The '
Australian Three Peaks Race'' is a short-handed offshore
sail
A sail is a tensile structure, which is made from fabric or other membrane materials, that uses wind power to propel sailing craft, including sailing ships, sailboats, windsurfers, ice boats, and even sail-powered land vehicles. Sails may b ...
ing and endurance mountain
running
Running is a method of terrestrial locomotion by which humans and other animals move quickly on foot. Running is a gait with an aerial phase in which all feet are above the ground (though there are exceptions). This is in contrast to walkin ...
event that was held in
Tasmania
Tasmania (; palawa kani: ''Lutruwita'') is an island States and territories of Australia, state of Australia. It is located to the south of the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland, and is separated from it by the Bass Strait. The sta ...
, the southernmost state of Australia, over the Easter
long weekend
A long weekend is a weekend that is at least three days long (i.e. a three-day weekend), due to a public or unofficial holiday occurring on either the following Monday or the preceding Friday.
Many countries also have four-day weekends, in w ...
. The first race was in 1989 and the race was conducted annually until Easter 2013.
It was a non-stop event, commencing at Beauty Point just north of
Launceston on the
Tamar River
The Tamar River, officially kanamaluka / River Tamar, is a estuary located in northern Tasmania, Australia. Despite being named a river, the waterway is a brackish and tidal estuary over its entire length.
Etymology
The Tamar River was named ...
, during which runners were transported by
yacht
A yacht () is a sail- or marine propulsion, motor-propelled watercraft made for pleasure, cruising, or racing. There is no standard definition, though the term generally applies to vessels with a cabin intended for overnight use. To be termed a ...
finishing in the Tasmanian capital city some three to four days later. Teams of three sailors and two runners often comprising members of armed forces, professions, youth
or other groups would compete against teams from the general sailing and running communities.
The course took teams from the northern Tasmanian port of Beauty Point to Hobart in the south. Three sailing legs and three endurance running legs took the yachts and their teams past some of Tasmania's spectacular coastal scenery including th
highest sea cliffsin the Southern Hemisphere soaring some 300 metres.
* 90
nmi to
Flinders Island
Flinders Island, the largest island in the Furneaux Group, is a island in the Bass Strait, northeast of the island of Tasmania. Today Flinders Island is part of the state of Tasmania, Australia. It is from Cape Portland, Tasmania, Cape Portl ...
(settlement of Lady Barron) in
Bass Strait
Bass Strait () is a strait separating the island state of Tasmania from the Mainland Australia, Australian mainland (more specifically the coast of Victoria (Australia), Victoria, with the exception of the land border across Boundary Islet). The ...
where two runners proceed to the top of Mount Strzelecki (65 km run; 756 m ascent);
* 145 nmi to
Coles Bay where two runners scale Mount Freycinet (33 km run; 620 m ascent); and
* 100 nmi to
Hobart
Hobart ( ) is the capital and most populous city of the island state of Tasmania, Australia. Located in Tasmania's south-east on the estuary of the River Derwent, it is the southernmost capital city in Australia. Despite containing nearly hal ...
on the
River Derwent where two runners top
Mount Wellington Mount Wellington may refer to:
Mountains
* Mount Wellington (British Columbia), in Canada
* Mount Wellington (New York), in Otsego County, New York, United States
* Mount Wellington (Tasmania), in Tasmania, Australia
* Mount Wellington (Victoria) ...
(33 km run; 1270 m ascent), and finishing in Hobart.
The race course was approximately:
* Sail: 335 nm;
* Run: 131 km;
* Ascent: 2646 m.
The concept of the race is similar to the Britis
Barmouth to Fort WilliamThree Peaks Yacht Race
The Three Peaks Yacht Race is held each year in June in the United Kingdom since 1977. It is based on an idea of Bill Tilman, who had advocated a Three Peaks Challenge route without using motorised transport. His doctor, Rob Haworth, with colleague ...
. The Tasmanian race was inaugurated in 1989 after a team competed in the 1987 British event. The race has been an annual event for 25 years until the last race was conducted in 2013.
Changes in social patterns have affected many offshore sailing races in Australia in recent years and the Three Peaks Race was no exception failing to attract a viable number of entrants. The organising committee made the painful decision t
defer running the eventuntil economic and social pressures ease to make the race again viable.
