Leg Three by Kate

I am writing this in a quiet moment in Corpach. Patrick is asleep, V A and B have gone for a walk up the Ben, I am meant to be boat cleaning and David is probably eating up the rest of the stores while I am not looking.

We had a lucky start on the last leg. Our runners got in just as the tide was rising so we were able to allow them a shower and a cup of tea before locking out with the five other boats at 5 o'clock. Only EADS and the Dockers had left earlier and the latter were still stuck on the sand in the outer harbour.

The first 45 miles is a long slog across to the Mull of Galloway. This was a lovely spinnaker reach and Sea Fever went beautifully with her new sail. The opposition had a theory we had a special yellow wire across the foot which gave it special powers (it was tape!) By the time we reached the Mull we were miles ahead of the other boats with V at the helm. Then followed a tactical debate on tides up the coast of Galloway. We stayed quite close in but then struck off for Kintyre an hour before the tide turned in our favour. This seemed to pay because we were catching up EADS by the time we entered the sound of Jura. Then followed a very long day rowing and sailing and brewing tea as we battled up the Sound to reach Luing before the tide turned against us at 3am. Virginia has decribed it well. We celebrated mile 100 with half a tot of Jura whisky off Craighouse but our scambled brains could not cope with any more. (See photo!)

Patricks local knowledge was vital as he picked our course up past Corryvreckan, but we used Bills famous waypoint list to navigate Luing in the dark.

As dawn arrived we were picking our way past Kerrera neck and neck with team Whistler. Initially they failed to respond to banter but by the top of Lismore were sledging like real Aussies. After changing places about ten times we agreed a truce as we could see EADS in the distance and wanted to catch her up if possible.

The wind had died again so we rowed into Loch Linnhe and waited while the Dockers crept up behind us on the incoming sea breeze. We ate porridge and D and P caught up on sleep while A K and V propped their eyes open for a few more hours (A fell asleep at the oars and K at the wheel!)

Eventually the wind filled and we had a storming finish through the Corran Narrows and up to Corpach. We were delighted to be within ten minutes of the leaders after such a long race.

Our final act before the sailors collapsed in a heap was to wave D and P off up the mountain and bring Sea Fever into the Sea lock at Corpach. Our job was done! Incidentally we had logged the fasted aggregate sailing time of any team, a testimony to the boat.

Kate