Endurance Racing of Another Sort

I love remote routes with long sight lines, but this is ridiculous.

Long time cycling buddy Dan Cook, sailing out of the Santa Cruz Yacht Club, recently finished the 2024 Pacific Cup with his son Mackenzie. Yeah, so what?

That's a 2,070 nautical mile race from San Francisco to Hawaii, in which they chose to race in the smallest boat allowed - a 24 foot double hander. My pickup is almost that long.

And people think bikepacking is crazy.

MacKenzie and Dan Cook finishing the 2024 Pacific Cup in Hawaii.
(image by Kelli Cook)

One of my best cycling buddies in Colorado during the 1990's was Dan Cook, a mechanical engineer by education who developed into a financial planner. A man of many interests, Dan would annually dust off a mountain bike to crank out impossibly fast times, day and night, on a slew of 24 hour mountain bike relay race teams with me. We finally ended our run in 2003 with a Duo Team at the 24 Hours in the Old Pueblo, which was my impetus for returning this year. See, 24 Hours In The Old Pueblo - Back At It and subsequent posts.

Unfortunately for me, Dan then moved to Northern California and we moved to South Dakota. It didn't take long for Dan to return to his love of sailing, which he had enjoyed as a young engineer in the Houston area years before. The physical and mental challenges of sailing connected with his inquisitive, problem-solving, engineering mind. Of course, he regularly took along Mackenzie, his then grade school aged son.

According to mom Kelli, Mackenzie surpassed his dad in sailing knowledge and skill at about age 14. He sailed competitively through high school, college, and now into his own career as an engineer. Among many big races on many big boats, Mackenzie has sailed from the mainland USA to Hawaii five times. So, why not race the 2024 Pacific Cup in a 2 person, 24 foot boat? Dad, how about it? 

Mackenzie and Dan Cook ready to start the 2024 Pacific Cup from San Francisco.
(image by Kelli Cook)

So, they did. Skipper Mackenzie Cook and crew Dan Cook sailed "Nobody's Girl," a 24 foot double hander, for 15 days over 2,000+ miles of Pacific Ocean from San Francisco to Hawaii. 

Amazing. And nuts.

I can't wait to hear their stories.

A younger Mackenzie Cook - How He Started Sailing A-Cats (2013).