The PowerBar Three Peaks Yacht Race
A Fair Wind to Whitehaven
Rob Howard / 22.06.2010
On and Up were the first in at 05.27 and recounted their frustrating time becalmed 25m short of the Mussell Bank buoy on the way into Caernarfon. That was the point they could start their engine ... and they just could not get there. In the end they had 3 or 4 other yachts catch them and rowed past it when the tide lessened. On arrival they were not sure if the support crew were allowed on board so they sat on the pontoon and had a cup of tea and a chat! (They are allowed on board to assist.)
SigiMae was next in at 07.08. They had gone into the Menai Strait and back out again, the around Anglesey, as many of the later yachts had. And like the others they were glad the wind had finally filled in ending their frustration. Prairie Oyster, Vagabond and Silver Sufers, Storm Force and Fantom all followed within half an hour, then Driac and Ben Folds Five soon after. Leaving just ‘The Salty Peaknuts’ out on the second sailing leg.
Driac were very relaxed and the skipper wandered up to the race caravan ahead of his runners, who gave varying estimates of the time they’d take on the Scafell Pike stage, ranging from 5 to 14 hours depending on who you spoke to. The skipper Charles Lyster said they’d celebrated the boats 80 birthday during the sail from Caernarfon and were flying 6 sails at the time!
Ben Folds Five arrived at 09.16 but didn’t leave until 09.55 as they had no bikes! Despite the time it had taken them to arrive they still had a frustrating wait for their wheels to arrive and in the process of quickly assembling them they managed to get a puncture!
While all this rush of yachts were arriving in Whitehaven Maracuja were leaving, setting off after a memorable stay in port involving a megaphone, Tesco’s and the Police. When the runners got back and a marshal commented the skipper was allowed to enjoy himself on of the runners said, “No, he’s bloody well not!�
With the wind filling in from the South the yachts already on their way to Fort William will be catching the wind and gaining on the leaders EADS Innovation Works. They’ve been progressing slowly around the Mull of Galloway and EADS appeared to stall rounding the Mull of Kintyre by which point Torbellino had caught them, with GFT Adventure, Topsham Sea Fever and Team Whistler their nearest pursuers.
SleepMonsters
