Three Peaks competitors battered by wild weather

by Terry Travers on 7 Apr 2012 A benign start under oars was no predictor of the arrival the yachts in the 2012 H&R Block Three Peaks Race would face when they arrived at Lady Barron wharf on Flinders Island.

First in at 2am under just a storm jib, was the Queensland catamaran Mobile Travel Agents Big Wave Rider (Bruce Arms) reporting gusts in excess of 50 knots. Spume blown white caps in Adelaide Bay whipped up by the fierce westerly meant the crew struggled for more than half an hour to get the yacht tied up and the runners on their way to the summit of Mt Strzelecki.

Second placed Deguello (John Brierly, Hobart) arriving fifty minutes later, faced similar dramas, circling off the wharf while making several attempts to tie up. Both yachts appear to have suffered some damage.

Race control received advice from leading monohull Advantedge that a 60 knot gust had ripped their mainsail and they were proceeding to Lady Barron under motor. Their runners were disembarked while the sailing crew attempted repairs. 'We haven’t decided yet whether we will be retiring but we will not be departing unless the boat is completely seaworthy,' said skipper Andrew Jones.

The smallest entrant Whistler Sport (David Rees, Hobart) was seeking shelter to the east of Clark Island, but Tilt Genesis Fitness (Peter Cretan, Hobart) and Apollonius (Julian Robinson, Deviot) have both advised they have crossed longtitude 148 degrees and are proceeding to Lady Barron.

Most runners tackling the 65 kilometre Mt Strzelecki run have elected to run in a clockwise direction seeking shelter from the mountain on their outbound journey and having the wind at their back for the long haul on the road back to Lady Barron.

Three Peaks Australia event website