The 44th Three Peaks Yacht Race

Steady Progress on a Busy Sunday

Rob Howard / 10.07.2022

On one of the hottest days of the year teams in the Three Peaks Yacht Race have run their first mountain, made slow progress into and (barely) out of the Menai Strait, and met some heavy traffic on land and sea. It’s been a busy day.

Rolling back the clock to last night there was drama at Bardsey Sound, where the wind dropped as teams hit the tidal turmoil there. All were rowing, some went backwards for a time, and the visiting Dutch team were simply astonished anyone would be sailing there and by what was going on.  

Wild Spirit had the worst time, suffering complete instrument failure.  When he arrived at Caernarfon skipper Paul Jackson said, “I was concerned about our depth and steered us into some bad tide while we rowed.  We do have depth readings back now, but nothing else and will have to manage without autohelm for the rest of the race, which is difficult as our two runners are complete non-sailors, and can’t take a watch.”

Even so, they were among the lead boats into Caernarfon. 

The two challenge boats with school teams arrived first as they could motor, though Shrewsbury School said they only motored for 30 minutes at Bardsey, and both said that after a little early seasickness in the choppy conditions the pupils had settled into the boat routines, sailing duties and bunk swapping well.

Roaring Forties arrived on the tide ahead of the Challenge boats, and Osprey Meadows, Baloo, Wild Spirit and Food For Flow were 2 to 3 hours behind them, so it was still a close race.  Olympioz and Seas the Life were some hours behind as they didn’t make the tide across Caernafon Bar.

On the Snowdon Run it looked for a time in the morning that a pall of heavy cloud would sit on the mountain, but it lifted and Snowdon was clear all day. (A rare occurrence on the race.) There were amazing views, but it was very hot for the runners and exceptionally busy, with thousands of walkers and the Snowdon Marathon taking place too.

Both of the school teams managed to pass the runners from Roaring Forties, with the Shrewsbury team putting in a very strong run.  Ed Scott had to leave the team here (due to a prearranged family holiday), and said, “I’d love to go on, but can’t complain as we had a great run today.  We really pushed it and were doing 4.40 kilometre pace along the road at the end which was hard.  I found the descent the hardest as my stomach was unsettled and it’s tough on the knees.”

His team set off through the Swellies, motoring to get through before low tide.  Sedbergh did the same and when they arrived back, Phil Mather, a school master who ran with them, said, “That is the longest run they’ve done as we didn’t get the distance built up in training s we'd have liked to. They were a bit queasy at the start, but settled down by the summit.”  Oliver Barnes who is on the boat with them said they are settling in well, “but its early days”.

The first Race runners back were Roaring Forties, and the boat set off through the Strait, tacking against the tide and gaining distance, very, very slowly in a light head wind.  (They had dragged their anchor while the crew slept waiting for the runners return, and the marshals had to shout across to wake them in the drifting boat!)  They were still in sight when Wild Spirit and Osprey Meadows set off after them, and later were caught up in a big local regatta near Bangor..

The international mountain runners from Wild Spirit set the fastest Snowdon time and passed the Osprey Meadows runners on Snowdon, both saying how hot the run had been and they were glad the stage was done as it has the most road running, which is not what they like.  Food for Flow planned a more sedate pace with 69 year old Axel van Willigenburg setting off in boots and with trekking poles.. 

When the tide turned it eased the race leaders through the Swellies in the same order in which they left Caernarfon, with the occasional spin as they lost steerage in the slack tide. 

However, they didn’t get far beyond the exit to the Strait. All of the race boats have made little progress across the Irish Sea in the afternoon and evening due to the flat calm conditions. Some may have anchored, and Roaring Forties is trying an inshore route. They all have a long, and probably frustrating, night ahead and will be praying for some wind. 

The runners from Olympioz and Seas the Life should get back off Snowdon before nightfall, and with the boats ahead of them still struggling to get out from the Menai Strait they are not far behind in terms of race distance.