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One Boat, Two Ladies, Three Mountains

Team Accelerate Press Release / 07.07.2009

Team Accelerate Adventure Racing have previously seen much success when ever they have been involved in the Powerbar Three Peaks Yacht Race. Having been involved in the event three times previously Team Accelerate had never been off the podium having achieved two first places and a second.

So when asked to be involved for a fourth time, Team Manager, Stuart Hale, opted for a ‘female’ approach. “I had been trying for the last couple of years to find a boat that would agree to female runners, yet objections about the weaker sex kept on cropping up. When Piers Copham, skipper of Hazard Chase, rang it didn’t take him to long to agree once he had looked at the ladies racing CV’s’.

Caroline Bullard is considered one of the countries leading lady adventure racers and Janet McIver, is very much a mountain running specialist.

As part of the build up to the event there was much talk of not just the main race but also the Queen of the Mountain’s title, with more than one boat carrying pairs of lady runners. Team Helly Hansen were getting much of the attention and little being paid to Team Accelerate pairing.

So with the Team’s history in this event and with Hazard Chase finishing third in the race last year the pressure was on. For Janet there was more at stake as her dad is a previous winner of the event.

This is Janet’s Account of the journey from Barmouth to Fort William.

“Janet McIver and Caroline Bullard took part in the infamous Three Peaks Yacht Race last weekend and I’m a girl who likes dry land, I like things that don’t move about in all directions, in fact I quite often get car sick so why on Earth did I sign up for the 3 Peaks Yacht Race? As the start date drew nearer I realised there was no escape so I stocked up on seasickness pills and crossed my fingers for light winds.

With a 6pm start on Saturday I sensibly opted for a delicious café meal before heading for our boat. All too soon it was time to start and we sailed out of harbour past the crowds waving from the breakwater. We could easily spot our support crew with Juliet wearing her lucky yellow coat.

The boys made a great start and we kept pace with the leaders. Being a hopeless sailor I made myself useful by cooking some dinner. After dinner it was time for bed so Caz and I turned in or should I say jumped up with amazing gymnastic skill on to our bunks! The boys were sailing hard with little regard for their (sleeping) runners. The boat kept tipping from one side to the other, winches were wound nosily and the boys ran up and down the deck banging about and shouting to each other!

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