Cavan MC Night Navigation Trial - 30-31 Oct 04

Posted: November 2, 2004 9:50 PM

The Cavan Trial was the second round of both the Executive Logistics National Navigation Trial C’Ship and the Squealing Pig Monaghan Border Navigation Trial C’Ship. It also counted as round 3 of the Cavan Navigation Trial C’Ship. COC on the night was the experienced Navigator Liam Higgins who, was ably assisted by his driving partner Andy Mackarel.

| The venue for the event was ‘McShanes’ in Cornafane, where excellent facilities were at hand for both competitor and organiser alike. A bumper packed entry of 44 crews lined up to take part, and most were in for a sudden shock! After the start controls, 2 ‘intermediate time checks’ (ITC’s) followed using Tulip instructions and indeed all crews dropped points here. Best of those were six teams, who only dropped 1 point after this section and they included Michael Tynan / Gareth Beagan, Sean Gallagher / Kieran Coyle, Charlie McMonagle / Aidan Friel, Fintan Larmer / Sean McCaffrey, Gerry Kelly / Paul Fitzpatrick and John Kelly / Proinsias McKenna.

| The next section up to TP4 was a difficult ‘trace’ and at this point the rekindled partnership of Damien Hagan and Conor Maguire took hold of the lead on 6 points. The two Donegal crews of Gallagher/Coyle and McMonagle/Friel were both on 10 points. Leading the Novice section and 4th overall were Jonathon Kenneally & Ken Carmody. This crew were managing well on a tough event.

| At TP4 more ‘paper-work’ was handed through the window, and this time TP5 was disguised in a ‘spiders web’ in the form of tulip instructions. The run into petrol to TP9 was nice ‘ordinary’ navigation where some expert crews still managed to drop points. The current National Champion Conor Maguire along with Damien Hagan still held a commanding lead on 8 points with the Novice team of Jonathon Kenneally & Ken Carmody in a superb second spot overall on 20 points. Gerry Kelly / Paul Fitzpatrick now moved into 3rd place on 23 points and were showing a fine steady performance. The other regular expert crews including Trevor Farrell and Noel Hall, Ger Gowen / Paul Phelan, Ray O'Neill / Stephen O'Neill were finding the going tough, and were lying well down the leading order. A good performance from Tynan and Beagan was hampered at TP2 where they picked up 22 points alone!

| From TP9 to the mid-way control (after TP15) included more Speed Regularity Sections (SRS) with the infamous ITC’s located at strategic distances. Kelly and Fitzpatrick was the only crew to ‘clean’ the ITC’s and their attack looked good for the second half of the Trial. TP12, 13 & 14 were ‘plot and bash’, where distorted references were handed through the window and again all crews dropped points on this section.

| At the mid way control Hagan and Maguire were still out in front on 16 points with their closest threat being the semi-expert crew of Gerry Kelly & Paul Fitzpatrick (37 points). Ray O'Neill & Stephen O'Neill held 2nd expert on 38 points and Sean Gallagher & Kieran Coyle held 2nd semi on 43 points. The strong Novice performance of Jonathon Kenneally / Ken Carmody ended when they took a wrong approach at an ITC and indeed missed TP13 & 14. This left the Drumlin winner - Ashley McAdoo, who was now in the driving seat along with Adam Murray to lead the Novice class on 44 points and take up 7th overall. Second in novice was James O'Reilly & Conor McGinnity on 46 points.

| The first half of the Trial was extremely tough, and the second half was not going to be easy either! More ‘blurb’ through the window for TP17, which caught out Hagan & Maguire as they missed the checkpoint completely. TP20 was provided on a piece of ‘faded’ map and most crews dropped points here. Laurence Sherry / Gary Hall were recovering from some early mistakes until they missed TP23. TP22 & TP23 was yet again more paper work with ‘true’ grid coordinates given where the crews had to decipher the references! Not nice navigation for even the experienced.

