April Blossom 12 Car Rally
Friday 27th April 2012
The event will start at Great Dunmow Tesco Car Park (MR 167/616 219)
The event will finish at Birchangar Green Services (MR 167/513 215)
Total mileage will be approximately 95 miles through the lanes of Hertfordshire and Essex.
Clerk of the Course - Bob Blows - 0771 252 6830
Chief Marshal/Chauffeur - Tony Michael - 01245 466994
For those wishing to get an early entry in, Sue and I will be at the start tomorrow evening and then at TC1 so every opportunity to save postage!
If you miss me then please pass to Tony M at TC7 !
Tony and I drove route last night and it is great fun with very few 30 limits, lots of opportunity to enjoy the lanes and with a later start provides a more relaxing introduction to a full evenings motorsport.
Bob
Confirmed entries already in are :-
Tony Burchnall / John Conboy - Novice - Peugeot 205
Dave Thompson / Jarrod Thompson - Novice - Peugeot 106
Chris Parmenter / Andy Merchant - Novice - Rover 25
Still plenty of room for entries and should include payment to confirm
Tony has also retained some spaces for marshals. Please let him know if you are available on the night.
keep em coming
Bob
Hi guys- Mark and I are not able to compete but I'm available for marshalling if needed. If you could find me an early control near to north-ish Essex that would be good.
Managed to arrange an early getaway from work again, so entry in the post for this one!
Mike Bishop, Darren Armitage - Dolly Sprint
Well the route was looking good.
Unfortunately a closed road (temporary for 21 days from January 2012 !?) till whenever means a re route and with RLO permission a revised route has been submitted and accepted. SO it is now a cracking route with just over 90 miles and starting at Great Dunmow Tesco at the same time of 20.30 (first car).
Map reference 167/ 616219
Entry update - now there are seven !
Tony Burchnall / John Conboy - Novice - Peugeot 205
Dave Thompson / Jarrod Thompson - Novice - Peugeot 106
Chris Parmenter / Andy Merchant - Novice - Rover 25
Joe Philpott / Laura Palmer - Beginner - Suzuki Swift
Michael Helm / Colin Wake - Novice - Triumph TR6
Ellen Tilney / Colin Sutton - Novice - MG Metro
Philip Brent / Graham Robinson - Novice - Austin Mini
Room for more - especially marshals please (Tony M awaits your call / email)
Bob
if anyone is up for a laugh in a tiny Mini with a beginner Spaniard... Sofia cannot navigate this one as she's still recovering from her surgery this Easter but she has allowed me to find a navigator as a one off.
No experience but lots of patience required!!
If I can't find anyone I'm up for a bit of marshaling.
Please contact me via forum, thanks.
Luis
Did my entry turn up?
Good luck in your quest Luis!
Entries now stand at ten:-
Tony Burchnall / John Conboy - Novice - Peugeot 205
Dave Thompson / Jarrod Thompson - Novice - Peugeot 106
Chris Parmenter / Andy Merchant - Novice - Rover 25
Joe Philpott / Laura Palmer - Beginner - Suzuki Swift
Michael Helm / Colin Wake - Novice - Triumph TR6
Ellen Tilney / Colin Sutton - Novice - MG Metro
Philip Brent / Graham Robinson - Novice - Austin Mini
Mike Bishop / Darren Armitage - Novice - Triumph Dolomite
Eddie Call / Adrian Bragg - Novice - MG BGT
Alan Burnett / Hauna Radoi - Beginner - Honda Accord
Nick White / Rob Galley - Novice - Rover 214
Room for more but only if you enter!
Reminder about the new start location, Great Dunmow Tesco car park you will need petrol for nearly 100 miles so fill up there.
Luis if you can't get a nav then I am sure Tony would be delighted if you could marshal, we are still short of marshals.
Bob
I'd love to be there but will be travelling to the Ross Endurance. Have a great night, everyone, I am sure Bob has a cracking rally in store.
Our entry will be in the post today....
Rob Galley / Nick White - Novice - Rover 214
Cheers
Rob
Hi with the latest entry we have eleven entries competing on the 95 mile 12 car the last of the Winter series. Possibly a twelfth as there is still a week to go. This most prestigious event has a small clash with the Ross endurance rally the next day, so a number of regular marshal crews are unavailable - which is unfortunate and quite outrageous. We are short of marshals Tony needs at least 5 more marshal crews for us to offer the appropriate challenge and to make the event fun for all. If you can help please contact Tony directly on either email of phone - he can use both but not at the same time.
Many thanks to all those who have offered already.
Bob
hi bob, please put me and greg mint down for the final entry i will do the paper work asap and get it to you
we will be beginers
pat tierney
Thanks, great 12 car, nav was just right for us in terms of complexity and being able to plot on the move, and having the transport/make-up bits added something else to think about.
Thanks also to the marshals, think the rain held off which was a bit of luck!
Rob / Nick
Car 12
I have sent a spreadsheet to Tony which provides the results with some commentary as to where crews dropped fails or amassed penalties. As I said last night, very easy to pick up penalties for making up time when not allowed so navigators be aware of this and drivers, you keep a watch on times coming into controls and remind naviagtors etc.
