R2AK is a 750-mile boat race from Washington to Alaska. No motors, no support, all guts.

First place gets $10,000, cash. Second place gets a set of steak knives. Everyone else gets to find out what they’re made of. Any vessel that’s human-or-wind-powered can enter. The only way to win is to cross open water, navigate through tidal rapids, hug a coastline carved by glaciers, and keep going until you reach Ketchikan.

But this isn’t just a race. It’s a throwdown with one of the most storied and unforgiving coastal passages on the continent. These are the ancestral waters of the Coast Salish, Tlingit, Haida, and many others—paddled by native canoes since time immemorial, sailed by traders and gold rush steamers, and still wild today. The route cuts through true wilderness, past logging towns and empty shorelines, through orca country, grizzly country, and currents that can run over 20 knots. Rescue is hours—sometimes days—away. Out here, self-reliance isn’t a virtue. It’s survival.

Two Stages, One Race

R2ak Map 2023 Sm
The full-course chart can be downloaded in PDF format here. And also available for purchase. Charts are 10″ by 24″ and printed on tear/water resistant paper.

Stage 1: The Proving Ground

Port Townsend, WA to Victoria, BC

R2AK starts with an initial jaunt across open water, two sets of shipping lanes, and an international border.  The 40 miles of The Proving Ground isn’t a race – but rather a qualifier for the full race and a chance for Race High Command to see what teams are made of before the Full Race starting gun.

Teams have 36 hours to complete this without getting rescued.

Those who want to be a part of R2AK but don’t have the time or inclination for the full race can do just the Proving Ground – but note: Teams joining for just this stage are vetted exactly the same as those gunning for the full race. The Strait of Juan de Fuca is real deal.

Stage 2: Full Race

Victoria, BC to Ketchikan, AK

At High Noon on the Wednesday following the Proving Ground, the second start commences with a Le Mans start. Teams continue from there and continue until they reach Ketchikan – or are tapped out by our sweep boat, The Grim Sweeper. Other than two waypoints – Seymour Narrows and Bella Bella – there is no official course.

Want to race?

These waters are serious business, and we’re not joking that we don’t have safety boats. What we do have is a Vetting Team – each and every team that wants to be a part of R2AK must be given their blessing, based on their application. And yeah, they do say no. Frequently.


Read these and apply.