The PowerBar Three Peaks Yacht Race
Comings and Goings in the Lake District
Rob Howard / 27.06.2011
The leading runners had set off around midnight and through the day more boats arrived, with a couple of peak periods when the lock gate opened with the tide. These rushes kept the marshals busy as they were suddenly having to kit check and despatch 3 or 4 teams at once. By mid afternoon 22 boats were in, with the rest expected later in the day.
The leaders had completed the second mountain and left before most of the fleet arrived, with the first 3 leaving at 08.12, 08.19 and 09.17. First away were Danu Technologies, who have done well to take the lead after their poor start, and despite problems with their ‘almost refitted’ boat. There are not enough bunks in the boat so one of the crew was asleep in the busy marshals caravan, laid out exhausted on the bench seat while the hubub of the race went on around him! Their extra efforts and a lack of rest may yet be a factor that counts against them in their challenge to win the race, as the long final sailing stage takes it toll on the already tired crew.
White Clouds were not far behind them, having made up ground on the run, and their runners were on a high when they came back after setting a time of 08.05 for the Scafell Pike stage. Whistler’s runners took 09.21, and almost forgot to punch their time card on the summit! They had lost some ground on the run, but all three of the leaders got out safely with the tide and are now racing around the Mull of Galloway and well on their way to Fort William.
Madam Wen and Predator were next in, arriving before the town woke up to start its working week, quickly followed by Torbellino and then Peaks Addix. Of this group Madam Wen were first to leave after their runners set a fast time of 07.45, but they only just made it out on the tide, radioing back to the lock keeper, “This is no need to dredge the channel, we’ve done it for you!�
SleepMonsters
