Welcome to WA360 Daily Update 11, or is it 12?
If you know without counting, you’re doing better than us—and for sure better than the five blistered and bleary-eyed teams still slogging it out on the course. Here at WA360 HQ, we get yard privileges but just like you, we’re all just prisoners here, by our own devices. With a piece of chalk in one hand and a toothbrush whittled into a shiv in the other, we’re sleeping with one eye open and marking time the only way we know how—one finish at a time.
As of this morning, there are a total of 54 marks above our bunk—54 teams who have crossed the line, completed their sentence, and breathed the sweet air of post-finish-line freedom.
Yesterday, two of our best cellies released themselves on their own recognisance:
- Team Hard On Port’s middle school giggle of a team name rowed their way across the finish line so close to the noon media cut-off deadline. This vaulted them into the rare air of teams unknowingly making two days of race updates. You’re welcome, tip of the hat, fist bump, and congratulations on a race well rowed. Go buy your hardened blisters a drink on us.
- Team Tar Keels’ aptly named and aged Catalina 22 crossed the line around 6 PM local time, 9 PM in their hometown of Asheville, North Carolina, which is—according to the Asheville Sailing Club’s website—the only sailing center in western North Carolina. By that measure not only have they brought home glory on behalf of the entire western part of North (and potentially South) Carolina, they have established sailing dominance over those suckers in Oriental, NC. Sure, the Orientals declared themselves the sailing capital of North Carolina back in the 90s, but when it came to fielding a team for the WA360? Crickets. (Also, that’s really what they call themselves? It’s 2025…)
Questionable NC denizen monikers aside, as we clang our tin cup across the bars on Day Twelve (Eleven?), here’s the box score: two teams crossed yesterday, 54 were released early on good behavior/already finished, and five teams are still in the race—turning waves into license plates until their sentence runs out. Weather and warden willing, we could see Teams Big Moo Canoe and MZEE across the line and released back into the world today, with Team Let Loose the Goose a day and a parole board hearing behind. Team Rogue Kayaker and Paddle On Paddle On appear to be lifers. Who knows if they’ll see the outside before time runs out?
The rest?
Gone.
Their grey visages are still scattered about the race map to remind us where they were when they were taken. Maybe they dropped out for various reasons, but looking at the map it’s like Rapture—but with trackers.
How do we know? We’re still here. So are you. So are the five teams still out there?
Until we grease the parole board or do a better job of being “heaven-worthy,” we’ll be here with you pacing out an 8-foot room and making pruno until god or the Port Townsend finish line ends it all.
R2AK out.
– R2AK Writing Staff, from Cell Block B
Fresh Footage
Video by Ryder Booth, Header photo by Luc Schoonjans