Frequently Asked Questions

I’m competing in The Wind Division, not The Muscle Group. Am I allowed to use human powered propulsion when there is no wind?

Oh heck yeah. In fact, the course is designed to 100% guarantee that you’ll need to.

No Engines – I know that for R2AK that means I have to remove the engine entirely from the vessel. Is this also true for WA360?

Nope. Unlike R2AK, WA360 allows you to keep a working engine aboard. We’ll tag it out so we can tell if you’ve used it.

Start or operate that engine for any reason, and you’re disqualified. The sole exception is using it to provide emergency assistance to another vessel in distress. Do that, and you’re still in the race. Just notify the Race Boss afterward.

If your own emergency calls for starting the engine, go right ahead. Just know that your race is over.

I’m going to be paddling my kayak as a part of The Muscle Group class, but I’d like to use my little kayak sail. Is that okay?

It’s okay to use a kayak sail but if you do then you’re a part of The Wind Division, not The Muscle Group.

Is WA360 a qualifier for Race To Alaska?

NO. While WA360 is pretty badass on its own, and can most certainly throw some wild snot your way, Race to Alaska is an entirely different beast with different (and bigger) hazards, and it’s possible that a team completing WA360 won’t make it past the guards (vetting team) of R2AK.

You say the race is unsupported, but there’s some safety boats out there, right?

No, there are not. We have boats out there, but they’re there to give us a place to point cameras from. You’re on your own.