Car No Drive Navigator Class Total Overall Position Class Position
5 Dave Thompson Jarrod Thompson Novice 0F 10M 1
9 Philip Brent Graham Robinson Novice 0F 32M 2 2
10 Mike Bishop Darren Armitage Novice 0F 32M 3 3
11 Eddie Call Adrian Bragg Novice 0F 54M 6 6
6 Chris Parmenter Andy Merchant Novice 1F 26M 4 4
12 Nick White Rob Galley Novice 1F 26M 5 5
7 Michael Helm Colin Wake Novice 1F 32M 7 7
4 Tony Burchnall John Conboy Novice 2F 26M 8 8
3 Pat Tierney Greg Mint Beginner 6F 60M 9 1
1 Joe Philpott Laura Palmer Beginner 7F 52M 10 2
8 Ellen Tilney Colin Sutton Beginner 19F 29M 11 3
Congratulations to Dave and Jarrod, 10 minutes penalties was a brilliant drive. Also well done to everyone else for finishing, the top 8 to all be no more that 2 fails shows the navigation was spot on. Those who did drop the odd fail were right towards the end on the many LWR junctions. For the beginners, you did extremely well, 90miles is a punishing 12 car and with the majority of boards on LWR's, you should be pleased, just watch the timing as I said above.
Regards Brian Jaggs
Well done Dave & Jarrod, no more easy navigation now then! :smile:
... for a very enjoyable event. As mentioned above the navigation was spot on so no complaints at all! Except to me for missing a LWR near the end. A fitting finale to the season with dry roads in places and water lying nearly everywhere else. Our (possible/probable) head gasket issue didn't stop Chris winding the car up well on the dry bits, and most of the wet bits too. A good night, and roll on September for the new season, but not too fast though. Thanks everyone.
Andy
to winners and all competitors at the April Blossom. 0 fails and 10 mins on a 90 mile route sounds amazing to me, maybe one day...
I enjoyed marshaling TC11, it gets a bit stressful when you get 3 cars coming in the same minute! it was great to be part of it in a different way.
Now to practise plotting and map reading during the summer and maybe join in some gymkhanas and autosolos ready for September.
see you soon!
luis
Thanks to all who gave up their time to make it possible, both before and on the night.
In setting a personal worst, if not world record, number of fails I learnt how bloody good my normal nav is, that it isn't easy to swap seats, and that Ellen really can drive a bit. Though coming straight from work and wearing a skirt with a 5 point harness was ,er, interesting....
Colin.
Many thanks to Bob and his team, plus all the marshals for a fitting final round in this years 12 car series.
Dave and Jarrod
car 5
Now the 12 Car winter series is over, I'd like to remind those 12 car crews who are competing in classic cars that the East Anglian Classic is on Sunday 17th June. Those of you who do not have competition licences might be interested in the East Anglian Classic Run, for which all you need is a pre-1981 car and Chelmsford MC membership. The route is exactly the same as the Historic Rally, with 5 regularities and 11/12 special tests on private land. However to enable you to concentrate on the timing in the regularity sections you will be provided with marked maps for all of these. Your entry fee also includes breakfast before and dinner after the event.
Have a look at the regs and come and have a taste of Daytime Historic Road Rallying.
Paul Brewerton
Clerk of the Course.
In his summary above, Brian noted that there were some penalties for making up too much time on the link sections. From my view in the course closing car I also noticed that at least one crew (Ellen & Colin in the Metro) seemed to be unaware of the rule that allows you to make up any amount of time if you miss (or are OTL) at the previous control - having sensibly skipped Luis's control at the start of the A414 link section past Ongar we noticed that they waited in front of Paul Brewerton's control until their due time, less five minutes' allowed make up, came up when in fact they could have driven straight in and made up all possible time (nearer ten minutes). This is an important part of the make up rule that all navigators need to bear in mind when cutting route (except at Neutral controls when no make up is allowed in any circumstances).
[quote=minispaniard]
Now to practise plotting and map reading during the summer and maybe join in some gymkhanas and autosolos ready for September.
[/quote]
Is that a threat Luis, are you going to take part in a Gymkhana!
Not sure if I'm going to be ready for Debden, plus too far from home.
But as Woodbridge is right on my door step it would be rude not to take part in Nikolas if he's up for it....
Might need to arrange some extra ballast (aka a nav) neare the time.
It would be interesting to compare 998cc v 1275cc on the timesheets, Darryl.
A challenging but enjoyable event. Those extra miles certainly made us both work a bit harder than usual! Thought the navigation was just about right for - not so simple that it was a breeze but also not so complex where we would lost loads of time sitting at the side of the road scratching our heads! What a result with the weather too.
Thanks to all the organisers and marshalls, looking forwards to September!
[quote=PaulB]In his summary above, Brian noted that there were some penalties for making up too much time on the link sections. From my view in the course closing car I also noticed that at least one crew (Ellen & Colin in the Metro) seemed to be unaware of the rule that allows you to make up any amount of time if you miss (or are OTL) at the previous control - having sensibly skipped Luis's control at the start of the A414 link section past Ongar we noticed that they waited in front of Paul Brewerton's control until their due time, less five minutes' allowed make up, came up when in fact they could have driven straight in and made up all possible time (nearer ten minutes). This is an important part of the make up rule that all navigators need to bear in mind when cutting route (except at Neutral controls when no make up is allowed in any circumstances).[/quote]
Thanks for that Paul - it certainly is one I was unaware of. I am, unfortunately, sure it is something I will be able to take advantage of in the future!