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The race roster is set for the 15th annual Yukon River Quest, which will begin at Rotary Peace Park in Whitehorse Wednesday, June 26.

The first paddlers are expected to reach Dawson by June 28.

This year's field will feature 67 teams with 180 paddlers from all over the world.

Except for two mandatory rest stops totaling 10 hours, paddlers race non-stop over approximately 715 kilometers (444 miles) to Dawson City.

Held annually in the north during the last week of June (around the summer solstice), it is a true "Race to the Midnight Sun鈥� where many of the world's best paddlers gather.

Nine countries are represented in the 2013 field: Austria, Australia, Canada, Germany, Great Britain, New Zealand, Poland, Japan, and the United States.

The number of teams is down slightly from last year's starting roster of 68 teams and 188 paddlers.

Following the race is a lot of fun, whether you are watching from alongside the river or sitting at home. All teams are required to have activated SPOT devices, which will greatly aid those following the race on their computers or mobile devices.

Just follow the Results link at www.yukonriverquest.com and also watch for updates and photos on the race's Facebook page. You can even replay the race when it's all over.

The total possible 2013 race purse will be $24,820 (CAD) based on a final registration of 68 teams as of May 15 (one has since dropped).

There are overall cash prizes for each class 鈥� tandem canoe, tandem kayak, solos, and voyageur canoes 鈥� as well as prizes for the top three in each division.

There also are cash prizes for the top all-Yukon canoe and kayak teams, and the top First Nations team. Several special awards are also donated by Yukon and Alaska sponsors.

But most of the paddlers are just aiming to get to Dawson and be awarded a coveted YRQ Finisher Pin.

Who to Watch on the River

The 2013 YRQ will have stiff competition in many categories. This is a year where any number of different craft could emerge as the overall winner, but here's a breakdown by class:

鈥� Solo canoe (C1): Three teams 鈥� Fan favourite Hiromune Imai returns for the fourth straight year in a different craft. So far he has finished in solo and tandem kayak and voyageur, and the Ecochallenge Japan veteran now will go solo canoe along with seasoned Yukon adventure paddlers Gienieczko Marcin of Poland and Jeff Brainard of Toronto.

鈥� Solo kayak (K1): 12 men, one woman 鈥� The favourite has to be past solo and tandem

champion Stephen Mooney of Whitehorse, who wants to give it another shot for his 50th

birthday after a few years off. He could see a challenge from Australian racer Anthony Cape and race veterans Heinz Rodinger of Austria and Joe Evans of Oregon, who will trade his canoe for a kayak this time around. Unfortunately only one woman signed up this year, "Super Maryo鈥� Mary Obstfeld of Alberta.

鈥� Tandem canoe (C2): 14 men's teams, three women's, 13 mixed 鈥� The largest class in the race harks back to the race's origins when just tandem canoes were allowed, and this year's field should be highly competitive. The Faro, YT/Nova Scotia combination of Tim Lynch and Dave Lewis gave a run at the record last year and missed it by eight minutes. In women's canoe, the Alberta team of Joanne Arthurs and Andrea deJong have the only YRQ experience. In mixed canoe, several veteran teams should be in the hunt. Back for year 15 is Larry Seethaler with partner Brenda Forsythe of Anchorage, Alaska. Jim and Pam Boyde of Whitehorse, and Pauline Frost-Hanberg of the Yukon and Dennis Fosseneuve of Ontario have placed in prior races.

鈥� Tandem kayak (K2): Eight men's teams, one mixed 鈥� The K2 class features the Australian dream team of Tom Simmat and Urs Mader, who have each placed as high as second in the K1 class in the past. They should be a formidable team and could challenge for top spot. Also watch out for a pair of teams from Great Britain who are paddling for the Afghanistan Trust that helps British paratroopers recovering from injuries. The lone mixed team is "Pass the Wine Gums鈥� from Whitehorse. There are no women's K2 teams this year.

鈥� Voyageur canoe (VC): Four in the open class; five women's, and three mixed teams. The fund-raising goes large in the big boats with three teams from Great Britain raising money for "Help for Heroes,鈥� a charity that aids veterans of current UK conflicts in the world. (Close to a quarter million dollars was raised last year.) The women's class will feature some strong Yukon teams 鈥� including perennial favorites "Paddlers Abreast鈥� and "Team Whoa.鈥� In the mixed division, it appears New York paddler Kerry Newell has assembled a crew of racers called "Passing Through鈥� which may charge to the front of the pack.

The Whitehorse Star will publish a pre-race River Quest newspaper supplement on Monday, June 24.

By JEFF BRADY

The Skagway 麻豆社区