Team members: Eric Townsend, Brandon Eshelman, Joseph Hendrix, Nicholas Verrochi
Hometown: Salt Lake City, UT, USA
Race vessel: Beneteau First 24 SE
LOA: 23′
Human propulsion: Pedal (Prop)
Connect: instagram
A jackalope, for the uninitiated—or anyone who didn’t spend Sunday nights in the ’90s learning about them from Dave Coulier—is a taxidermy tall tale: rabbit body, antelope horns, confidently presented as fact.
The folklore of Team Jackalope came about another way.
Their first run at Race to Alaska in 2023 ended on the wrong side of the clock. Their Proving Ground run was more battling the flood currents than arriving triumphiant. They reached Victoria late, tired, and officially DNFed. Then a very R2AK thing happened.
Other racers met them at the dock, picked them up, and carried them—literally—into the bar where the fleet had gathered. The room erupted. Beers flowed. For a few minutes, the team that hadn’t made the start line for the main race was celebrated like they had just rung the bell.
That moment stuck.
Eric Townsend and Brandon Eshelman regrouped the way certain teams do: by going back to work. They added Joey—an endurance athlete whose résumé includes suffering cheerfully and keeping a crew fueled—and put the boat through WA360. The experience left them with two conclusions that can comfortably coexist: they fear the race more than they did before, and they feel more ready for it.
For 2026, they’ve added a fourth crew member, Nicholas Verrochi—sailor, steward of the century-old vessel Argonaut II, and someone who knows the Inside Passage well enough to be genuinely useful. He also happens to be the person who first met the team in Victoria by handing them beers on the dock after that slow crossing.
Four people on their 24-foot Beneteau might sound a little crowded. The team knows that. But with the goal being sailing AND sleeping, that’s their move to get north.
Godspeed, you horny rabbits.
The Race to Alaska Podcast
Episode 8: Team Lillian Signed Up To Suffer, Team Jackalope, Team Against Wind And Reason
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What’s the one piece of advice you’re absolutely going to ignore?
We hear the suggested dress code for high tea at the Empress Hotel in Victoria is “dress like you own a yacht.” Great, foulies it is! That’s what they mean, right? And that’ll be the theme for Team Jackalope: misinterpreted advice. Should make for some good stories. Speaking of which, we’re really going to high tea in our foulies. Sincerely. Let us know if your team wants to join us!
What’s the biggest unknown for you right now?
The waters north of Vancouver Island and what we’ll find up there, conditions-wise. Most of Team Jackalope have never sailed above Desolation Sound, which is one of the many reasons we’re thrilled to be adding Nick (of Argonaut II fame) to the roster. Nick brings thousands of Salish miles, solid seamanship and a wealth of wooden boat knowledge to the team. It’s a shame his attitude is so poor and that our boat is made of carbon.
Confidence Level
99%
Luck/Skill Ratio
25:75