By Mary Katherine Lorch
This past Tuesday, AYC members had a real treat hearing consummate storytellers Jeanne and Evgeniy Goussev talk about their 2023 win aboard Gray Wolf in the R2AK (Race to Alaska).
Team WE BRAKE FOR WHALES included Evgeniy, Jeanne, and crew Maisie Bryant, Remy Lang, Andy Kleitsch, Lindsey Lind, John Guillote, and Nikki Henderson—all accomplished skippers and CEOs. But, with those sorts of personalities, what was the secret to their success? It was preparation, a set of shared goals, and a team constitution that set out safety first, fun second, and speed third.
The R2AK is a 750-mile nautical course from Port Townsend, Washington, to Ketchikan, Alaska. The requirement is that any watercraft can do the race, but the catch is there can be no backup power source. Aside from her set of thirteen sails, Gray Wolf had human propulsion in the form of bikes attached to the aft.
The first-place prize for this endurance race is $10,000.00, stuck on a pole in Ketchikan, and a set of steak knives for second place. The first stop is Victoria, BC, where racers must decide whether to seek approval to go offshore and west of Vancouver Island or stay on the inside passage. Gray Wolf had approval for the offshore route, but after reviewing the projected weather patterns, elected to stay inside and face the currents of the Seymour Narrows and the Campbell River outflow.
Jeanne and Ev described their nighttime adventure navigating through the Seymour Narrows. It involved navigating with an anchor and a whirlpool to their starboard side and sneaking past their competitors in the same area as quietly as possible.
Gray Wolf’s oven and freshly baked chocolate chip cookies contributed to the team’s morale and success.
And yes, team WE BRAKE FOR WHALES did have a moment where they stopped, deployed a drone, and watched in awe as a group of humpback whales were bubble-net feeding. After this brief respite, it was back to navigating the course and completing the race in a little over five days.