The Race to Alaska (R2AK) is not your typical regatta. It’s 750 miles of pure grit, stretching from Port Townsend, Washington, to Ketchikan, Alaska. No motors, no support boats—just wind, human power, and the determination to face the most challenging waters in the Pacific Northwest. Sailors, rowers, paddlers, and pedalers pit themselves against currents, weather, and wilderness in what has become North America’s most audacious adventure race.
Want to know how it all works? The Chesapeake Bay Maritime Museum's Shipyard is excited to host R2AK's Race Boss Jesse Wiegel in the Van Lennep Auditorium for a look behind the scenes at this epic challenge. In this presentation, Wiegel will share the rules that shape the race to the stories that have defined it. You’ll get the inside track on what makes the race tick, how it’s connected to a broader movement of adventure sailing, and why it continues to capture imaginations worldwide.
About the Speaker: Jesse Wiegel is the Race Boss at Northwest Maritime in Port Townsend, Wash., where he leads some of the boldest human- and wind-powered events on the continent: Race to Alaska, SEVENTY48, WA360, and Salish 100, North America’s longest small boat cruise. A licensed captain, Jesse came up through the hawsepipe on tall ships including the schooners Adventuress, Pride of Baltimore II, Lettie G. Howard, and the square riggers Picton Castle and Gulden Leeuw. He has also served as a Lead Sailing Instructor for the Hurricane Island Outward Bound School and has pursued a range of on- and off-water maritime adventures. Blending hands-on seafaring with event leadership, Jesse brings a passion for seamanship, adventure, and community to every race he steers.
Shipyard Lecture: Race to Alaska: The Hard Way North
Date/Time: Thursday, Oct. 16, 5:30pm
Location: Van Lennep Auditorium
Cost: Suggested ticket price of $8 per participant
Learn more:
https://cbmm.org/event/shipyard-lecture-race-to-alaska-the-hard-way-north/
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