2004 Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race

The Three Peaks Race is a four day non-stop sailing and endurance mountain running event around the waterways of the magnificent North East & East coast of Tasmania that is held at Easter each year and gives crews an exciting, interesting and rewarding experience. Competitors over four days will sail 335nm to reach run locations and run 131km in total while ascending 2646m to reach the 3 summits of Mt Strzelecki, Mt Freycinet and Mt Wellington.

In 2004 Tony skippered a yacht in the race joining a team of elite defence force personnel, a former Australian rower and an Australian iron man for 4 days of extreme competition in the Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks Race.

It was no ordinary race, but these were no ordinary competitors

This is the last update Tony wrote at the conclusion of the race….

Latest Update

Tuesday April 13, 2004 (9.58am)
Position Constitution Dock, Hobart, Tasmania

At 9.49am this morning our team completed the 2004 Hydro Tasmania Three Peaks race with our runners Brodie and Anthony crossing the finish line after the final leg to and from Mt Wellington. This was Brodie’s second running leg (he did the first 65 kilometre trek), an inspiring effort from a bloke who came 100th out of 1400 in the Forster Ironman just a week ago. In fact, whilst I’ve joked the running team is the B Grade team, I am seriously in awe of their efforts. In at times appalling weather, for them to even have a go at this is mind blowing stuff. I dip my lid to the lot of them!

We finish the race in third position in our division after holding down the lead for about six hours on Saturday. We are all feeling well but tired and are proud to have completed this grueling event. We have learnt so much in 2004 and there are some of us who want to go again in 2005. We’ll see …

Overnight we were practically becalmed in a frustrating journey up the Derwent. We’ve all heard about Sydney to Hobart crews, on occasions race leaders, who power down to Hobart only to spend the last few hours bobbing up and down with the finish in sight. Well, we had one of those nights. The crew looked to “padre” for some divine inspiration but other than rowing (yes it’s in the rules) there wasn’t much I could do. For a moment I thought it might be funny to convince the runners that by hanging off the back of the boat and kicking the water they could help us, but in the end I didn’t have the heart to put that one on them.

What a great bunch of guys I been fortunate to spend Easter with. If this race has done nothing else it has brought seven great blokes into my circle of friends and that is a wonderful thing. Even though I’ve copped plenty about my personal hygiene, eating habits (I’ve averaged 12 Easter eggs a day!!), hairline and general fitness it has been laugh after laugh after laugh even when things went against us. I just love team events and the dynamics that develop over time. 

I am all showered and heading to the airport to head back home before flying to Adelaide to speak tomorrow, Hobart on Thursday and then Auckland on Sunday. How lucky am I to still not need a real job.

Thanks for your support.

See you soon,

Tony