Part racing, part expedition, and part engineering project, it’s a spirit that can be difficult to explain to those who haven’t experienced it. Team Norn to Be Wild might be one of the best examples.
The four-woman crew of Ruby Zaveri, Madi Pickett, Sophie Rudolph, and Rachel Bradley will line up for the 2026 Race to Alaska aboard Norn, a modified Santa Cruz 27 that has gradually evolved from local racer into a human-powered expedition machine.
And like many great R2AK stories, it began with friendship rather than a campaign plan.
Choosing Teammates Based on Vibes
Ruby moved to Seattle without knowing many people. Through a mutual friend she met Madi, who quickly became both roommate and adventure partner.
“If you know Madi,” Ruby laughs, “you know she’s game for all sorts of crazy adventures.”
The two sailed together, explored together, and eventually started talking about Race to Alaska. Sophie joined through mutual friends and a WA360 race. By then the idea had momentum, but the team still needed someone with more sailing experience and local knowledge.
Enter Rachel. The introduction happened through Facebook, followed by a phone call and a sail aboard Ruby’s boat. For Rachel, the decision came down to something surprisingly simple.
“The vibes were good.”
Rachel continues, “I wanted to find a team where the vibes are good first and everything else comes second. If the team doesn’t mesh well and it’s not fun, then it’s not really worth it.”
In a race where competitors spend days cold, wet, tired, and sleep deprived, that may be one of the smartest selection criteria in the fleet.
Why a Santa Cruz 27
When the project began, Ruby owned a Cal 22. After WA360, however, it became clear that four people, expedition gear, and 750 miles of racing would be asking a lot from the little boat. Fortunately, a Santa Cruz 27 became available locally.
Several Santa Cruz 27s have completed R2AK, making them one of the race’s proven platforms. Rachel, who had sailed the design before, was immediately on board. “They’re pretty well proven for this race.”
The boat already featured modifications including an open transom and high-aspect rudder. “The open transom is mostly for funsies,” Rachel jokes. “The rudder is actually helpful.”
Building an Expedition Machine
Like many first-time R2AK teams, the race itself is only half the story. The other half happens in garages, workshops, and boatyards. Each crew member has gradually taken ownership of a different part of the project.
Madi, a mechanical engineer, leads development of the pedal-drive system. Sophie, an electrical engineer, handles power management, electronics, solar systems, and much of the food planning. Rachel has focused on sailing systems, from reefing arrangements and canvas work to anchoring upgrades and countless small improvements.
The project list never seems to shrink. Protective padding. Storage solutions. Sleeping arrangements. Waterproofing. Safety systems.
“You are never done,” the team says. Every offshore sailor knows exactly what they mean.
More Expedition Than Race
Ask the crew about performance targets and the answer is refreshingly realistic. The primary goal is simple: finish. If they can do it in ten days, even better.
While Race to Alaska is technically a race, it occupies a unique space somewhere between competition and expedition. The winner receives $10,000. Second place famously receives a set of steak knives.
Everything else is about the experience.
“It sits somewhere between a sailboat race and some kind of endurance expedition,” Ruby says. The challenge isn’t just sailing fast. It’s managing energy, sleep deprivation, weather, morale, and arriving in Ketchikan with both the boat and team dynamics intact.
For Norn to Be Wild, success isn’t measured only in elapsed time. It’s measured in whether four people can spend ten demanding days together and still want to share a beer afterwards.
Representation Through Participation
The decision to build an all-women crew was deliberate. Not because the team wanted to make a statement, but because they wanted to normalize something that shouldn’t need explaining.
All four women operate in fields that remain heavily male-dominated, including engineering, climbing, skiing, and sailing. “I just felt there was something powerful about showing up as an all-women team,” Ruby says.
“It’s about normalization. Representation matters.”
The Appeal of R2AK
Toward the end of our conversation, Rachel touched on something that may explain why Race to Alaska inspires such devotion.The race has remarkably few rules.
Compared with conventional offshore racing, there are no lengthy equipment regulations, no complex compliance requirements, and very few barriers to entry.
Perhaps that is the race’s greatest strength. Not the prize money. Not the rankings. Not even the finish line. It creates space for people to build something ambitious simply because they want to.
In a fleet full of daring sailors, Norn to Be Wild feels perfectly suited to that spirit: equal parts engineering project, endurance challenge and adventure among friends.
And somewhere between Seattle and Ketchikan, there will probably be knitting.
The race starts June 14th. Follow the action here: r2ak.com
The team is also using the campaign to raise funds for The Magenta Project who works to break down barriers and facilitate opportunities for women in the marine industry, and Upending Parkinson’s, a non-profit helping people living with Parkinson’s disease engage in outdoor activities Read more and donate here.
Team webpage: teamnorntobewild.com
Instagram: @sailnorn
What is the R2AK?
The Race to Alaska (R2AK) is a 750-mile race from Port Townsend, Washington, to Ketchikan, Alaska – with one big catch: no engines allowed. Teams can sail, paddle, pedal, row, or invent something entirely new, but if it burns fuel, it’s out. Equal parts sailboat race, wilderness expedition, and floating science project, it’s become one of the most delightfully unconventional endurance events in the world.
