It was the start of 2005, Alan was in a quandary, he had to win the SIPR All Rounders, but how could he do it. He had tried before but failed. Every time he was in with a chance he was beaten by the Pesky Road Runner. This year he had to try something new, something different, something unusual, something unexpected. Racking his brains he remembered that the Road Runner had a sworn enemy Wile E Coyote. Perhaps if he and Wile E got together they could do it. They could beat the Road Runner once and for all if they worked together. He had to try.

He scoured the web and eventually found Wile E's email address and contacted him. He was up for it. they were a team.

After spending weeks in the web chat rooms they had formulated a plan. Alan secreted money away into an ACME slush fund for Wile E to spend as he saw fit. But Wile E would have to play the stealth game, hiding at places throughout the race waiting to catch the Road Runner when he least expected.

Alan meanwhile had to set up a good front. He decided to go for an ACME team, remembering the Acme products had stood his partner in good stead.

You may ask what an ACME team is. Well ACME actually stands for All Carnethy Members Entry. So Alan joined Carnethy Hill Runners and so the Carnethy Hill Sailing Club was formed ( Alan Rankin, Willie Gibson, Ian Frost, Moira Stewart and Maggie Creber). This was a team of runners who sail as opposed to sailors who run. The predicted hill times looked fast, we just needed a good wind, and maybe a little help from our secret pal.

The Race

It was the pre race thursday night when we met up at Dunstaffnage and decided to head into Oban to register the team and get some food. Everything went smoothly, we had passed kit check (the new Blizzard Pack sleeping bags a welcome lightweight addition to the kit), and headed off to find some food. The two Indian restaurants that we were told about turned out to be the same one, somehow we managed to visit it twice but only go in the second time.

The meal was filling and the wine and beer flowed well and soon they were heading back to the berth for a good nights sleep.

The next morning we all ate a hearty breakfast..... or should I say most of us did. Alan and Maggie were both feeling a little ropey and Maggie was beginning to think that the Oban Run was likely to be the Oban Runs, so Moira had to ready herself for an extra few miles.

We took the boat round into Oban Bay , Maggie took Moira and I to the slip and we waited for the start. This was my 9th Peaks Race and I had learned that Oban was not the time to burst a gut. The race started and we enjoyed the run at a fairly easy pace and met up with Maggie and she rowed admirably to a smooth pick up.

The SIPR 2005 had started.

As ever it was a wonderful scene with all the boats scooting back and forth, spinnakers flying and races within the race well under way. There seemed to be hundred of boats and all with a good wind blasting us towards Salen and the first Hill.

Maggie was feeling better and immediately got into full sail trimming mode, I found out that Maggie and her brother were once in the British Youth dinghy sailing squad.

The sail up the Sound of Mull was fairly exciting and we seemed to be catching up on a few of the boats. The wind was steady for most of the way but as we got a few miles off Salen it shifted, spun the windex round a few times then died.

We waited a while wondering what to do and then we felt a blow, and what a blow. soon we were on our ear flying towards Salen with too much sail and Maggie Moira nd I were quickly trying to get all out kit organized for the drop off. There were boats all around flying backward and forwards when Alan shouted "OK into the dinghy" and we were rowing for the shore.

A team approached the control as we were leaving "thanks" they said as they had been looking for it for a while. The chased us across the hill side to the next control but we left them on the descent. I had already got that picture of a bottle of beer in my head. We were heading for home. The road was the usual hell but we all kept it going and soon were back at base. I was handle a beer and a whisky GREAT!!!

Then it was a drunken row back to the boat and some rest

As we crossed Loch an t-Siob out flow below the last Pap, we could see the Army team ahead. We pushed hard across the boggy path towards the three arch bridge and the last control. The army guys seemed a little surprised to see us, "They are strong girls you've got there "one of them said. We ran / hobbled off down the road but were soon overtaken by the lads. It seemed like an age along the shore back to Craighouse. But we eventually got there to a warm (but dry) welcome from the Marshals and were soon back on Pegasus. ahead of Road Runner and Redcoat (sleeping sailors).
What a run !

What an Island!

The wind slowly decreased and as we neared The Mull a boat streaked across our bow at a vast rate of knots, its grey sails set beautifully and it cut through the water like a dart. It was Road Runner and I am sure I heard a "Beep Beep" as it disappeared into the distance.
Ian and I went off to bed while Maggie sailed Alan dosed till we passed Sanda.

The wind was dying as we headed for Arran and Alan turned in and left the Boat to Maggie and I as we drifted slowly along wondering where we were in the race, unable to see any boats around us. Maggie and I discussed the next leg and it was decided that I would run so I went off to bed.

Meanwhile :

As the Road Runner was passing The Mull of Kintyre if felt a strange pull towards the cliffs which they put down to the tide, but with a huge effort it managed to pull away.

The fact that Wile E Coyote just happenned to be fishing for scrap metal off the Mull of Kintyre with his ACME large Magnet boat catching apperatus was purely coincidental.

Redcoat was closing as we reached the Harbour and our easy finish turned into frantic tacking up the outer harbour. It seemed ages before we were soon close enough to get into the dinghy are row for the finish.
We were 2 hours behind Road Runner. But I suppose that is just the way it is. In all the Road Runner Cartoons I have seen Wile E Coyote has never caught him.

Maybe next year Alan will need to try some different tactics.

Already though he seems to be looking more and more like Wile E.!!!!!