The 43rd Three Peaks Yacht Race - Sponsored by E.ON
Tuesday Traffic In and Out at Whitehaven
Rob Howard / 22.06.2021
On Monday evening teams Marine Conservation Society, Tintin and LETS RUN were heading for Scafell Pike, and later in the night Whisky Galore was to follow them. Conditions were good, but some runners were very cold when they got back. The pair from MCS were grateful for the hot soup and tea ready for them when they got back, and Shelli Gordon off LETS RUN was very cold and warmed up with a shower. (The race checkpoint is by the shower block and if they have time the runners can use the facilities.)
Once again there were puncture dramas on the cycle stage, even more so for the riders from TinTin. They realised they didn’t have a spanner to remove the wheel! (Quite how old the bike is we don’t know, but it had no quick release wheel nuts.) However, they remembered a generator in the forest they’d passed, went back to see if there were any tools nearby …. And found a spanner to do the job! They took 12 hours altogether and were shattered on their return, but then had some time to rest up and recover before Tintin set off again.
There were no showers for the pair from Half Light on their return. They took over 12 hours too, but when they got back the lock gates were open, so they set off on the final sail straight away.
Whisky Galore had arrived earlier in the night, and made it through the lock just in time. “We rowed for about 45 minutes,” said skipper Charles Clarke, “and I think we got in here with about 10 minutes to spare! We didn’t set up big sweeps and rowlocks, so just have paddles, but they allow us to make half a knot, and it made the difference.”
He added, “I think we’ve used every legal means of propulsion. On Mussel Bank at the entrance to the Menai Strait we were struggling to make the buoy where we could start the engine, so did some kedging and hauled ourselves across the mark.
“I was a bit sensitive coming in here as in 2009 had ran aground and holed the boat. On that occasion we had it lifted out and repaired while the runners were on Scafell Pike. So, we are doing better this time around!” Their runners will be back before midday and it is possible Whisky Galore will get out of the lock and on their way to Fort William.
Approaching midday on Tuesday the Kokiri runners are close to the top of Scafell Pike and Sail Raisers and Trail Blazers are approaching Whitehaven, leaving Driac to bring up the rear of the fleet.
SleepMonsters
