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All Into Whitehaven

Rob Howard / 30.06.2008

The final team, Seahorse Sailing Club, arrived at Whitehaven and checked in with the race marshals at 08.46 on Tuesday morning. This is one of the fastest races for many years, normally the race would not expect the slower teams into Whitehaven until late Tuesday or even Wednesday. What’s more there have been no further withdrawals so 19 of the 20 starters are still in the race.

Just before Seahorse’s runners arrived at the marshals caravan, the cyclists from White Cloud came back in, looking a bit haggard have been out for 13 hours 53 minutes. Simon Banfield said, “It was really hard on top of Scafell Pike, we struggled to find out way up in the thick mist and lost the path on the way down as well.� There was no one there to greet them from the crew so they quickly pushed their bikes into the marina, passing Tim Devaney and Val Swingler of Seahorse as they came out.

Devaney said his team had been left at the Menai Strait. “We anchored and didn’t know we could get out at low water, so all the others sneaked by us when we were not looking. We waited for high water, but at least we know now!� They estimated an 11 hour time on the mountain and will have daylight conditions which a real advantage given the difficulties on Scafell Pike top.

It had been a very busy night at the marina with teams coming and going frequently and a new race record for the fastest run/ride on the Scafell leg. Martin Beale and Andy Rankin set a time of 6 hours 47 minutes, finishing at 00.54 to hit the deadline on which their crew said they could get out of the sea lock. It’s reported they made it up and down Scafell Pike from Wasdale in 1 hour 40 minutes. They’d beaten the old record by 10 minutes, but their effort wasn’t rewarded as they’d hoped.

EADS Innovation Works did get out of the lock … but then ran aground in the inner harbour … and there they sat for almost 5 hours. They were only able to get off at 05.30 – by which time Journeymaker was leaving too, soon followed by Hazard Chase (5.50) and Still Smiling (06.15), then came Killary (07.20), Hero and RBS Adventure Quest and Indian Summer. (Times are when boats left the harbour, not when they checked out of transition.)

At this stage Hazard Chase seem to be doing best in the Tilman Trophy (4 crew have to reach a summit). They have so far put 3 of the team up a mountain and left in 3rd place from Whitehaven, and that was despite a long wait for their bikes to arrive yesterday evening.

The leaders are currently rounding the Mull of Galloway (with Still Smiling taking a very different course to the others) and are expected to arrive in Fort William some time tomorrow.

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