The Race to Alaska

Zach Carver’s film documents a boating race that pushes its contestants to the edge of endurance. The titular competition, also known as R2AK, takes contestants from Port Townsend, Washington to Ketchikan, Alaska. Participants must traverse 750 miles of dangerous waters - the Inside Passage - without using motors of any kind, and without any outside support - that means no sponsors, no dockside repair teams, and nobody but the Coast Guard to offer help out there in the treacherous waters.

It’s a challenge many mariners would run from; those who take it on are varied in their experience and motivations, but they share a strength of spirit that viewers may look at with awe and envy. It’s a joy to see these folks in action, and Carver’s doc jumps from boat to boat as it spans the five years from R2AK’s inception to its most recent edition. The footage is interwoven with post-race reminiscences, background info, and commentary from the competition’s organizers. Bracing, immersive and wonderfully congenial, this film is a tribute to the spirit of adventure.

From viff.org