Team Kostamo

Team members: Tim Kostamo, Sophia Kostamo, Markku Kostamo
Hometown: Vancouver, BC, Canada
Race vessel: Swallow Yachts Bayraider 20
LOA: 19′
Human propulsion: Row

Team Kostamo is assuming their mast is going to break.

For the uninitiated, that’s the tall pole thingy that the cloth goes on. Snap it off, and you’ve successfully converted a sailboat into a rowing platform. Which is convenient, because they’ve installed a second rowing station on their 19’6” Bayraider 20—an otherwise sensible British design that did not ask for this.

This isn’t pessimism. It’s just planning with the ending already spoiled. When the mast goes, they’ll splint it with wood and rope and carry on, like this was always just the next step.

They’re a father, a daughter, and a cousin—close enough to skip politeness, experienced enough to know exactly how that plays out after a few long nights.

The boat also has the cutest little dodger anyone has ever seen, perched there like a tiny vote of confidence. It will do an excellent job of keeping spray off their faces right up until the moment everything tears itself to shreds, just when you want it not to.

Break the mast. Row the boat. Keep going.

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What’s the one piece of advice you’re absolutely going to ignore?
Meticulous preparation

What’s the story behind your boat?
Swallow Yachts in the UK have honed centuries of British boat building (and the demands of a rugged coastline with bad weather and huge tides), into a simple yet brilliant design, and I found one close by!

Friendship Survival Rate
100%

Confidence Level
51%