The waiting is the hardest part.

At a 4mph average there's a lot of down time for team captains. Halfway through day one the teams shake out into groups so captains get to swap stories, suggestions and concerns while waiting. A camaraderie inevitably develops and as individual teams arrive there's a steadily larger group waiting to welcome and encourage them.
Having been on both sides of the gunnels, I can attest that the challenges for captains may not be as physical as for the racers, but the fatigue is real and enhanced by concern when the tracker shows your team has stopped or is not arriving when anticipated.
When they pull up there's the initial excitement soon tempered by safety checks, reprovision, and route coaching.
The upside is the sympathetic company shared on the shore, something the paddlers don't experience unless they link up with another boat for a stretch.
None of it is easy or everyone would be doing it...

A well-deserved rest on Monday morning after a hot breakfast. Long day ahead...