3 Peaks Yacht Race Monday, June 25, 2007

I've just been out to sea for almost 48 hours without stepping on shore. Not in my kayak this time, but on board 'Lightning Reflex', one of the yachts in the 3 Peaks Yacht Race. We seemed to encounter every possible condition from flat calm to a full-on Force 9 storm sending sheets of water spraying all over us, inside my clothes, inside the boat, all over my sleeping bag... you get the picture. It was amazing to be on the sea in such an angry state and for once I was glad I wasn't in my kayak. Not that I was particularly happy to be on a small yacht either!! I've done very little sailing so to be perched on one side of a yacht looking down at the other side being buried in the heaving waves was a pretty scary experience. I couldn't believe the boat didn't capsize, but I guess that's why yachts have 3 tonnes of lead in their keel and kayaks don't!

I wasn't sailing, just filming the mayhem! The crew did amazingly - staying out in the storm all night and getting us safely to Whitehaven. I managed to get some sleep inbetween filming, although when the boat was keeled over with it's starboard side in the sea, I had to hold myself in my bunk on the port side so there was no sleep to be had at al l!!

Now while the 2 runners on each boat bike to Scarfell and then run up the moutain, I'm in a hotel room recovering with hot water, hot food and soon to be a good sleep! I'll be woken by one of the other camera crew in a few hours and taken to another yacht where I'll film the last leg up to Fort William. I'll post some photos when I can!

You can follow the race at their website here - http://www.threepeaksyachtrace.co.uk/ ( sorry, I can't do links from my mac). They even have live tracking of all the boats.

Thanks to Arran Cartwright for the photo of Lightning Reflex & Vlad by Bardsey Sound.