Phil Sharp, Sean Conway and Alex Alley crossed the finish line of the Length of Britain Sailing Challenge off John O’Groats in the north of Scotland at 2047hrs and 15 secs this Monday evening to set the inaugural reference time for sailing the 620Nms from Land’s End to John O’Groats.
Sailing a Class 40 racing yacht their elapsed time for the passage is 3 days, 11 hours, 52 minutes and 15 seconds, averaging 7.39kts.
The trio left Land’s End at 0855hrs on Friday morning and enjoyed strong favourable winds until they reached the NE of Ireland but since yesterday late afternoon and evening they have had light winds which have been against them today.
Sharp, 34, from Jersey won the 2006 Route du Rhum Transatlantic race and set up this Length of Britain challenge as a timely short spell of training for the solo Vendee Globe race round the world in which he intends to compete, starting 6th November next year.
When he completed the challenge this evening Sean Conway became the first person ever to have run, cycled, swum and now sailed from one end of Britain to the other.
“We are tired but feel quite ecstatic to have finished and looking forwards to getting in. It was a bit hairy towards the finish just now with strong tides and big overfalls in the dark. Overall having done it I think this a good course and we have now set a benchmark which we think others will go out and challenge.” said Sharp.
