The Route
The Start
The race kicks off on a Saturday from the beautiful Welsh town of Barmouth. The rules require the boats to be in the harbour at least 24 hours before the start to allow for runner kit checks and more importantly socialising with the other teams.
Free mooring is provided for up to a week before the race on swinging moorings however these can be a little uncomfortable in stiff west winds. Entrants may prefer to deliver the boat the weekend before and check in to Pwllheli marina a few miles to the north before a leisurely arrival in the harbour on the Friday or Saturday.
On the approach to the harbour, do call the HM who will be expecting race entrants and will very kindly send out the harbour launch to guide you in (as it gets a bit shallow) and to help you moor up on to the trots. Having made yourself secure you can then call the water taxi which are laid on FOC by the race committee and get ashore where you will be landed by the very accommodating Merioneth Yacht Club which serves as the race HQ for the week.
Saturday night sees the yacht club putting on a hearty meal for the teams and there is plenty of time afterwards to be checking out the competition in the bar upstairs.
Come race day there will be a skippers briefing in the morning followed by the traditional skippers photo. After this it’s time for some last minute food shopping at the big Coop and back to the boats for your team photo.
An hour before HW it’s time to go and the boats are led out of the harbour by the local offshore lifeboat and serenaded by a drum band.
And they’re off! As with any yacht race the go-fasters will be duking it out on the start line, but most boats will be just trying to keep things in one piece near the back.
Next stop Caernarfon!
Barmouth to Caernarfon
As with all the sailing legs there are no marks on the course so you are free to get there however you like. However for this leg there is no avoiding Bardsey Sound.
“Bardsey Sound can be evil – 50ft standing waves have been reported but never experienced. Only tackle it in fair weather and at slack water.”
Cruising Anglesey and Adjoining Waters
You won’t have a choice about the weather or the tide and if it was an early evening start then it will probably be dark as well! However, despite it’s fearsome reputation, in reality all the boats come through unscathed. You may even be disappointed and it’s often more likely to be flat calm than a boiling cauldron.
Having safely passed through the sound then in the prevailing winds the kite will now be going up sharpish as you head for the fairway buoy at Caernarfon bar. Once this is located thoughts can turn to whether there is actually enough water to get over it. The fast boats with deep keels usually get here early and have to wait (sometimes not long enough) but again good seamanship will see the boats safely over.
The passing of the last green buoy “Mussel Bank” before the Straits entrance is the cue to fire the engine up and motor at full speed towards the landing stage just north of the Victoria Dock marina. Having dropped the runners off it may be tempting to take shelter in the marina however the flap gate probably won’t be open and even if it was, it probably won’t be open when you want to leave. It’s a case of start your anchors and find somewhere to rest just north of the landing stage until the runners return.
Snowden
Following the mandatory 5 minute kit check the runners will set off on this 25 mile leg. Its probably early on Sunday morning by this point, so they will already be tired from lack of sleep and maybe seasickness, so wish them well and get some sleep.
The route is entirely on roads and well known footpaths on the mountain so not much scope for getting lost. They will have a YB tracker with them so it’s possible to follow their progress but best tell them to call the boat when they are 30 minutes from returning so the sailors can get up and be ready to pick them up.
Caernarfon to Whitehaven
At this point the sailors will have to make probably the only significant routing choice in the event which is to either head north up the Straits for a date with destiny at the Swellies or to go back south over Caernarfon bar and round the west side of Anglesey. In reality, the wind and tide will make this decision for you but one way or another most boats will go north up the Straits.
Motoring off from the landing stage you go full speed before engine off at the second green buoy and this is where the fun really begins as the Menai straits here get progressively narrow and shallow. In a prevailing SW breeze it’s a nice kite run but if like 2021 and its in the NE then you’d better be feeling strong. We counted 86 tacks from here to Puffin Island that year.
