The Team

The five members of the Hero Three Peaks Yacht Race Team are based in South Wales and are made up of James, Adrian and Dan (the sailors), Chris and Ben (the runners).  The sailors aim will be to get Hero to the base of each mountain as quickly as possible to give the runners the best possible chance of getting home first. The runners face the tough job of not only scaling the highest peaks in Wales, England and Scotland, but also helping out on the boat whilst out to sea as well as finding time to rest and recover.

James Kemp – Skipper                                                                                         

An avid sailor, racing dinghies and yachts from an early age winning multiple National and International titles in both disciplines. James has been part of highly successful yacht racing crews from J24’s to 60 foot sleds and racing in events ranging from International Match Racing to the Fastnet.  After having had a short break from competitive sailing, James now heads up the Hero Three Peaks Yacht Race Team with one goal in mind, overall victory!
  
 Adrian Owens – Navigator / co skipper                                                                    
An experienced water sports enthusiast in a broad range of water based activities both on and underwater. Adrian’s sailing experience ranges from Mirror dinghies to three masted tall ships, with cruising and racing experience throughout Wales, the Bristol channel and as far a field as Portugal and the Med. A competitive dinghy sailor in a number of classes, he has also tasted significant success at both National and International level racing keelboats and sportsboats.

Dan King – Sailing Crew / Team Secretary                                                         
Although having recently come to sailing, Dan has a strong natural affiliation with both the practical and theoretical aspects. Since his introduction to yacht sailing last year he has since taken part in Dale Regatta and following on from this has joined a racing team local to Swansea and has competed in the Shanghai Cup and is currently taking part in the Swansea Winter Race Series.
As Team Secretary, the responsibility for fund raising and sponsorship falls within his remit.

Chris Cowan - Runner                                                                                
A keen fitness fanatic who plays football at an amateur level for two teams, surfs whenever there are waves and windsurfs whenever the wind is strong enough!  Running and fell running has always been a major aspect of Chris’ personal fitness regime and Chris has been placed well in every race and half marathon he has competed in. Being part of the Hero Three Peaks Yacht Race Team will ensure Chris is able to display his running abilities at the highest level and let his talent in this discipline take centre stage. Chris has already scaled two of the peaks, Ben Nevis and Scafell Pike with some seriously impressive times under his belt that should make the current record holders feel less secure in keeping their titles!

 Ben Dodds – Runner                                                                                      
Growing up in the heart of Shropshire, Ben has been a keen mountaineer from a young age.  He first took up fell running in his early teens when he completed the 15 Peaks Challenge and has been hooked ever since.  Now living in South Wales he can often be found training on Pen Y Fan and the surrounding peaks, the area of the Brecon Beacons famously used in the British Special Forces selection process.
With his strong mountaineering experience, navigation skills and fitness levels to rival the best, Ben makes a valuable team member to scale the peaks with Chris.
Chris, Ben and reserve runner James are all working hard on their training programs, which will include with a series of fell runs, half marathons and a marathon before the big race.

The team is backed up by a dedicated shore crew taking care of a huge number of logistical and support duties, including; carrying essential equipment such as the bikes and spares, feeding the runners en route and the sailors in harbour with Nonna’s special pasta sauce being the preferred choice. Also included in the support crew is a dedicated specialist paramedic who will attend any ailments the team members might pick up on the route. The benefit of which should enable the team to minimise any delays associated with the inevitable bumps and scrapes related with such a demanding race.