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Mission Control (Official R2AK Updates and Announcements)

Posted: Mon Sep 08, 2014 10:36 am
by Editors
As a sponsor of the upcoming Race to Alaska, Small Craft Advisor is pleased to open this forum for discussion on all things R2AK. Once you've registered and logged in you'll be free to post comments and questions. It might take some time for your very first post to appear as we have to manually approve initial posts to control spam, but after that it should be smooth sailing. Please let us know if you have any questions.

For general information on the Race to Alaska please visit: http://www.racetoalaska.com

—Editors

Re: Mission Control (Updates and Announcement on the R2AK)

Posted: Fri Sep 19, 2014 7:39 am
by Jake Beattie
There's some good coverage that have been released about the race in the past few days:

Three sheets NW
http://threesheetsnw.com/blog/2014/09/d ... to-alaska/

Off Center Harbor
http://www.offcenterharbor.com/flotsam/ ... ak-knives/

...and a podcast from Hooked on Wooden Boats from and interview we did during the wooden boat festival.
http://hookedonwoodenboats.com/howb-141 ... -aka-r2ak/

Re: Mission Control (Updates and Announcement on the R2AK)

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 1:10 pm
by JollyRoger

Re: Mission Control (Updates and Announcement on the R2AK)

Posted: Wed Oct 08, 2014 2:50 pm
by Editors
Indeed! Thanks for the links. —Eds

Re: Mission Control (Updates and Announcement on the R2AK)

Posted: Thu Oct 16, 2014 1:31 pm
by Editors
We spoke to the race staff today and can confirm that the race start is scheduled for 5 AM. This sets racers up for a better (slack, beginning of ebb) tidal current and offers more total daylight to make the first leg. —Eds

Re: Mission Control (Updates and Announcement on the R2AK)

Posted: Sat Oct 18, 2014 3:37 pm
by Jake Beattie
OK R2AK hopefuls and fans- after a great day working out details with our partners in Victoria, here are the final details of the First Stage of the race:

*NEW! Start time: 5am on June 4th. Should give you enough time and tides to get across given most weather and boat combinations.

*NEW! Finish Location- Victoria Inner Harbor (or more appropriately "Inner Harbour" if you are going to be locally appropriate) at the old Steamship dock, adjacent to where the Coho ferry lands.

*Sailing limits*There is NO SAILING ALLOWED inside of Ogden Point breakwater (we're not sure, but it's potentially a direct order from the Queen) so you'll need to figure out another way to make it the last mile and a half.

*NEW! Finish line- The finish line is technically a bell that will be mounted at the top of the dock. Racers will need to dock, then run up and ring the bell. The last remaining detail is customs, but we're working with them to figure that out.

*NEW! Stage one time limit: To officially finish, racers must ring the bell by 5pm (1700 if you want to be maritime appropriate) on June 5th. Racer's wishing to continue on the next leg must finish stage one by the cutoff time and without getting rescued.

There's the info- now quit your dilly dallying. Ovary down/sack up, sign up and help us kill this Kickstarter Campaign- only 18 hours left!

Re: Mission Control (Updates and Announcement on the R2AK)

Posted: Sun Oct 19, 2014 10:16 am
by ofmountainsandsea
Dang! It was down to the minute with the Kickstarter campaign.

I wish I could get out of work to be a part of this race. Very stoked to hear how it all works out.

Hopefully next year I'll be there!!

Good luck to all the racers.

Re: Mission Control (Updates and Announcement on the R2AK)

Posted: Thu Oct 30, 2014 10:59 am
by Editors
Update! Some R2AK information we just learned:

"The latest update is related to the SPOT tracker requirement, and the good news is that we've found a way to remove the cost of purchase and service agreement from the cost of the race. Royal Victoria Yacht Club has 300 or so SPOT trackers that they lease to racers for the various races in the PNW, including Swiftsure, and they have offered their services to us because they are really excited about the R2AK.

So for both First stage and full race participants, SPOT trackers will be made available for rent through the RVYC- the fee is $50 for stage 1 and $100 for the full race- with a $200 deposit. They've also offered to run the race tracking page for us- a huge help.

The one limitation on this is that the tracking software does not allow for individually owned SPOTs to by integrated into the system, so no only RVYC SPOTs will be able to be used."

Re: Mission Control (Updates and Announcement on the R2AK)

Posted: Sat Nov 15, 2014 9:05 am
by Tsunamichaser
Questions - Questions!
1. Why do the various countdown timers on the R2AK website all show different DD:MM:SS to race start?
2. Which is it? Race start June 4th at 8 am or 5 am? Website still says 8 am (works better for coffee at Better Living Through Coffee in PT but 5 am is more tidal advantageous)
3. Am I imagining things or are you guys kind of "making it up as you go along" - seems like some of the rules and other website narrative is changing. All good and part of being an inaugural event and all and yes the part about it not being cutthroat (I think that got added) is big - we will be on a big coast in big waters so we may all need to be prepared to help each other out-best thing that ever happened to me kayaking the coast was after many a lonely wet day and headed towards kayaker gloom then suddenly hearing the Doors blasting from somewhere out of site and getting louder - What the#@*!? Five minutes later an AK trawler pulls up along side me hands me a steaming hot cup of coffee and a fresh baked muffin and then proceeds on. No recollection of a word said. That's the coast. Totally mystical!

Re: Mission Control (Updates and Announcement on the R2AK)

Posted: Sat Feb 07, 2015 5:51 pm
by Jake Beattie
Howdy R2AK

This just in- all of the race rules in one place. This is as definitive as it is incomplete, enjoy: http://r2ak.com/wp-content/uploads/2014 ... 2-7-14.pdf

(also on the "About" and "Rules" pages on the website)