Eden Geothermal engineer Chris Briggs has swapped his wellsite PPE for yachting gear to compete in the 2022 Round Britain and Ireland Yacht Race.
Chris started his race on the trimaran ‘Morpheus’ – currently in first place (just!) in the multi-hull category and overall race leader – before jumping aboard the Open Class racing yacht ‘Pegasus of Northumberland’ at the final race stopover in Blyth. Here, he took over from Adrian Banks (‘Banksy’) for the last leg of the race to Plymouth. We’re excited to announce that Pegasus is currently the lead yacht in the monohull category, so with a fair wind, this could be a win for both yachts and a double whammy for Chris.
The 2,000-mile RB&I course starts and finishes in Plymouth and takes competitors around all the islands of Britain and Ireland except the Channel Islands and Rockall, with compulsory 48-hour stopovers in Galway, Lerwick and Blyth. So it’s a real test of seamanship, navigation and resilience. Chris’ Pegasus of Northumberland team-mate Banksy was diagnosed with Parkinson’s in 2017 and, as an advocate of the benefits of sailing and racing in managing the disease, has been leading the team’s efforts to raise awareness and funds for Parkinson’s UK throughout the race.
Live updates on the race, and more information on the yachts and teams, can be found here on the Royal Western Yacht Club of England website. Good luck to both crews on the home stretch to Plymouth!
