Three Peaks Yacht Race
Brioche Boys Complete the Clean Sweep – All Boats Have Finished
Rob Howard / 22.06.2012
There will need to be some delving in the race archives to find out whether there has ever been a race before where all the entrants have finished, or all arrived with 24 hours of each other. That is what has happened this year in a remarkable race that was unpredictable, very close and competitive, and 100% successful with all the teams winning their race medals for finishing.
The last to arrive were Brioche Boys and after all the teams struggles with light winds they came up to Fort William on a strong wind, with 3 reefs in the main, arriving during the race party at 23.00 on Thursday night. By now the weather was very wet again, as well as windy, so the team were offered the chance of a time out, which they gladly took, and their runners set off up Ben Nevis just after 07.00 the next morning. They were back down to close the race at 12.29 on Friday, and to win their team ‘The Last Inn Cup’.
Earlier on a wet Thursday evening Vagabond MC, Kithros II and Salty Peaknuts had all arrived and their runners went up Ben Nevis in the most difficult conditions on the mountains in this race. Vagabond took 9th place and their runners returned during the race party and could be seen running past the Coal village hall. Their crew were at the party and quickly finished their drinks and sandwiches to dash off and try greet them on the finish line. This was difficult as they’d walked round to the hall so they started to chase their runners back along the path ... the only problem with that plan was that the runners glanced back and thought another team was chasing them ... so they sped up. The Vagabond race finished with the crew racing the runners into the finish – they lost!
The Kithros II runners were not far behind them, completing another successful race for the team from the Topsham Sailing Club and the father and son crew of Bill and Neal Ricketts. Salty Peaknuts were next in, finishing just before midnight, and for this team having the race medals hung around their necks was all the sweeter as this is their first finish after 3 attempts. They were exhausted and it was midnight on a cold and wet Fort William shore, but the medals around their necks made all the aches and pains worthwhile.
Full results from the race will be published on the race website once they have been checked and all the race photos will be on www.randrphotos.co.uk next week.
[One result which I can unofficially confirm is that Quickstep won the handicap competition.]
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