Drop Off & Staging:
All boats must be dropped off at race central between 5pm and 9pm the Friday before the race. The race provides overnight security guards on the beach.
Boats need to be picked up on race day – bring or wear your race bib to pick up your kayak – you will not be allowed to retrieve your boat without it!
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3:00 – 4:00 p.m. You can walk your boat out
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4:00 – 5:00 p.m. You can drive in and get your boat
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After 5:00 p.m. There is no security for boats left at the beach – if your boat is still there we aren’t watching it!
NO EARLY PICKUPS. Please plan your race weekend for a 3pm kayak pick up. No exceptions.
Course Description:
The kayak course is an out-and-back course in the Port Angeles Harbor on the Strait of Juan de Fuca. The distance will be 2.6 miles long, starting at the race hub/transition zone at Pebble Beach, heading east along the shoreline to just before the old Rayonier mill site, then returning the same way.
You must launch by 11:45am, otherwise you will be required to skip the kayak leg, but will be allowed to continue with the road bike leg if you choose, receiving a DNF for your finish results.
If you are on your way back from the turnaround and the Black Ball ferry arrives, the Coast Guard may stop you at the ferry crossing. The total amount you are stopped will be deducted from your total time.
Equipment, Skills, and Safety
To maintain high standards for fairness and safety in this race, all boats must pass the safety inspection on race day. All racers must comply with the following safety rules or be subject to disqualification:
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1. All kayaks (in all divisions) must meet a minimum length of 13 feet (not including rudders or handles). Inflatable kayaks are not allowed. Sit-on-top kayaks do qualify if they meet the length/width ratio and are over 13 feet long.
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2. All kayaks (in all divisions) must have watertight bulkheads and watertight hatches or secure, positive flotation in both ends of their boat.
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3. All Team Division kayaks must be wider than .094 times the overall length of the boat (in inches). For example, an 18’ kayak must be equal to or greater than 20.3” wide to qualify (.094 x 18 ft x 12 inches/ft = 20.3 inches). Iron Division can use any length/width kayak so long as it meets the minimum 13′ length and the other safety specifications listed here.
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4. All paddlers must wear a standard U.S. Coast Guard approved TYPE III vest-style inherently buoyant Life Jacket (PFD) *and* have a whistle. Your PFD must be worn properly fastened on your body at all times during the race. All inflatable PFD’s, whether Type III approved or not, are prohibited.
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5. All racers MUST be capable of performing some form of remount or self-rescue (e.g., paddle float self-rescue, cowboy remount, Kayak roll, etc.).
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6. All kayaks must be paddled by one person using a double-bladed paddle as the sole means of propulsion.
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7. We recommend the use of spray skirts for sit-inside sea kayaks, but only if you are skilled in how to do a wet exit while wearing a spray skirt. Following boat manufactures recommendations is suggested.
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8. All outrigger canoes must be paddled by one person using a single-bladed paddle.
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9. All surf skis require a paddle leash attached to the boat OR a boat leash attached to the paddler.
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10. SUP’s are not allowed.
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11. MP3, iPods or similar music/audio systems are prohibited while racing.
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12. The following boats are not allowed in any division: a) “whitewater” river boats; b) Olympic “Downriver” racing boats; c) Olympic K-1 flatwater “racing” boats; d) any 2-person or double kayaks.
