Team Pelagic Banana Slug

Team members: Russell Melin, Tripp Seaman, Meghan Haviland, Kate Enright
Hometown: Portland, ME, USA
Race vessel: Jensen Cal 20
LOA: 20′
Human propulsion: Row and pedal (prop)
Connect: website

Under the foredeck of a brand new used $300 Cal 20, two members of Pelagic Banana Slug lay on their backs, arms extended, trying to hold epoxy-laden fiberglass overhead because glassing the underside of the deck seemed like the best solution.

Their approach to that repair energetically mirrors their team website: bright, Gif-ified, chaotic – and, like the new and very solid front part of the boat, it works. Never mind that Squarespace and more refined epoxy techniques exist in 2026. This is a team that trusts persistence over polish.

All three come from tall ships, where everything is bigger, but generally handled by a dozen or more crew members working under the command of a wizened old skipper. Here, they’ve chosen something smaller, perhaps because 20 feet of boat is expressly not in their recent wheelhouse.

The structure is solid enough now that the resin is cured—let’s see what happens when everything outside starts moving.

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First things first, why Race to Alaska?
Since time immemorial, sailors have been attempting to reach Alaska by water and as far as we can tell the vast majority of those who have succeeded did so in a boat. This makes the Race to Alaska a clear choice for those wishing to do the same. Despite its high rate of attrition, it does require participants to compete in a boat and we believe this criteria gives us an edge over those who might attempt to accomplish the same feat without one. Undertaking this goal as part of a fleet is another clear benefit as the transitive property of buoyancy implies a greater chance of success compared to the limited flotational power of one vessel alone.

What’s the one piece of advice you’re absolutely going to ignore?
“Work smarter, not harder” and “don’t sweat the small stuff”. We will be applying maximum effort to the smallest details in an effort to continue our longstanding pattern of accomplishment by way of brute force and ignorance.

Friendship Survival Rate
83%

Luck/Skill Ratio
45:85