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| Press Release - True Adventure |
For sailors and athletes looking for adventure the PowerBar Three Peaks Yacht Race is an irresistible challenge, and this year’s event is one of the most competitive for many years. Now in it’s 31st year this classic sporting event has attracted 20 intrepid teams who sail from Barmouth on June 28th, heading for Fort William and carrying runners who will scale the highest peaks of Wales, England and Scotland on the way.
Those who successfully reach the finish will have sailed 389 nautical miles, risking sandbanks, rocks and fierce tides. The 3 sailors aboard will get little rest as the race is continuous, and the 2 runners in the team must complete 72 miles and 14,000 feet of climbing to reach the summits of Snowdon, Scafell Pike and Ben Nevis. No easy task when you may have to run at night, unsteady on your feet due to seasickness.
Some of those on the start line will know just how tough the race is as they have entered before, but they are drawn back by the challenge and the knowledge every year’s race is a different experience.
There are several past winners competing so 2008 promises to be an outstanding and competitive race, but last year’s winning yacht Vlad the Impaler is not returning. However, Vlad’s skipper Greg Marsh is back ... but as a runner on the J015 who won last year’s Tilman Trophy (for which 4 of the crew must reach a summit.) JourneyMaker are attempting to win the race outright this year – but keeping their options open on the Tilman Trophy once again. The team are champion fundraisers having raised over £35K for the Bendrigg Trust in their two previous races.
They will be up against multiple race winner and race tactics guru Geoff West, who was second last year and returns in his Reflex 38, EADS Innovation Solutions. He is sailing with former Pwllheli Harbour Master Ken Fitzpatrick who was with him on the same boat when they set the record of 2 days 14 hours and 22 minutes in 2002. Martin Beale, who was quickest on all 3 mountains last year with Josh Shouten, is one of their runners ... and he says his partner this time, Andy Rankin, is faster than Josh!
The crew merry-go-round continues with another very experienced campaigner, Richard Ludlow, who was on the Reflex last year, switching to the fast J120, Nunatak. This boat was second to arrive in Fort William last year and Ludlow beat their runners on Ben Nevis, so they recruited him!
Two other likely challengers are from Ireland. Killary Flyer is a 48 foot ex-Admirals Cup boat, the biggest and one of the fastest in the race, but may find its deeper keel a problem at Caernarfon and Whitehaven. The One Ton design Hero is a former Grand Prix racer skippered by James Kemp of Ballina Ireland and is potentially the fastest of all, but both the Irish crews are new to the race, and know they face tough competition from experienced crews.
The Ricketts family are on their annual outing from the Topsham Sailing Club. This year Neal Ricketts is skipper of RBS Adventure Quest, a Beneteau First 40.7, which is another yacht in with a chance of winning. Neal is in his 7th consecutive race! His father Bill is sailing his Moody S31, Kithross II with son Colin as one of the runners.   Page 1 of 2
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| The Barmouth to Fort William Three Peaks Yacht Race. Company Limited by Guarantee. Registered in Wales No:3722800. | | |
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