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Teams Prepare for the Three Peaks Yacht Race

Rob Howard / 17.06.2010

Barmouth harbour at the mouth of the sweeping Mawddach estuary is now filling up with the entries to this year’s Powerbar Three Peaks Yacht Race. The 23 entries will all sail over the sandbar outside the harbour and pass the breakwater to moor on the harbour wall or further out in the channel. Some have their race teams aboard, but most will be waiting for the arrival of some team mates, mostly the runners, some of whom may perhaps have not boarded their race yacht before. (Most are better prepared however.)

Many of the yachts are familiar and have been sailed in the race before, though not always by the same teams as are taking part this year. The Reflex 38, Lighting Reflex, has won the race several times, most often skippered by Geoff West and Gary Clayton, but this year it has a different team on board and they have come a very long way to take part! Team Whistler have come from Australia, and as the winners of this year’s Tasmanian 3 Peaks Yacht Race are looking to complete a unique double win. They have already arrived at Barmouth having sailed up from Cowes, so will be familiar with their charter, and are no doubt aware of its illustrious race history.

West and Clayton are taking part again, but this time in the X99 Tactix, which West also owns and which won the race in 1999. They are joined by another experienced sailed in Piers Copham, who has skippered entries in the race before and won the Tilman Trophy. They will race under the name ‘EADS Innovation Works’ and have the same runners as last year’s winning team, Martin Beale and Martin Indge. The pair just missed out on winning the ‘King of the Mountains’ title last year but will be aiming to win it this time. Last year Indge didn’t really believe Beale’s stories about rowing yachts …. but he knows better now!

These entries may have a good battle with the HOD 35 White Clouds, which had a fast race in 2008 and returns with the same crew. This includes Skipper John Donnelly who was on last years winning yacht with West and Clayton and said he went to ‘learn tips on winning the race’. Their runners are Eddie Winslow and Stuart Pitches, both very experienced ultra and mountain runners from Ilkley Harriers.

There is one other international entry. Team Krishna are a group of childhood friends who are all turning 40 this year and have come from Israel to race. They are racing in memory of a friend, Yoav (Krishna) Nir who died of cancer age 27, and was a talented climber. The team were looking for an extreme race that combined sailing and climbing, and felt the Three Peaks Yacht Race was a perfect way to remember their friend.

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