As the WA360 Race Boss, I spend most of my time making sure this race runs smoothly. As the R2AK Race Boss, I spend solid time finding new and creative ways to be sarcastic, striking a balance between loving and roasting the teams. When it’s time to answer your WA360 FAQs, it’s hard to keep those personas apart.
So here’s the deal: R2AK asks the questions, and WA360 provides the answers—with a steady hand and no small amount of patience.
R2AK: Do racers in WA360 have to remove their engines, or are you letting them bring their little safety nets along?
WA360: Yeah, you’re pretty intense about the ‘no engines on the boat’ rule, but we’re not rolling that way. We want as many people as possible to get out on the water, and pulling engines isn’t a deal-breaker for us. We’ll tag out the engines so we know if anyone uses them, but that’s it.
R2AK: ‘No support’ – is that just your way of saying, ‘good luck out there,’ or are we talking full-on wilderness survival vibes?
WA360: Just like you, we say that ‘no support’ means no outside help that isn’t available to everyone. That means no friends (that aren’t on your boat) helping you figure out the weather or routing, nobody from home making supply drops, or anything like that. On the other hand, if some stranger shows up with a pizza you didn’t ask for, then bon appetit.
R2AK: What’s the most boneheaded rookie mistake? Bonus points if you have to pretend not to laugh.
WA360: Well, you’ve got eight races under your belt, so you can probably answer this better than I can, with only one race back in 2021. But if you push me, I’d have to say that folks tend to underestimate risks are out there, right in our backyard. The stretch between Bellingham and Point Roberts is no joke—big open water with a lot of fetch. Tacoma Narrows is a beast when you hit it wrong, and those Washington State Ferries go a heck of a lot faster than it looks like.
R2AK: Do you let anyone in, or do you screen people like I do? I get a lot of pleasure from saying ‘no’ to teams. Call it tough love or just good fun—it’s the highlight of my year.
WA360: Well, I sure don’t get pleasure out of it, but yeah—we sometimes say no to applications. Like I said, this thing ain’t a joke, you need a good level of preparation to contend with the 360 miles of this race course. Don’t take it seriously and we won’t take you seriously.
R2AK: Why do you think you’re better than me?
WA360: Hey, who said I think that? We’re both awesome. But I don’t know if anyone has ever told you this—you can be a little abrasive. Not trying to hurt your feelings, but I think you should know.
R2AK: How will people follow the race? Will you have a tracker like I do, or should people just slingshot a note to shore or just yell “Where’s dad?” into the wind?
WA360: Definitely a tracker. Last year you used Yellow Brick Tracking for the first time, and we thought that was awesome. So that’s what we’re using for WA360. And we’ve been told they’re making some awesome updates to the tracker interface…
R2AK: Every year, I have awesome volunteers to help out with The Ruckus, the Victoria Events, and to celebrate the teams up in Ketchikan. What’s your plan? Hire the Hells Angels? Do you even need volunteer help?
WA360: Yeah we totally need volunteer help. Remember, we’re also part of Northwest Maritime, and we only happen because of the support we receive from the community. We’ll put out a call for volunteers—info booths, party-manufacturing, photography, the works. Folks should watch their email and our social accounts.
WA360: Here’s one for you, R: What are you doing while I’m at the wheel this year?
R2AK: Oh you know, just scheming. Thinking of more ways to piss off the sailing anarchy forums.