The World Adventure Racing Championships (XPD Australia)

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Rob Howard / 05.11.2011

The leaders and the teams bringing up the rear of the race are now spread around the course by several days, but tonight (Sat), they are geographically quite close together. While the back markers are still making their way through Tullah after paddling down Lake Mackintosh, the leaders have turned north again, and tonight Seagate, leaders on the ground since the start, were arriving at the checkpoint at Waratah on their bikes, just north of Tullah.

Today the pace of the lead teams has slowed, due to fatigue, the nature of the course, health and mechanical problems and possibly tactics, as they know they don’t have to rush to reach the beginning of the next stage due to the dark zone. All these elements, and the increased likelihood of a mistake, come into play increasingly in the later stages of a long expedition race.

Judging by their times the coastal trek to Granville Harbour was tougher than expected and on arrival Seagate slept for nearly 4 hours before continuing. They were leaving just as Silva arrived but the Swedish team were not in good condition and I’m told all 4 have stomach troubles. They in turn slept for almost 5 hours before going on, during which time Thule Adventure had arrived, transitioned quickly and passed them. Adidas Terrex arrived after the leading three teams had left and Sonya Clarke was dehydrated and slept while the others in the team assembled the bikes.

Latest reports from those who followed Seagate for part of the day are that the team are moving strongly at times and very slowly at others, and also that Chris Forne has further problems with his gears, which were fixed temporarily at mid camp. Where the team rafted across the river at Corinna they stopped again to eat in the restaurant and rest before going on and arriving at Waratah at 21.15.

It was 21.40 before they left because they had difficulty finding the checkpoint. The town has a series of waterways above an impressive waterfall with a water wheel at the top of it, and the CP was on an information signpost by the falls. The team tried both sides of the falls and 3 of them were about to descend the steep path down to the foot of the falls when Nathan Fa’avae struck off on his own and shouted he’d found it.See All Event Posts