion.

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Baalphire81@reddit

Well this is a little misleading, they are part of an organized event. Granted there is no official support, but the coast guard is well aware of what is going on and is on standby to help.

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kbenn17@reddit

My husband does safety inspections for this race and these kids ain’t going anywhere unless they pass. Amazing group and cannot wait to see how they do.

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futurebigconcept@reddit

Is this the R2A?

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nix206@reddit

Yes. And if this were 1976, instead of 2026, this would not be newsworthy.

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futurebigconcept@reddit

It's not even newsworthy now--that teenagers are doing the race. It's just a sensationalist post with a misleading title.

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P99163@reddit

But hey, they don't plan on [rereading the article]..."having a toilet". Gotta count for something, right? Well, as long as they can tell "leeward" from "windward", they should be fine.

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neutral-labs@reddit

Well, as long as they can tell "leeward" from "windward", they should be fine.

I heard kids today can look up stuff like this on those newfangled smarty phones.

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P99163@reddit

I mentioned those two term in relation to "not having a toilet", so even if they don't look it up on 'em newfangled smarty phones, life is gonna teach them 😬

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Plastic_Table_8232@reddit

Teens participate in R2AK doesn’t have the same flash does it.

The guy who did it on the paddle board is much more impressive and the headline wouldn’t require any embellishment.

The funny thing about racing is you almost always have someone within reasonable proximity.

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PrettyNeatOutThere@reddit

When I did it in 2024 there were times when we had no other competitors within something like 100 miles by water (maybe 30 some miles as the crow flies). It can be very desolate. The only bit of humanity we saw for almost 150 miles was one fishing boat.

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Plastic_Table_8232@reddit

I understand but the risk factor is very much overplayed. You’re not in an environment like the southern ocean and out of Jayhawk range.

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OdieHush@reddit

The race has a bit of a tongue in cheek thing going on. It’s not an adventure to be taken lightly, but the organizers love to be hyperbolic about the dangers involved.

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thegoatmenace@reddit

I always like the contraptions people come up with for this race. You often see human powered paddle wheels and other wacky propulsion solutions. It’s very whimsical.

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kbenn17@reddit

Yes, R2AK - race to Alaska.

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Shhheeeesshh@reddit

Tell your husband he doesn’t get to tell me what to do. If I want to go out there in a bath tub with oars I will do as I damn well please.

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RangeroftheIsle@reddit

You can, but without the OK you don't get to be part of the race.

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Shhheeeesshh@reddit

yOu DonT gEt TO bE pARt oF ThE rACe 🤡

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kbenn17@reddit

Ha ha, love it. Have at it, my friend!

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Sh0ckValu3@reddit

100%. You just don't get the prize if you get there first.

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Baalphire81@reddit

Oh that’s amazing! Love the race, and usually follow it every year. We have dreams of entering some day!

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kbenn17@reddit

Yes, the race is amazing!

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Sh0ckValu3@reddit

Just don't tell mom.

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jonathanrdt@reddit

(the babysitter's dead)

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cinemkr@reddit

I am sure they all have a plan to say each are staying at the other's house. They will be 300 nm in before anyone realizes the ruse.

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Weak-Beautiful5918@reddit

Im doing it this years as well... These kids will be fine. It's been done before by a group of teens and I think some of them are on this crew as well.

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No-Bet3523@reddit

Pretty cool!

Doing the Seventy48 this year myself.

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smootex@reddit

What class?

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Correct-Brother1776@reddit

A couple 16 year old have sailed around the world singlehanded. Ive been in offshore races before and the boats are inspected and safety equipment is mandatory. It will not be easy but they will remember it for the rest of their lives. The Inside Passage has always been on my bucket list but age has taken its toll. I wish I had done it when I was younger.

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Equivalent-Resort-63@reddit

They do great, even if they don’t win or even finish, they’ll remember this for the rest of their life.

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danielt1263@reddit

There is also the Everglades Challenge in Florida. It's about 350 miles (not as long) but you can only enter if you have a boat that's capable of beach launching. Mostly, it's kayaks and small sailboats and there is a lot of camping required in the Everglades national park. https://www.watertribe.com/events/evergladeschallenge/

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