22nd annual Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race open to all
by Holly Ranson on 23 Mar 2010
Three Peaks Race Start 2009 - Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race Phillip Biggs
After his fifth consecutive win last year, Tasmanian skipper Phillip Marshall sold the Chamberlin 9 catamaran he had purpose-built to win the 335nm, 133km sailing-running endurance race.
But could not retire completely from his beloved event, instead joining former rival Terry Travers' crew.
With nine wins between them the north-west Tasmanians are undoubtedly the favourites for the 22nd annual race, which starts at Beauty Point on Good Friday.
They will also be the fleet's smallest boat, just reaching the minimum size in Travers' new modified Granger 8.5 metre trimaran.
They will compete against three 14 metre-plus catamarans: Visitflindersisland.com.au, skippered by Hobart's Steven Laird and crewed by Flinders Island deputy mayor Michael Grimshaw; returning Victorian entry Peccadillo, skippered by Charles Meredith; and John Brierley's Deguello, featuring one of the race's fastest running teams in Mal Grimmett and Cradle Mountain 82km Run winner Allan Hood.
Close racing is expected between a quality field in the short-handed monohull division. Although much smaller than its competition, Hobart entry Team Whistler (Dovell 36, David Rees) boasts a polished team performance with the five members in solid training for their assault on the British Three Peaks race later this year.
However northern Tasmanian entries Force 11 (Adams 11, Tristan Gourlay) and Don't Panic Racing (Beneteau First 12, Jamie Cooper-Rob McLelland) have plenty of ocean miles behind them and will be looking to take out the division.
Race stalwart Nick Edmunds will start his 22nd race in his refurbished Radford 14 Haphazard, sailing in the fully-crewed division. His team's experienced runner John Claridge will team up with a fresh pair of legs in Charles Gunn, and the two will look to challenge Hood and Grimmett for the runners' King of the Mountains trophy.
Spectators will be able to follow the race online through video footage and regular radio skeds to be streamed in real time at www.threepeaks.org.au. Each boat will be fitted with a satellite tracker that regularly plots its position on an online map.
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