(SitNews) Ketchikan, Alaska - Race to Alaska 2017 has declared a finisher, Team Pure & Wild/FreeBurd!  Race to Alaska, the 750-mile engineless boat race from Port Townsend, Washington to Ketchikan, Alaska started the race to Ketchikan June 11th.  Just four days later Team Pure & Wild/FreeBurd sailed into Ketchikan amid roars of fans and virtual screams through the Facebook live stream. 

The weather during this year's race has been extremely erratic offering winds over 55 miles per hour and periods of flat calm.

No boat has an engine and, when not sailing must propel themselves however they design, paddle, pedal or oar.  This year Team Pure & Wild/FreeBurd made the 750 miles in 4 days, 3 hours, 11 minutes. 

Surprisingly, the race was so close that first place was decided by five minutes.  While Team Pure & Wild/Freeburd claim the $10,000 first place prize, second place Team Big Broderna will get the coveted second place prize of a pretty good set of steak knives.

28 teams are still battling up the coast for fame or glory, as well as the first to say yes to the R2AK buy back program.  Race Boss, Daniel Evans, says “As each team finishes, we are giving them five minutes to decide if they want to sell us their boat for $10,000.  We will buy the first team’s boat that says yes.  No questions asked.”  The unusual offer was created to offer incentive for teams that knew they couldn’t finish first, but still could race competitively.

When Tripp Burd, Captain of the winning team Pure & Wild/FreeBurd was asked how it felt to finally take first in R2AK after three years of competing he said, “We finished in half the time as year one with twice as much work.”  For Tripp and his team, Trevor Burd and Chris Burd, the goal has been reached, but the other stories are just beginning to unfold.  Follow this one of a kind race at: r2ak.com

Now in its third year, the Race to Alaska is organized by the Northwest Maritime Center, a non-profit organization whose mission is to engage people in maritime activities.

On the Web:

FaceBook Live Stream
https://www.facebook.com/racetoalaska/

Race 2 Alaska Race Tracker
http://tracker.r2ak.com

Editing by Mary Kauffman, SitNews

Source of News:

R2AK
www.r2ak.com

Northwest Maritime Center
www.nwmaritime.org

 

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Ketchikan, Alaska

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