The Challenge
The Course
The SRSCC will take the following route by sea and land.
START
Leaving Kirkcudbright Marina in the heart of the town Alan will proceed to a start line on a transit bearing of 180deg true off Balcary Point. Balacray Point has been chosen as it is the most easterly all tides navigable headland in the Solway Firth. From here Pegasus will head west passing Burrow Head and The Mull of Galloway. Then turning north to The Mull of Kintyre and on past the south of Islay and leaving Skerryvore lighthouse to starboard on out to Barra Head at the southern tip of the Outer Hebrides.
Carrying on north-west outside the Outer Hebrides to St Kilda, the most westerly part of the route. From there north-east passing The Flannan Isles and the Island of Rona and on over the exposed Pentland Firth to Muckle Flugga on Unst at the very northerly tip of Shetland.
From the most northerly point of Scotland Pegasus will head south for over 300 miles on the longest sailing leg down the east coast passing the Bell Rock, May Island, Bass Rock, passing Berwick upon Tweed and on to Blyth. The finish of the sailing leg will be once Pegasus passes the green fairway bouy off Blyth harbour.
From there the waterproofs and lifejacket will be swapped for leggings and a helmet for the 155 mile cycle back to Kirkcudbright
The cycle route will make the most of minor A and B roads. The cycle route will pass through Bedlington, Morpeth, Whalton, Belsay, Stanfordham, along the A6318 running alongside Hadrian's Wall and on through Nickies Hill, Newton, Longtown and crossing the border at Gretna. From Gretna the route will follow the coastal roads between Annan, Dumfries, Southerness Point, Dalbeattie and on to finish at the gates to the Kirkcudbright Parish Church in St Mary Street.
Alan hopes to complete the challenge in under 10 days.
World Speed Sailing Record Council (WSSRC)
The WSSRC have agreed to monitor the time taken to complete the sailing route and will on completion award a 'Performance Certificate.' Such certificates are issued against times recorded on official world record routes and also against 'Benchmark' times on new routes. The Balcary to Blyth passage will become an officially recognised route that will stand along side other official coveted routes such as the current round the world record held by Dame Ellen McArthur and the likes.
and finally......
Risk more than others think safe
Care more than others think wise
Dream more than others think practical
Expect more than others think possible
Claude T Bissell
(Thanks to Ian Hunt Training Solutions Longforgan)