Events by Year
H W (Bill
Tilman
Trophy Winners
The Tilman Trophy has been a keenly contested section of the race. The trophy is named after the famed Harold William (Bill)
Tilman
Tilman is both a masculine given name and a surname. The German version of the surname is Tillmann. Other variants include Tillman and Dillman.
Notable people with the name include:
People with the given name
* Tilman Fertitta (1957), America ...
CBE, DSO, MC, FRGS, FRIN Soldier, Mountaineer, Explorer, Sailor 1898–1977 who was the first President of the United Kingdom-base
Barmouth to Fort William Three Peaks Yacht Race The UK organising committee in 1989 kindly donated a silver tray trophy to be awarded to the first team to win the race based on a points system that favoured older teams, older yachts and all round participation.
* 2013: Whistler, David Rees
* 2012: Centre Euro Wines, David Allan
* 2011: Team Cradle Mountain Chateau, David Allan
* 2010: Team CommunityCarbon, Jeff Dusting, Rick Pacey, Graham Smith, Stuart Jacobson, Travis Tremayne
* 2009: Team Chance, Bob Grant and team
* 2008: Team Stornoway, Richard Gardner
* 2007 PRD Nationwide Tamar Valley, Greg Hall
* 2006 Alize, Phillip Amos
* 2005 Liberte, Anthony Cook
* 2004 Misty, Brian Claque
* 2003 Downing Street, Andrew Ostler
* 2002 Mobil Kingston Beach, Angus Sprott
* 2001 Camp Quality, Benny Parsons
* 2000 Camp Quality, Benny Parsons
* 1999 Underwater Video Systems, Jeff Cordell
* 1998 Brigitta Bits 4 Boats, Peter Crawford
* 1997 Tamar Marine, Rob Giblin
* 1996 Every One An Original, Angus Sprott
* 1995 MMI Insurance, John Saul
* 1994 Southern Cross Network II, Greg Prescott
* 1993 Coles Bay Business, Glenn Myler
* 1992 French Pine, Peter Crawford/Ron Brooker
* 1991 Underwater Video Systems, Kerry Boden
* 1990 Risky Business, Richard Edmunds
* 1989 Budget Rent-A-Car, Don Calvert
Overall Race winners
* 2013: Euphoria Furniture, Steve Laird
* 2012: Big Wave Rider, Bruce Arms (skipper),
Jessica Watson
Jessica Watson (born 18 May 1993) is an Australian sailor who was awarded the Order of Australia Medal after attempting a solo circumnavigation at the age of 16. Although she circled the planet, she did it in a narrow range of latitudes that re ...
* 2011: Peccadillo, Charles Meredith
* 2010: Team Whistler, David Rees
* 2009: Neil Buckby Motors Subaru, Phillip Marshall
* 2008: Shearwater Pure Sprouts, Phillip Marshall
* 2007: Neil Buckby Motors, Phillip Marshall
* 2006: Marshall Engineering, Phillip Marshall
* 2005: Elite Renovations, Phillip Marshall
* 2004: Orana Respite Mersey Pharmacy, Robin Chamberlin & Terry Travers
* 2003: API Mersey Pharmacy, Robin Chamberlin & Terry Travers
* 2002: API Mersey Pharmacy, Robin Chamberlin & Terry Travers
* 2001: API Mersey Pharmacy, Robin Chamberlin & Terry Travers
* 2000: Haphazard, Nick Edmunds
* 1999: Computerland, John Saul
* 1998: Business Post Naiad, Bruce Guy
* 1997: Computerland, John Saul
* 1996: Optus World, John Saul
* 1995: Southern Cross News, Richard Edmunds
* 1994: Redbook Performance Plus Carpets, Ken Gourlay
* 1993: Windswept, Martin Pryor
* 1992: Ronstan Wild Thing
Grant Wharington* 1991: Hazadatas, Nick Edmunds
* 1990: Ericsson, Rob Cassidy
* 1989: Inaugural winner Verbatim, Ian Johnston, Cathy Hawkins
See also
*
Three Peaks
References
{{reflist
External links
Three Peaks Race site
1989 establishments in Australia
Mountain running competitions
Recurring sporting events established in 1989
Sailing competitions in Australia
Sailing in Tasmania
Running in Australia