Wild Card

Wild Card is a Santa Cruz 27 - and is the only member of our team who has already done the Race to Alaska! She first made the voyage in 2018 with Team Wild Card; she then finished again in 2024 with Team Sail Like a Mother. We’re delighted to carry on her legacy.

The Santa Cruz 27 is one of the popular designs for Race to Alaska, despite features that some might consider drawbacks. No one is standing up below deck on a Santa Cruz! But they are worthy seagoing boats that can pick up real speed in good wind, and won’t be too heavy for us to move around when the wind dies down.

We are still rocking the pedal drive that was developed in 2018. We don’t have a lot of glamorous rework to show off, but we’re happy with a system that is tried and true. We are developing a system for rowing this year - hopefully ready to debut by the start of the race!

Rescued from a cow pasture in central Oregon in 2017, Wild Card, a Santa Cruz 27, was transformed into a racing vessel for the 2018 R2AK under the team name Wild Card. The crew removed and replaced damaged and rotting deck coring, replaced rigging, installed electronics, and generally brought her back to life. She completed the R2AK again in 2024 and the WA360 in 2025. Equipped with five sails and upgraded solar power system, battery storage and electronics she’s in great shape but there’s still work and repairs to complete in preparation for June 2026. If boats could talk, she could regale us with some salty sea tales.

We’re building on that legacy, learning from what worked, upgrading what didn’t, and keeping the systems as repairable as possible.

The pedal drive is our engine when the wind disappears. We’re focused on comfort, reliability, and repeatability: gear that can be serviced quickly, with spares that fit in a small box.

Our goal is sustained, steady power: not heroic sprints, but the ability to keep moving for hours in calm stretches.

In a race like R2AK, the boat isn’t just equipment - it’s a teammate. We’re learning her sounds, her habits, and the small tells that help you stay safe when you’re tired.

Wild Card is the platform for our best days on the water. We’re grateful to race her, and determined to do right by her miles.