Sail Like A Mother

3 women. 750 miles. A wilderness awaits.

Race to Alaska | June 2024

katie melissa brianna - team sail like a mother - race to alaska 204

On June 9, a crew of badass adventure mamas will cast off dock lines in Port Townsend, Washington and sail 750 miles to Ketchikan, Alaska. The Race to Alaska has only two rules: No motors and no outside support.

With gnarly ocean currents, freezing water, and remote coastlines full of grizzly bears, this race is as much about survival as sailing. Mostly, it’s about pushing all the limits.

As mothers, we want to prove to our children that we can do hard things and achieve lofty goals when we fully commit our mind, body and spirit. As adventurers, we feel pulled to test our mettle in the untrammeled wilderness of the North Pacific. Plus, we want to #SailLikeAMOTHER to show how powerful a team of women can be.

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Meet Team SLAM

KATIE GAUT sail like a mother - race to alaska 2023

Katie Gaut is a cartographer and digital storyteller who harbors a profound passion for the sea and for empowering women in sailing. With over 20 years of experience on the ocean, including a 50-ton master Coast Guard license and ASA sailing instructor credentials, she’s captained boats in Hawaii, Alaska and the San Juans. Training for R2AK? Maybe after she’s done milking goats, chasing her son around the homestead, and spending time on the water.

BRIANNA RANDALL sail like a mother - race to alaska 2023

Brianna Randall is a science writer, yoga teacher and all-around nature addict. She’s sailed 6,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean, cruised through the Caribbean Sea, and made wakes in Montana lakes, the Gulf of California, the San Juan Islands and Alaska’s Inside Passage. She’s been dunking in ice-cold creeks daily to build endurance for the R2AK.

Melissa Roberts Race to Alaska - SAIL LIKE A MOTHER

Melissa Roberts is an aquatic ecologist turned ER nurse who knows next to nothing about sailing and lots about Type 2 fun. She spent many summers cruising the Inside Passage as a cook on an eco-tourism boat, and can’t wait to return to those magical waters. In preparation for the R2AK, she’s started a daily squat routine and is drying bushels of apples.

Giving Back: Our Science Mission

sail like a mother - underwater noise - quiet oceans

All three mamas are scientists dedicated to making our planet a better place. While sailing north, SLAM will collect data on underwater noise pollution for the non-profit research group, Oceans Initiative. Noise from ships threatens ocean animals that rely on sound cues to “see” in the sea. By recording underwater sounds, we can help pinpoint and protect the ocean’s quiet places, and (hopefully) hush loud places.