Doug Kennedy has spent decades sailing the globe. Hesa国际传媒檚 navigated Scandinavian waters like a viking, and once crossed the Atlantic from the coast of Morocco to the Caribbean over a three-week journey.
A trip north along B.C.sa国际传媒檚 coast should, in theory, be easy for him. In practice, it will be anything but for Kennedy and a group of Nelson sailors looking to make history sa国际传媒� if they can finish the journey that is.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 as challenging a place to sail as anywhere in the world,sa国际传媒� says Kennedy.
The Kootenay Pedalwheelers, a team of six including Kennedy, Jay Blackmore, Mike Bowick, Roger Hassol, Todd Kettner and Mike Sagal, are set to compete in the Race to Alaska beginning June 13.
The event is a 1,200-kilometre endurance race from Port Townsend, Wash., to Ketchikan, Alaska. The 38 teams taking part are bound by two rules: no motors and no outside help.
That means if the Pedalwheelers want to become the first Canadian team to win the race, theysa国际传媒檒l need to work together to overcome unpredictable weather, wildlife and exhaustion using only the sails of their boat to navigate the Pacific.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 the anti-yacht race,sa国际传媒� says Blackmore. sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 the race for the everyman.sa国际传媒�
The Pedalwheelers will compete in the Amurskaya, a 10-metre Flying Tiger sail boat. Blackmore describes it as a race car chassis with nothing but engine. Inside the small hull is a space for extra sails, supplies and two sleeping berths.
When the race begins, the crew will take four-hour shifts in pairs either at the helm, working the sails or resting inside. Theysa国际传媒檒l sail 24-7, either testing the open waters to cut down on time or closer to the coast in calmer conditions.
Teams have 48 hours to travel 64 kilometres from Port Townsend to Victoria or be disqualified. After that, they begin the journey to Alaska with only one mandatory check-in at Bella Bella, B.C.
If the boat is damaged, they have to fix it themselves. If they run out of food, they have to find a place to resupply. If theresa国际传媒檚 a mutiny, well, thatsa国际传媒檚 probably unlikely.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 just fun having an endeavour, a project, a goal that wesa国际传媒檙e all working towards,sa国际传媒� says Blackmore. sa国际传媒淲e all have a love of sailing and a passion for it and adventure.sa国际传媒�
Itsa国际传媒檚 the first time the Pedalwheelers have taken part in the race, but theysa国际传媒檝e been preparing for years. COVID-19 cancelled their plans to participate in the 2020 event, so instead they made a seven-day trip around Vancouver Island as a consolation.
The crew ranges from experienced sailors like Blackmore and Kennedy to Mike Sagal, who is on his first multi-day trip with the team. Sagal was at the helm steering the Amurskaya on Friday during the teamsa国际传媒檚 final practice session on Kootenay Lake.
sa国际传媒淚 love how much you have to pay attention to the environment around you and adjust to it all the time,sa国际传媒� he says. sa国际传媒淭he winds will pick up and then you have to adapt very quickly and be very aware and basically make the best advantages out of the wind yousa国际传媒檙e given.sa国际传媒�
The team is aiming to finish the race in five days. In 2019, only 25-of-45 teams completed the journey, so just making it to Alaska in one piece would be worth celebrating. But Blackmore likes their chances.
sa国际传媒淲e feel like wesa国际传媒檝e got a good shot at top-10. After that itsa国际传媒檚 a roll of the dice.sa国际传媒�
Whichever team finishes first receives $10,000, the entirety of which the Pedalwheelers say they will donate to Society, a non-profit that works on sustainability initiatives.
The only other prize is a set of steak knives for finishing second. The knives, and the memories, the team will keep for themselves.
| tyler.harper@nelsonstar.com
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