← WA360 Home ← 2025 WA360 Teams
Crew: Rod Sternagel and Haleigh Werner
Hometown: Olympia, WA
Vessel: Savo 650E
Class: The Muscle Group
Connect: Facebook
Get to know Team We Are A Laughing Roomba
First thing first. Why race in WA360?
The Puget Sound is awesome and we are lucky to have it as our regular rowing playground. The opportunity to row the Salish Sea over a 2-week period with other like-minded folks on the same amazing mission could not be missed.
What’s your connection to these waters?
We both live in Olympia – the first WA360 checkpoint. Rod even grew up on the sound and is a few stairs from the sound now. Our regular rowing adventures have taken us into many nooks and crannies of the south sound complete with limbo-ing under branches in the small tributaries. With various other rows we have explored the more northern sections of the sound and continue to be in awe of the wonders these waters bestow.
Superpowers. Each crew member gets one. What are they and why?
Rod – Able to row all day on last night’s dinner
Haleigh – Laughter as it makes everything “lighter”
Defend your vessel choice for WA360. What makes it so cool and worthy?
The Savo 650 is a sturdy boat that has an extensive history of racing in crusty waters in Finland. The 650E version that we have is made for expeditions and has been raced in and finished R2AK a couple of times. It has water-tight storage for supplies (i.e. Rod’s dinners) and that area also provides for extra buoyancy. All this makes it worthy. It is cool because it is beautiful, international orange, and we will be in it (unless we are not).
What are your adventure qualifications for WA360? What makes you (y’all) cool and capable?
Rod – I have ridden my bicycle unsupported across the U.S. in addition to several other 300+ mile trips. I have rowed in over 100 open water races including all six (seven after this year) Seventy48’s.
Haleigh – Really, up until 3 years ago, I would not call myself adventurous. I had aspirations but always wanted a clear sense of control. Then Rod appears, leading me out to the rougher water for longer, and at times, unpredictable rows. I caught the rowing adventure bug. Off to Seventy48 last year (oh my, that crossing to Point Jefferson) and no reason to stop. On to WA360. Rod and I have many miles of double rowing together and we are looking to add a few, hopefully hundreds, more.
What is going to break?
Our eagerness to haul the boat ashore and the ability to laugh after a roomba encounter- surprise or otherwise.