Photos: Race to Alaska

ExpandAutoplay

Image 1 of 8

A boat lit up outside a party for sailors the night before the Race to Alaska, a human- and wind-powered race from Port Townsend, Wash. to Ketchikan, Alaska, June 3, 2015. The novel race — entrants can have no support teams and burn no fuel — has attracted a mix of novices and old-salt veterans, but no one knows for sure what kind of vessel might win, or even how long the trek may take.

PORT TOWNSEND, Wash. -- Scott Veirs and Thomas Nielsen have a little wooden plank mounted on their boat, just in front of the seat where they plan to take turns, for days on end, pedaling a bike-chain-driven propeller shaft all the way to Alaska.

"If in doubt," the sign reads, "try some optimism."

That could be the motto for the entire field of competitors in what is billed as the first race of its kind - human-powered to Alaska - which set off Thursday morning from this city on the banks of Puget Sound, heading north across open water. The 54 entrants in the Race to Alaska- solo efforts and teams, novices and old-salt veterans - were fueled by a mix of determination, ingenuity and upward of 6,000 calories a day, but no motors.

Read more: First human-powered ocean race from Washington to Alaska underway