On the sixth day of the race, teams sped their way down the south coast of Labrador, many travelling from Checkpoint 12 Cartwright to the next split layover checkpoints of Port Hope Simpson and Mary’s Harbour. A total of 16 teams expressed through Checkpoint 13 Port Hope Simpson to serve their 10-hour layover in Checkpoint 14 Mary’s Harbour while the remainder served their layovers in Port Hope Simpson. Team #6 CSR Racing was the last to check in and, although they are approximately 18 hours behind the leaders, this race is truly not over until teams cross the finish line.
Fans excitedly watched five teams battle for the lead into L’Anse Au Loup, the southernmost checkpoint, and continue their journey to the remotely located Birchy Lake. Here they faced the mountainous terrain of the Mealy Mountains and deep snow, which slowed them down considerably. These teams eventually all reached Checkpoint 17 North West River/Sheshatshiu within minutes of one another and started to serve their final 12-hour layover. Team #22 Maine was the first to arrive, quickly followed by Team #59 Maine, Team #67 Abel’s Revenge, Team #3 Where’s Bow Cycle? and Team #20 Postville. Team #22 Maine will be the first out at 8:45 a.m. on March 11.
It was an unfortunate day for four teams who scratched, or withdrew, from the race. Teams #62 Labrador South Racing reported damage to their snowmobile just before Port Hope Simpson and ended up taking their sleds back home to the Labrador Straits by vehicle. Team #5 Goose Bay had mechanical issues at Checkpoint 13 and Team #82 Brudder I’m Stuck, two brothers from Labrador City, declared a scratch for mechanical reasons at the Cartwright checkpoint. Father and son Team #30 Manteau also scratched due to mechanical at Checkpoint 15 L’Anse Au Loup. This leaves 21 racers who will continue on to challenge the legend.
When we caught up with Team #20 Postville earlier today, they said they were “sore, stiff, beat-out.” We imagine this is the sentiment expressed by all racers as day six draws to a close and many start their trek back toward Labrador West tomorrow.
We are hearing stories of fans glued to their computer screens or mobile devices for hours on end, getting updates on the race via Facebook or tracking racers at www.cainsquest.com. Recent web statistics show that, since March 1, 2016, we have had almost 1 million page views and nearly 62,600 visitors from 73 countries. The top three countries of Canada, USA and Finland are expected but we were surprised to learn that the next three are the United Kingdom, Sweden and Australia.
For more information on Cain’s Quest, visit cainsquest.com. Follow us on Twitter @cainsquest, use #cq2016 or join the conversation on our Cain’s Quest Facebook page.
Cain’s Quest is the world’s toughest and longest snowmobile endurance race. It is an incredible off-trail riding adventure where teams of two battle in an all-out race through 3,500 kilometres of deep snow and thick wooded areas in some of the most remote parts of Labrador. The race is managed by Cain’s Quest Inc., a volunteer-run, non-profit organization.
