Only one left at sea in Powerbar 3 Peaks Yacht Race

by Rob Howard on 27 Jun 2009 Latest 2009 PowerBar 3 Peaks Yacht Race report:

On an overcast Saturday morning there is only one yacht still at sea racing in the 2009 PowerBar 3 Peaks Yacht Race. Driac are now in Loch Linnhe and approaching the finish line – they can see Fort William and Ben Nevis, and will now surely make it into Corpach before the race cut-off at 6pm tonight. Once they arrive they plan for four of the team to go up Ben Nevis to finish the race in style!

Since they crossed the start line Driac have been at the back of the race, but they have steadfastly kept going and will be rewarded with their finish medals later today. They will also win The Last Inn Cup, sponsored by the pub of that name in Barmouth, and it would not surprise me if they won the trophy voted for by the skippers for the meritorious performance.

Earlier this morning Maracuja came in to complete their sail, making it to Fort William after many adventures and sailing into the pontoon as they have no engine. They too decided to finish in style and 4 of the team made the ascent of Ben Nevis to complete the race.

Just before midnight the runners from The Last Inn Team (yes, the same pub as sponsors again) came down off Ben Nevis to complete their race. When they arrived last night they has a pleasant surprise ....they’d won the cup for the fastest sailing leg from Whitehaven to Fort William. The tired crew, which includes two race committee members, Dennis Howell and Dave Bird, were ecstatic!

There are dozens of trophies in this race and it will take a while to work out who has won what, but one was decided Friday morning in the lock basin. The is a trophy for ‘The Best Dressed’ yacht was won by Stormer who flew Scottish, English and Welsh flags and had bunches of daffodils, roses and thistles as decorations. The Scottish Waterways Board, who operated the marina, presented them with a magnificent silver bowl as a prize.

Another trophy for which we have the results is the handicap competition, which was won for the second year running by Kithross II, ahead of Team GOSH and Whisky Galore, and we know the winners of the first two sailing legs were Ulula and ROC. Once the full list of trophies is completed we will publish it, and once the teams have recovered we hope to publish some of their stories and accounts in the coming days.

Earlier report:

The Winners Cross the Line.

At 08.40 in the morning Martin Indge and Martin Beale ran down off Ben Nevis to win the race for Team EADS Innovation Works. In perfect conditions the pair recorded a time of 3 hours 20 minutes (including a quick tour for Martin Indge to have a look at the cornices and down the north face, as he’d never been up there before!) The pair felt they’d run a good time and looked relaxed and pleased with their run at the finish, as well they might, having contributed to an impressive team win.

Indge said he’d enjoyed the race on his first outing. 'I used to race triathlon,' said, 'and as I work and train with Martin he suggested I come on this race and join the Vasque team he’s in. So far it’s gone well as we’ve done 5 races and won them all!

'The Snowdon and Ben Nevis runs were good, but Scafell Pike took a long time, so I guess I need more Scafell Pike training for next time. I’ve enjoyed being on the yacht, they are a great crew and there is lots of banter, and it’s been a real team effort. We’ve been rowing all the time, making sure someone was always on the oars in half hour spells and at one point where we were struggling through the tide at the Sound of Luing we had four oars out.

'When Martin had told me about rowing yachts I didn’t really believe him – I certainly never thought we’d be rowing day and night!

'The atmosphere has been really good too. Competitive but friendly, with all the runners cheering each other on and no bad feeling between teams.'

His partner Martin Beale added, 'We decided we couldn’t win King of the Mountains and went for the overall win, rowing 10 hours in the last 24. We were concerned that GFT or one of the other competitive boats might make a race of it, so we decided to give it all we’d got and row as hard as we could.'

For Geoff West this was his 4th win, and for the last two years he’s finished second, so this is a welcome return to winning ways. (He also once put on his boots to win the Tilman Trophy.) He was impressed with the competition this year. 'There was a much higher standard of running, and more competitive boats this time,' he said. 'I think the race has been lead by half a dozen different boats this year.'

http://www.threepeaksyachtrace.co.uk/
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