The Race Gets Underway

Rob Howard / 17.06.2017

At 13.00 precisely the Barmouth Lifeboat ‘Moira Barry’ lead the fleet for the 40th 3 Peaks Yacht Race out of the mouth of the Mawddach Estuary.   

First to follow, after some difficulty untying from their buoy was the classic Bermudan Cutter, Mystery 11 of Meon, the 80 year old yacht wooden hulled yacht looking immaculate as it started the journey to Fort William. 

One by one the boats left their moorings and headed for the off-shore start line on a fine sunny day with just enough breeze to lift the flags and pennants. They were seen off by a large crowd on the breakwater from which the drum beat of the batala band carried across the harbour and out to sea.

One of the last to leave was Wight Rose, which must have had no more than a few centimetres of water under their keel to allow them to leave the harbour wall and make their way out into the channel.

After 5 and 10 minute warnings the race was set off at 2pm and in a south westerly force 3 it was a slow but close start.  Mammoths lead the way in their Beneteau First 40.7 with a perfectly timed start and Hare Hill and Ajax were soon leading the fleet with them, heading for Bardsey Head and then Caernarfon.

To get to the first port they will have to pass through some difficult tides at Bardsey Head, sail through the narrow channel at Caernarfon Bar (a point at which boats have run aground in past races) and them make their way into the Menai Strait, before the difficult manoeuvre to drop their runners off on the public pier. The first boats are expected to arrive there late tonight and most of the runners will be on Snowdon through the night and into the early morning.

You can follow the live tracking for the race at; https://www.threepeaksyachtrace.co.uk/2017live

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