They couldn’t turn on an engine. They couldn’t call for help. They could only sail — or pedal.

A five-person Westport crew battled 750 miles of unpredictable Pacific Northwest waters to finish third overall in the 2026 Race to Alaska, one of the world’s toughest endurance sailing races.

Team Pas Si Vite crossed the finish line in Ketchikan, Alaska, after seven days at sea, placing second among 34 monohull boats. The crew included three members of the Zeman family — Tristan, Vladimir and Sebastien Zeman — along with Benjamin Freeman and Stewart Williams.

The catch? The race has almost no safety net. Boats travel from Port Townsend, Washington, to Ketchikan without engines, support crews or outside assistance. When the wind disappears, sailors grab bike pedals built into the boat and start powering forward.

For Pas Si Vite, that meant grinding through long stretches of calm water, rough 7- to 10-foot waves, strong winds and dangerous tidal currents through narrow channels. The team also had a memorable passenger along the way: a pod of dolphins that swam beside the boat for nearly an hour.

It was the crew’s first Race to Alaska, and none had sailed the Pacific Northwest before the competition. They spent months studying weather patterns, tides and currents before arriving for a practice run.

The team raced aboard a 30-foot Olson monohull named Wildfire, a boat that had already completed the course twice.

More than a race

The team partnered with Stamford-based nonprofit SoundWaters, which provides sailing and science programs for young people across Fairfield County.

The sailors said they chose SoundWaters because sailing shaped their own lives and they want more kids to have the chance to get on the water.

Their fundraiser supports the SoundWaters Young Mariners Program, which gives middle school students a chance to learn sailing, science and creative skills. Financial assistance is available for eligible families.

The fundraiser runs through Aug. 1. As of Wednesday, July 8, the team had raised $3,480 toward its $5,000 goal.

Residents can support the team’s fundraiser here.