The route through the Swellies is actually quite straightforward. Take the right hand span of the first bridge, pick up the leading marks behind you, turn before the south cardinal at Swelly rock and then be sure to miss the Platters. Top tip here is to not rely on the boat in front of you knowing where the rocks are, especially if they draw less than you…
What makes this passage tricky is the strength of the tide so prudent boats will anchor before the first bridge to await a good time to tackle it.
Once through the Swellies the channel through the rest of the Straits is well marked though the channel buoys can be close to the steep sandbanks so don’t take too many liberties. Once passed Puffin Island it’s almost a straight line to Whitehaven. There is however a gas field in the way and most boats choose the slight diversion round the west cardinal shown to avoid the stress and you will probably get harassed by guard ships if you choose to go through the rigs especially at night.
Having made it to Whitehaven you will hopefully arrive when the lock (+/-4) is open. If not, you will have to either anchor outside the harbour if gentle weather or else stand off and heave to until it opens.
Scafell Pike
The runners now have a very pleasant 20 mile ride following the C2C route from the harbour before turning right and dropping down to Ennerdale Water and to Blacksail YH.
The route is well marked on cycle paths, however there is no street lighting so be sure to have powerful lights. The C2C part is also infested popular with dog walkers so be prepared for a stop/start journey in daylight.
The only other thing to say is about the ride is the choice of bike. There is no off road aspect so leave the knobbly full-susser in the shed however tyres must be sturdy.
A lightweight front suspension hardtail with strong touring tyres would be a sensible pick but some people will attempt it with skinny slicks on carbon road bikes. And fix lots of punctures.
The Scafell run starts from Blacksail YHA where the runners will leave their bikes in the safekeeping of the marshals. Again it is on well known foot paths, first over Blacksail pass to the Wasdale Head hotel where they will again be met by marshals. The route then takes the normal tourist path up to Scafell Pike before returning the same way.
Having made it back to collect their bikes, the team may feel like job done as the return ride is mostly a slight downhill all the way back to the harbour. Observant riders might have noted the steep downhill approaching Ennerdale water on the way out and the misery of climbing back out of the valley won’t be soon forgotten but it really is downhill after this.
Whitehaven to Fort William
The sailing from here is a straightforward route around the Mull of Galloway and then north to the Mull of Kintyre. These are well known headlands and in brisk conditions it’s going to be a bumpy ride. Again though most boats will press on regardless.
Should heavy wind over tide conditions exist at Galloway (or light winds and a contrary tide) then East Tarbert bay is good spot to anchor for a few hours until things settle down.
Top tip: Having rounded Galloway and heading up to the Clyde, a nice counter eddy exists close to the land.
Once round Kintyre only two more routing choices remain.
The first is whether to go between Islay and Jura and the answer is usually no unless there is a promise of stronger winds on the other side since it is longer, but it does have the benefit of avoiding the Sound of Luing which can be an experience at the strength of the tide.
The second is whether to go north or south of Lismore island. Going south offers a slightly shorter passage and the expense of some slight navigational stress though the channel is marked. Both routes are frequently used so decide when you get there.
Ben Nevis
The sailors will now be patting each other on the back and getting the beers out but the runners the last section remains.
The route is easy to follow along the Caledonian canal, through a housing estate, and then on to the main tourist path from the Ben Nevis Visitor Centre up to the top and back the same way. They should at least be rested after probably 36-48 hours of leisure from leaving Whitehaven, however the weather can be pretty grim on top of the Ben even in summer so there is still work to be done.
By now your team will hopefully be looking something like this and ready for showers and refreshments. There is always a post-race party of some sort on the Friday night as nearly all boats will have finished by now. Recently it has taken the form of a BBQ by the side of the loch with teams bringing their own drinks. After the food is gone, some teams may head in to Fort William to carry on the celebrations but nobody could blame you for just wanting to go to bed…
Saturday morning sees most teams start to leave with the runners being ferried home by support teams or the train and the sailors set off for home ports. For some this will be a straight delivery but others will take the chance to do a leisurely Highland cruise in this most beautiful of sailing areas.
Same time next year?