Lythgoes Adrenalin Rush

A storm, a course change and a rescue

Rob / 28.05.2002

From early this morning the weather forecast hasn’t been good. The prospect of gales to force 5 or 6 was enough for the race organisation to decide against continuing with the sea paddling section, the risks were too great.

The leading 5 teams, who set off at first light or just after, when conditions were still good, were allowed on to the water, but only raced to CP8 and have then been transferred to the second Red Bull village at CP11, which was to be the end of the kayak stage. It’s a big disappointment, and when the gales were slow to come in there was some brief hope of completing more kayaking, but it wasn’t to be. (This could just have been one of the inevitable race rumours. Spreading and controlling information between so many people over such a wide area isn’t easy.)

Teams weren’t told this until late in the evening and some, like The North Face arrived at PC6 before being told of the cancellation. For that team in particular it was a big disappointment as they are strong paddlers. Some will be relieved, especially as the continuous wet weather is wearing everyone down, but it badly curtails the course.

While this was happening on the coast other teams were having difficulty in the mountains where conditions were still bad. Team Eventrate/Caroline had slept out until dawn at 4.30am and set off to look for the large quartz boulder which was a dieching control above the climbing stage. They spent some hours searching for it and eventually gave up, disoriented and cold, and decided to use the radio to ask for advice. It wasn’t an emergency situation, but rather than risk letting it become one the race helicopter came to pick them up. Andy Gorman was resigned and frustrated with the way they left the race. “We weren’t too cold or injured or anything, and we had until 10.00am to make the cut-off at the climbing stage. Looking back I can see where we went wrong – it was a silly mistake.�

Other teams were also disoriented and becoming increasingly cold and tired. Ajax, Issy Raidlight, and Outward Bound were all withdrawn from the race when they missed the cut-off and walked out, before being taken to the Red Bull Village to join the other teams already there. Ajax had taken regular sleeps along the way and said they “relaxed and chatted too much, then underestimated the walk.� Outward Bound too said they misjudged just how long the trek would take and though tired none of them looked exhausted or hypothermic, they were just taking too long and getting low on food.