Australian Three Peaks Race™

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The Race Course

A scenic tour around the coast of Tasmania from Beauty Point across to the unique Flinders Island with its granite mountains, to the holiday resort of Coles Bay on the east coast to the historic State Capital, Hobart in the south.

The course of the race

The Race Course

The race is divided into three legs of two sections consisting of a sailing and running leg.

LEGS 1 and 2

Race start

The race starts on the Tamar River at Beauty Point just north of Launceston and competitors proceed by yacht to Lady Barron on Flinders Island. When they arrive (no matter what time of the day or night), TWO CREW MEMBERS are landed so that they can run to the top of Mt Strzelecki and back. They travel via the Coast Road, Badger Corner Road, Big River Road and Trousers Point Road to the mountain, returning to their vessels via the Trousers Point Road, Lady Barron Road and Coast Road.
SAILING DISTANCE: 90 nms; RUN: 65 kms; ASCENT: 756 m.

Yachts

LEGS 3 and 4

Teams then sail to Coles Bay where once again TWO CREW MEMBERS are disembarked to complete the circuit of the peninsula. They proceed via the road and marked track to Wineglass Bay, up over Mt Graham to Mt Freycinet, then the East Freycinet Saddle to Cooks Beach, returning to Coles Bay via the Peninsula Track, Hazards Beach, Isthmus Track and the Wineglass Bay Track over the saddle between Mt Mayson and Mt Amos. Running over the saddle to Wineglass Bay and then over Mt Graham to Mt Frecinet means that a runner will climb more than the straight 620 metres.


SAILING DISTANCE: 145 nms; RUN: 35 kms; ASCENT: 620 m.

LEG 5 and 6

When the crew is united, yachts then sail for Hobart where TWO CREW MEMBERS are landed at Kings Pier at Hobart to run to Davey Street and then to the Huon Highway, Fingerpost Track, Pinnacle Track and Zig Zag Track to a checkpoint at the summit of Mt Wellington. Thence by the Pinnacle Road via Big Bend to the Fingerpost Track at the Springs, returning to the finish line via the outward course.

As the sailing course is optional, some crews choose to sail, row or pedal through the Denison Canal at Dunalley to save time. The canal is not open at night and teams have to consider wind and tide to determine if reducing the sailing distance by about 30 miles is of advantage.

SAILING DISTANCE: 100 nms; RUN: 33 kms; ASCENT: 1270 m.

APPROXIMATE TOTAL DISTANCES:

SAILING DISTANCE: 335 nms; RUN: 133kms; ASCENT: 2646m.