A team from Michelmores legal practice has scooped the top prize in the RBS Adventure Quest 2008, held on Thursday 22 May.

The team, consisting of team captain Louise Edwards, James Baker and Max Nicholls put in a gritty performance to finish top in the mixed team event.

Meanwhile, Team BLUE, captained by Plymouth yachtsman Conrad Humphreys, finished first in the men’s event. RBS Team 3 - one of five RBS teams competing – won the women’s category, led by Claire Gresham.

Louise Edwards, Michelmores: “The Michelmores team had a great day. The course was fantastic, the scenery was breathtaking and there was great camaraderie between the teams”

The RBS Adventure Quest is a multi-disciplined adventure race open to corporate teams from across the South West. Teams compete against each other, and the clock, using a variety of maps and cryptic clues to guide them as they run, mountain bike, kayak, coasteer and navigate their way between hidden checkpoints.

The event took place in the grounds of the privately owned Flete Estate, South Devon, by kind permission of Anthony Mildmay-White.

“The RBS Adventure Quest is designed to uncover the most dynamic business teams in the region” explained Andrew Barker from event organisers, Endurancelife.

“Adventure racing requires many of the same skills needed to succeed in business and is therefore the perfect way to put corporate teams to the test. The teams that perform best in the RBS Adventure Quest are those that can demonstrate good strategy, determination, teamwork, daring and the ability to perform under pressure,’ added Barker.

Teams from RBS (Exeter), Hoare Lea (Plymouth) and King Sturge (Bristol) showed early promise after finishing the prologue stage ahead of the field. However, the main event – played out over 6hrs and 5,000 acres – would ultimately decide the placings as teams raced on foot, bike and kayak to find the 50 hidden checkpoints.

Michelmores fought off stiff competition from Midas Group (2nd) – whose team included international adventure racer, Alli Northcott – and RBS Somerset Tigers (3rd) to claim the top spot in the mixed competition.

“The Michelmores team had a great day. The course was fantastic, the scenery was breathtaking and there was great camaraderie between the teams” said Michelmores team captain, Louise Edwards.

“The satisfaction on completing the course was great - especially as James had to be rescued by Max at one point after getting stuck almost to his waist in mud - real team work! We would like to thank Endurancelife and RBS for putting on such an amazing event and taking us away from our desks for a day” said Edwards, before adding: “We will definitely be back next year to defend our crown!”

Team BLUE captain, Conrad Humphreys: “We started the event not knowing each other at all, or each other’s strengths but our teamwork, strategy and determination helped us as Team BLUE to perform well under pressure”

Team BLUE, made up of Conrad Humphreys (BLUE), James Heaven (Business Interiors) and Chris Butler (Frankly), brought three team-mates together from three different organisations to win the men’s event.

“We started the event not knowing each other at all, or each other’s strengths but our teamwork, strategy and determination helped us as Team BLUE to perform well under pressure” said team captain, Conrad Humphreys.

“We weren’t the fittest team on the start line so focussed on the kayaking and cycling elements. Realising that the Erme Estuary that runs through the Fleet Estate was on an ebbing tide, and knowing that the water checkpoints held greater points value than others, it was key to get to as many of the water checkpoints as possible before whizzing back downstream before the tide turned. I think that was where we made up the most on the competition.”

“The event had everything, a challenging course set in a stunning location. It was a perfect blend of sport and environment. I enjoyed every minute of it and it’s been a great training session for my next event, The Archipelago Raid adventure sailing race, which starts in few weeks time,” Humphreys added.

Twenty teams took part in the competition raising £2,000 for Devon Crimebeat, a county-wide charity set up to encourage youth projects that combat crime.

The following organisations competed in the event: BLUE project, Business Interiors, The Capita Group, Christie & Co., Edge Recruits, Francis Clark, Frankly, Hoare Lea, King Sturge, Midas Group, Living Coasts, Michelmores, Milsted Langdon, RBS, Stratton & Holborow, Stride Treglown and WSP Group.