| Another crew who was starting to settle in was Gerard O'Donnell /Denis O'Donovan, who after earlier mistakes were still not be far away at the finish. Hagan & Maguire had held their lead until TP23 where they missed the checkpoint and the lead was handed to Gallagher and Coyle who were now on 48 points. This moved Gerry Kelly / Paul Fitzpatrick down into in 3rd on 62 behind Hagan/Maguire on 59 points. In 4th spot was Pascal Hennessy / Patrick Higgins on 65 points and although this close field had little work to do until the finish – the outcome could still be uncertain!

| The final 7 checkpoints were basic enough with some regular ‘plot and bash’ added to ‘cool off’ the crews as they completed a testing, tiresome and demanding event. Gallagher and Coyle held their late lead until the final control where they finished on 48 points and clinched an excellent overall win. Gerry Kelly / Paul Fitzpatrick took a well-deserved 2nd place on 62 points with Pascal Hennessy / Patrick Higgins in 3rd place on 64 points. Damien Hagan and Conor Maguire slipped further to 4th overall due to ‘brain fade’ at TP27 where they got a wrong departure leaving them on 77 points and 1st in the expert class. 5th overall and 2nd expert was Ray O'Neill / Stephen O'Neill on 81 with Trevor Farrell / Noel Hall 3rd expert and 6th overall on 83. Gerard O'Donnell /Denis O'Donovan finished 7th overall on 85 points and like most - was glad to see the finish. Gowen and Phealan’s event ended on the second half with mechanical trouble.

| In the semi-expert class, Gerry Kelly / Paul Fitzpatrick were 1st with Pascal Hennessy / Patrick Higgins in 2nd. The Monaghan partnership of Fintan Larmer / Sean McCaffrey had a good run to take 3rd in class and 9th overall. The Novice class was won by Ashley McAdoo / Adam Murray on 111 points and 10th overall after encountering some problems at TP24 and TP25. 2nd Novice and 12th Overall was James O'Reilly / Conor McGinnity on 124 points with John Kelly / Proinsias McKenna taking 3rd on 131 and an excellent 13th overall.

| Credit must be given to Liam, Andy and the entire organising team of Cavan Motor Club as they provided a demanding event to test the skills of the current stream of top Navigators.

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From Motorsport Ireland News
Former Billy Coleman Award winner Shaun Gallagher, navigated by Ciaran Coyle, brought his Sierra to top place in Saturday night’s Cavan Navigation Trial at Cornafean, the second round of the Executive Logistics National Championship and the Squealing Pig Border series.

After a slippery 90 mile route in Cavan and Leitrim, they led a trio of semi-experts into the top places, followed by the Peugeot of Gerry Kelly and Paul Fitzpatrick and Pascal Hennessy/Pat Higgins in a Galant. Best of the experts were Damien Hagan and defending National champion navigator Conor Maguire in an Impreza, in fourth overall, closely pushed by Ray and Stephen O’Neill and Trevor Farrell/Noel Hall. Ashley McAdoo, who won the opening round as a navigator, showed his versatility by changing back to the driving seat, and won the novice class this time in his Vectra, navigated by Adam Murray, taking tenth place overall.

1 Shaun Gallagher/Ciaran Coyle (Sierra) 48 marks, 
2 Gerry Kelly/Paul Fitzpatrick (Peugeot 205) 64m, 
3 Pascal Hennessy/Pat Higgins (Galant) 66m, 
4 Damien Hagan/Conor Maguire (Impreza) 77m, 
5 Ray O’Neill/Stephen O’Neill (Golf) 81m, 
6 Trevor Farrell/Noel Hall (Proton) 83m, 
7 Ger O’Connell/Denis O’Donovan (Celica) 85m, 
8 Lawrence Sherry/Gary Hall (Carina) 95m, 
9 Fintan Larmer/Sean McCaffrey (Mazda 323) 108m, 
10 Ashley McAdoo/Adam Murray (Vectra) 111m. 

Semi-experts: 
1 Gerry Kelly/Paul Fitzpatrick, 
2 Pascal Hennessy/Pat Higgins, 
3 Fintan Larmer/Sean McCaffrey. 

Novices: 
1 Ashley McAdoo/Adam Murray, 
2 James O’Reilly/Conor McGinnity (Corolla) 124m, 
3 John Kelly/Proinsias McKenna (Corolla) 131m. 

• 2004-05 National Night Navigation Championship