The Three Peaks Yacht Race 2015
The Three Peaks Yacht Race 2015 – Adventure Unlimited
Press Release / 15.06.2015
The annual Three Peaks Yacht Race takes place from June 27th starting in Barmouth, where nine teams will gather to tackle one of the world’s oldest and most prestigious adventure races.
The race is now in its 38th year, and was inspired by the climbing and sailing exploits of Barmouth resident Major H.W. Tilman. The race takes combined teams of runners and sailors up the beautiful and treacherous West Coast to Fort William, with the runners going ashore along the way to scale the highest peaks in Wales, England and Scotland.
The sailing distance is around 389 miles and the hazards of the passage include sand bars, the passage of the rocky Menai Strait, numerous tidal gates, and shallow harbour entrances, and there is even a whirlpool to beware of! It is demanding coastal sailing to challenge any skipper and crew and the weather could be anything from gales to calms, during which teams man the oars. (Last year the yachts rowed over the start line!)
For the runners the challenge is to run up and down Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis from the coast. They will be on the mountains in the dark some of the time and will cover 72 miles of running and 14,000 feet of climbing, plus 26 miles of cycling in the Lake District. They may also have to row a yacht, learn to sail and cope with seasickness and a lack of sleep before they even set foot on land!
The race has attracted some of the most famous names in British sailing and mountain running in the past and is on the bucket list for any keen outdoor sportsman. It always attracts an entry from very mixed backgrounds and this year is no exception. The teams have a spirit of adventure and a determination to complete the famous 3 Peaks Yacht Race, but are of all ages, nationalities and sporting backgrounds.
The age range this year is 70 to 24 and there are competitors from 6 different nationalities. (British, German, Dutch, Danish, S. African and Czech.) Some have completed the race before and will know what to expect, but most are new to the race.
This year’s teams include a crew from Mountain Rescue and one from the Vagabond Mountaineering Club, who will be at home on the mountain stages and have a lot of experience in long distance challenges on foot. From a different background are the ‘Celtic Rowers’ who have extensive experience of sea rowing – including the 90 mile Celtic Challenge race across the Irish Sea. They will no doubt be well prepared if its calm and the oars are required!
Team Rio have an all Dutch crew, although their boat is kept in Scotland, and one of their runners, Chris Lewis-Farley has never sailed before. His skipper says, “We’ll tie Chris down to the weather rail and hope he will not be too sick to run up the mountains!”
Other entries include an Army team from the Mercian Regiment, a family team on the yacht Tramontana, Team Carpmaels who are from a legal company, and Team Grand Slam from the Liverpool Yacht Club.
Most of the teams are raising money for the charity of their choice and some will have family and friends acting as support crew along the way.
During the race there will be live website updates with satellite tracking of the yachts and runners and daily photos and reports.
You can find out more about the race and the teams and follow the race live at www.threepeaksyachtrace.co.uk.
You can also follow the race on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/pages/Barmouth-to-Fort-William-Three-Peaks-Yacht-Race/107471789373349 and on Twitter @3peaksyacht and #3pyr.
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