← WA360 Home ← 2025 WA360 Teams
Crew: Aaron Price and Rika Williams
Hometown: Los Angeles, CA
Vessel: Grabner Happycat Hurricane
Class: The Wind Division
Get to know Team Twin Hulligans
First thing first. Why race in WA360?
Rika and I participated in the Salish 100 in 2024 and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. Growing up in the Northwest, we both spent most of our lives in area as non-sailors. Now to return home, so to speak, the opportunity to see this area through new eyes is an exciting prospect.
I discovered the WA360 through the R2AK and have since been captivated by the challenges and complexity of small-boat coastal expeditions. The WA360 is a great place for both of us to start. Neither of us is new to outdoor adventures, we rock climb and white water kayak among many other challenging sports we love. WA360 is another opportunity to test ourselves in a challenging environment to see the limits of what we are capable of together.
What’s your connection to these waters?
Aaron grew up on Vancouver Island but was only ever interested in the mountains while living there. Now learning to sail in Southern California he laments the opportunities he could have had when he was younger. However, there is no time like the present to take advantage of the magic of sailing in the Pacific Northwest.
Rika grew up in Seattle but was never interested in sailing until she lived in Rhode Island. It was there that the sailing bug bit her and she took her first sailing class. She’s looking forward to seeing the PNW from new angles and the opportunity to visit places she’s only heard of in passing.
Superpowers. Each crew member gets one. What are they and why?
Like all good superpowers, they are a blessing as much as a curse. Rika has often cursed her super-smelling powers when overwhelmed by foul odors. She promises she’ll use her super-smelling to make sure our boat doesn’t melt while boiling water with an open flame for our morning coffee.
Aaron’s superpower may be more pedestrian but he believes he has the singular ability to accomplish almost any goal he sets his mind to. He can keep putting one foot in front of the other no matter the difficulty, discomfort, or fear and keep moving toward his goal. In the past, he’s used this in paragliding hike and fly races, and long days of mountaineering. Aaron’s looking forward to seeing how well he’s able to push through 360 miles of sailing racing in the Puget Sound.
Defend your vessel choice for WA360. What makes it so cool and worthy?
Name a boat that can carry five, a single person can hand launch, has 0 drafts, can fit under the bed in your van, and easily go 10+ knots. Mine can! I spent years figuring out what would be the most fun to own and knew it had to be a boat I could easily travel with, take folks out sailing, and go fast! I get looks everywhere I go and for some reason, everyone has to say the model name “Happycat” out loud when the see it, and no, it’s not a Hobie.
What are your adventure qualifications for WA360? What makes you (y’all) cool and capable?
Rika and Aaron sail all over Southern California together and even completed the Salish 100 in 2024 together on Cheshire Cat. Aaron is a USCG Captain and ASA instructor and is out sailing several times a week through yacht clubs and charter groups. Both have participated in challenging outdoor sports (rock climbing, mountaineering, paragliding, white water paddling) that take determination, focus, endurance, and a level head in physically and mentally painful situations.
What is going to break?
Nothing? My boat is made out of fenders, what could go wrong? We’re more worried about what will fall overboard. We’ll be carrying plenty of spare nuts and bolts. Just need to mind the hulls on any beach landings or impromptu marina visits with extra sharp marine growth and the piers.