AUTUMN 2007 - Serpentine

FEATURE
The three peaks
yacht race
by Ben Cope
The Team: White Cloud IX (3 sailors, 2 runners plus 1 on-shore
support crew)
The Challenge: 389 miles sailing, 35 miles cycling, 72 miles
running whilst climbing 14,000ft
Early in June I replied to an email about filling a place on the
Three Peaks Yacht Race. Now, I had heard of the challenge,
considered the road-based version, thought the sea-based one was
just for marines (or other nutters,) so why the hell not hey? No
time to train but you only live once…
The next Monday I trundled off to a pub in Embankment to meet
team White Cloud IX. The following few days were spent
procuring off road runners, compeed and a small mountain of gels
and malt loaf! 6.30am Friday morning came and I was at Euston
station awaiting a train to Barmouth (just on the right after the end
of the Earth). After 6hrs on three scenic train legs we arrived at
Barmouth and boarded White Cloud IX (a formidable 35’ racing
machine). The town was packed with athletic looking fell runners,
military fitness fanatics and keen yachting types. I overheard an
interview with someone who had helpfully calculated we would
climb/descend the height of Everest over the next 5 days. As I was
handed a huge holdall of PowerBar goodies at the expo I
wondered what I had let myself in for…
George and Ben looking forward to the next hill
White Cloud IX sails to the Highlands
(photo: Three Peaks Yacht Race Co.)
Snowdon (Leg 1)
On Saturday 23rd June the race began with a boat parade out of
Barmouth harbour. We jostled for start line position then had a
successful racing start as Max Boyce fired the starting cannon. All
was looking good for team White Cloud IX as we rounded the
Bardsey Head in pole position and headed for Caernarfon. After
some supper the ‘runners’ (George and I) got some sleep ready for
Leg 1 – a 23 mile jaunt up Snowdon. At half past midnight we
jumped ashore (pumped up on PowerBar products) and headed
for kit check. [I must mention at this point that we must carry,
amongst other items, a sleeping bag, full waterproofs and a rather
heavy GPS transmitter to keep track on us.] After a TV interview
(we were proper film stars) the heavens opened and we were off
into the night and soaked in about 30 seconds, great! The first
nine miles was simple – follow the A4085 to the base of
Snowdon. 1hr 15mins later we were beginning the Snowdon
ascent following others’ headlamps uphill which danced like
fireflies in the darkness. A small group of locals climbing ‘just for
fun’ at 1am (!?) helped us with some tricky navigation to the
summit. Most surprisingly a film camera awaited us on the summit
for another interview (the poor sod must have been freezing). The
light picked up as we descended and a quick walk turned into a
steady downhill jog – spurred on by passing another team we
reached the bottom in just over an hour. A call to the boat
informed us we had an hour to return before low tide… Following
this was perhaps the hardest 8 miles I’ve ever run… with helpful
road signs telling us we had 4 ‘country’ miles to go 3 times at 5-10
minute intervals! We completed the circuit in 5hrs 8mins and most
importantly our boat was the last to leave the harbour for 4-5hrs.
Scafell Pike (Leg 2)
It was now about 6.30am on Sunday as our boat trundled off
through the Menai Straits. Going was slow as the tides were
against us and the wind dropped (bad for a sail boat apparently).
We resorted to oars and rowing much to the amusement of the
film crew… The first bit of bad luck struck as someone (we won’t
say who hey skipper?) landed us on a nice bit of beach where we
remained for the next 5hrs. Time for some dinner and kip! The
sail from the Menai Straits started off rather pleasantly spotting
wind farms off Morecambe Bay and oil rigs in the setting sun. This
was soon to change as gale force 8-9 winds struck from the North
West and the maritime safety broadcast rang out for rough seas…
Back to the bunk to hold my stomach and avoid moving then –
whilst kit flew out of bunks and around the ship. Meanwhile on
deck our 3 experienced sailors battled the storm whilst 2 trusty
oars broke and went overboard. Luckily we made Whitehaven at
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