Three men in a Boat

Rob / 29.09.2002

Well, for most teams it was. Almost all have 3 men and one woman, and everyone got a turn at rowing, but there was time to rest as well – they had only 2 oars per team. After gratefully abandoning the kayaks they had carried for so long the teams trekked across country and were told to start rowing on arrival at Trawsfynydd. The boats were a bit ungainly and rowing isn’t a skill many racers are practised at, so there were some zig-zag courses set as the left the jetty.

First to go were Lythgoe, followed by Team Wales who had made up ground on the run. Salomon X-a came next and they were not caught out by the request to row – far from it. Tom Gibbs had carried a folding paddle with him and took it into the rowing boat to use as a rudder and an extra oar – to gain a considerable advantage. They moved into second place not far behind Lythgoe. They also experimented with using a bivvy bag as a sail as the wind had now got up, though it was still exceptionally hot.

Dehydration was a problem as teams would be on the water for hours and although their support crews were there when they arrived they were not allowed to help or give competitors any water. Teams could only get support when they came back ashore at the end of the stage. When Lythgoe got back at 15.00 Morgan Donnelly said, “We’ve been drinking from the lake – maybe not such a good idea next to a nuclear power station!� Salomon X-a and Dynamic Adventure were both complaining of dehydration and with teams on the water for at least 3 hours it was a long time to be thirsty, with a lot of the day still left to go.

The Ace Races team thought better of it and decided not to row for so long. They visited only the nearest checkpoint and then came back, accepting the time penalties for missing the other 3. Each incurred an hour penalty, but they wanted to move on round the course and though it would take them nearly that to do them anyway – and they get dehydrated. They had a couple of minor first aid jobs to attend to as well – Mike Poole had gashed his hand, hitting a spike when coming out of the kayaks, and Phil Humphreys needed blisters treated after the kayak drag.

It looks like a wise tactical decision and Bare Naked Racers, who were last in to PC3 did the same thing. Several parts of the course are designed this way, to allow teams to complete as much as they wish, keep up with the race and make camp at a reasonable time.

Dynamic Adventure caused a stir when they came in from the run saying they’d found the skeletal remains of a human body! They were convinced they seen a spine, hipbone, leg and foot on the lake side. However, the police came and took a look, as did a race marshal, and although they too were not sure at first, in the end they decided it was animal not human – to everyone’s relief!

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