Three Peaks Race - Hot competition looming

by Terry Travers on 21 Mar 2012 H & R Block Three Peaks Race surge in entries has ensured that picking a favourite is a risky business amongst the fleet of a dozen well-performed teams.

Defending champion, Melbourne sailor Charles Meredith, is returning with his 46’ catamaran 'Peccadillo' but will face stiff competition at the head the pack.

'Í'm really looking forward to this year's race,' said Meredith. 'The three other catamarans entered (Mobile Travel Agents Big Wave Rider, Storm Bay and Deguello) are all similar sized boats and all fast, with experienced teams, and we are especially looking forward to the competition in that group.'

'The presence of some big names (Bruce Arms and Jessica Watson) aboard Mobile Travel Agents Big Wave Rider is a sign of how well the Three Peaks is regarded as a sailing challenge not to be missed!' he said.

Skipper and solo record holder Bruce Arms has been busy fashioning hi-tech carbon rowlocks for Mobile Travel Agents Big Wave Rider and is currently delivering the boat from Queensland to Beauty Point for the Good Friday start of this gruelling sailing and mountain running event where rowing the yacht is allowed, and often makes the difference between catching a breeze or not. He has enlisted crack mountain runner Andrew Kromar, record holder on both the Mt Strzelecki and Mt Wellington legs, as part of the crew.

In the monohull division former multiple winner Nick Edmunds will be sailing his venerable Radford 47 'Haphazard', while one-time crewman and now owner/skipper Andrew Jones will be again challenging aboard his Inglis 47 'Advantedge'.

A sure sign of the resurgence in popularity of the H & R Block Three Peaks Race is the presence of a UK team for the first time in nearly two decades.

Those following the race will have access to tracker data from not just the yachts, but also the mountain runners, through the use of satellite tracking displayed on the race website.

Three Peaks Race website