CHAMPAGNE bottles were popping after a Malvern council worker helped set a record time in the Three Peaks Yacht Race.
Chris Lewis-Farley, a landscape officer at Malvern Hills District Council, was one of a five-strong Team Rio to take part in the challenge at the weekend.
Laurence Wilson, from Malvern, was also in the team, which competed in aid of MSF UK charity (Médecins Sans Frontières), on board Dutch yacht J-Quattro.
The event started in Barmouth in Wales and the journey involved 389 miles of coastal sailing, while runners took to the shore to scale the highest peaks in Wales, England and Scotland.
Team Rio managed to post a new course record time of 61 hours and 24 minutes.
Chris said: “I am elated and shattered. This was my first time entering this huge race and I am so pleased with the result, it was amazing how we all pulled together and worked so well as a team.
“After the second leg I was exhausted and I had to recuperate on the yacht for a day and a half while it was being tossed around.
“We popped open the champagne as soon as we crossed the finish line, and we went to Ben Nevis with the sun shining to celebrate this massive achievement.”
Visit www.justgiving.com/team-rio to make a donation.
