West Yorkshire firefighters triumph in yacht races

Jun 16 2009 By Neil Atkinson

LANDLOCKED firefighters from West Yorkshire triumphed in a sailing contest.

A team from the county brigade – some 80 miles from the coast – took home three trophies from a national sailing contest, despite being one of only a few landlocked brigades to take part.

The UK Firefighters’ Sailing Challenge is one of the most prestigious events in the fire and rescue service sporting calendar.

It has been won by West Sussex for the past six years, who have the advantage of the glorious coastline of the English Channel on their doorstep.

This year, however, West Yorkshire Two, skippered by Watch Manager Pete Crowther, a Fire Investigation Officer based at brigade headquarters in Birkenshaw, swept to victory for the first time in the main event, beating 30 other teams.

The contest was played out in the famous waters of The Solent, running from Southampton down into the Channel and the Isle of Wight.