The race is on.

The first team in this year's Yukon River Quest arrived in Carmacks at 6:59 this morning.

Team Such A Blast is made up of Leif Calvin, Cyril Derreumaux, Matthew Glerum, Roman Kristl, Daniel Camp, and Tony Van Buuren, all from California.

They arrived at the checkpoint 18 minutes ahead of the Australian team Down Under Dogs, according to the River Quest's race tracking website this morning.

Both teams are competing in the 715-km race to Dawson City as part of the men's voyageur category.

"The teams came in earlier than we expected,” race president Carl Rumscheidt said this morning from Carmacks. "I think the times this year are very good.”

Teams are paddling on a clear and sunny day with a nice breeze and a high river, Rumscheidt said.

The Australian team, currently listed in the silver position, had to make up ground after hitting a boil near Big Salmon early this morning and flipping their boat.

They were on shore drying out their equipment for about 15 minutes before getting back in the boat.

"They got back in, still wet, and had to paddle hard to make up ground,” Rumscheidt said.

The leading team is raising awareness and funds for the Sonoma County Court-Appointed Special Advocate volunteer program.

CASA is a non-profit organization dedicated to serving abused, abandoned and neglected children who have been removed from their homes for protection.

The highest-ranking female team at this point in the race is third place Skirting Disaster, competing in the women voyageur category and listed as 29 minutes behind the leaders.

That team, made up of members from around the globe, includes Verena Koenig, who lists her hometown as Whitehorse and Austria, Americans Veronica Wisniewski and Mary Tipton, Yukoner Kam Davies, the UK's Sharon Colley and Joanie Pelletier from Quebec.

One minute behind the ladies is team Round Side Down, made up of Faro's Tim Lynch and Dave Lewis from Milton, N.S.

The duo is competing in a tandem canoe.

The highest-ranked solo paddler as of this morning is Shaun Thrower, in sixth place. Thrower, from Hereford, UK, is paddling a kayak and is one hour and six minutes behind the overall leader.

The highest-ranking tandem kayak is being paddled by Reuhl Lombard from Witbank, South Africa, and American Bertus Rinkefrom Bullhead City, Ariz.

The pair came into Carmacks ninth, two hours and two minutes behind the leaders.

Of the 68 teams which began the race at noon Wednesday, two have withdrawn.

Tédenké, AKA tandem canoe team Jeremy Staveleyand and Brock Nicholson, withdrew at Lower Laberge and the men's Tandem Kayak team, Tera Santa Israel, Alon Peled and Ron Shilon, are listed as withdrawn at Little Salmon.

The Carmacks checkpoint is a mandatory rest period. Teams are required to stop for a minimum of seven hours and a maximum of 10 hours before continuing on.

This year's 14th annual race includes 187 paddlers from 13 countries.

See related story, and much more coverage of the Quest in Friday's Star.