← WA360 Home ← 2025 WA360 Teams
Crew: Paul English and Joanna Gaski
Hometown: Seattle, WA
Vessel: Corsair 31R
Class: The Wind Division
Connect: Website, Facebook, Instagram, Youtube
Get to know Team Screecher Feature
First thing first. Why race in WA360?
We’ve been married longer than some boats have been afloat. We’ve road-tripped, backpacked, built IKEA furniture without divorcing, and once shared a tent during a thunderstorm on purpose. After doing basically everything else together, WA360 just felt like the next logical step in our relationship—or at least the most ridiculous one.
Some couples renew vows; we chose charts, currents, and questionable freeze-dried meals. We’re not saying this race will make our marriage stronger, but there’s nothing like 360 miles of teamwork, tide math, and shared sleep deprivation to unlock new levels of commitment—or passive-aggressive snack rationing.
This isn’t just about finishing the course. It’s about glory, grit, and proving that love means never having to say, “You missed the waypoint again.” Bring on the wind, the waves, and whatever else the Strait wants to throw at us. We’ve trained for this our whole relationship.
What’s your connection to these waters?
We’ve been sailing and racing in these waters for years, but it goes deeper than that. These tides have shaped our weekends, our weather obsessions, and our understanding of what counts as a “reasonable” idea. We’ve crossed the Strait in fog, hunted wind in glassy bays, and anchored in coves that felt like secret worlds. We’ve celebrated landfall with lukewarm coffee and cursed driftwood that looked like crab pots.
These waters have taught us patience, respect, and how to reef a sail without ruining a relationship. They’ve also given us blisters, boat envy, and an ever-growing list of places we swear we’ll return to—when we’re not racing past them at 2 knots in the dark. This isn’t just a racecourse to us. It’s home, challenge, and playground, all in one salty, glorious package.
Superpowers. Each crew member gets one. What are they and why?
One of us is level-headed and seemingly gifted with a mild, unbidden form of precognition—able to sense bad decisions moments before they’re made and subtly redirect the course (and the conversation) before disaster strikes. Think of it as sixth sense meets tactical veto power.
The other? Possesses the rare and mystical ability to see wind that isn’t there—reading glassy water like tea leaves and coaxing motion from conditions that would strand mere mortals. Together, we balance instinct and insight, calm and chaos, and maintain forward momentum when logic says we shouldn’t be moving at all.
Defend your vessel choice for WA360. What makes it so cool and worthy?
Why this boat?
We chose the Corsair 31R because it’s fast, responsive, and built for exactly the kind of tactical coastal racing that WA360 demands. It’s proven itself time and again in both the Race to Alaska and Washington 360, making strong showings and consistently holding its own against a wide range of conditions and competition.
Yes, there was that year—a famously rough upwind slog where several trimarans, Corsairs included, met their match. But the takeaway wasn’t that the boat is flawed. It’s that any vessel, pushed hard in the wrong conditions, will find its limits. We’re not here to repeat that story. We’ll anchor and wait it out when the wind turns hostile—because racing smart is just as important as racing fast.
We’re confident in the boat, we know how to sail it well, and we believe it gives us the right blend of speed, seaworthiness, and adaptability for the challenges ahead.
What are your adventure qualifications for WA360? What makes you (y’all) cool and capable?
With over a decade of experience sailing everything from dinghies to 48-foot multihulls, we bring proven skills in double-handed trimaran racing and deep familiarity with the WA360 waters. Together, we’ve managed tough emergencies, navigated complex weather and tides, and faced gear failures without missing a beat.
Our physical training is disciplined and consistent, building endurance through rowing, cardio, and strength work, while our diverse outdoor adventures keep us adaptable and resilient. Backed by solid certifications in navigation, offshore safety, and emergency medical skills, we combine grit, experience, and preparedness to tackle whatever challenges come our way.
What is going to break?
The rowing stations will definitely face some wear and tear—they’re doing a lot of heavy lifting. We expect a fair share of blisters and broken nails as the price of pushing hard. And when it comes to hygiene, we’re fully prepared to shatter any existing records for consecutive days without a shower.
Vessel