Report
Posted: February 27, 2014 12:14 PM
The 2012 Startrek Navigation Trial, a counting round of both the National and Munster navigation championships, and the second last round of our own 2012 club championship, took place on November 3/4, and was won by the Skibbereen & District Car Club crew of Dermot Whelton and Barry O’Sullivan, driving a Golf GTi, with a total of four penalties.
They finished just one penalty point ahead of the Subaru Imprezas of second placed David Beamish and Daire Hayes, and Johnny Kenneally and Ken Carmody taking third place on 10 penalties and top Cork Motor Club championship points.
The Night Nav was based in Stuake Community Hall, just outside Donoughmore and we had 25 starters, with 24 finishing. The first section saw the crews travelling via Bweeng, Knocknagown Mountains, on to Rylane and Bealnamarbh, with the petrol halt in Coachford at 2:30 am.
Cars left HQ at 11.30pm for the ”real“ start near Bweeng. TP2 approach included a sudden “bump” which surprised many (incl the CoC!), onto French’s Road, one time a regular “Cork 20” and sometime CofI stage, before turning back south almost to Stuake using mostly tarred (sort of) roads, but with an enjoyable lane approach to TP4. North again to the Boggeragh Mountains, with a “long-way round” semi-forest road to Via 8 was, at the end of the night, to prove decisive, with top seeds Colin Duffy/Sam Johnston getting a WA here, without which they would have emerged victors.
Last year's event winners Richard Cassidy (Monaghan) and Paul Phelan (Dublin) lost any hope of a repeat result, when their Vauxhall Vectra droke a driveshaft shortly after the start control. Richard changed it on the side of the road, but the loss of time put them right out of contention.
Another crew in early mechanical trouble were Martin Dolan & Olivia McCarthy, a combination of experience and youth (won't say which is which, but one of them has white hair). The gearbox on their Impreza packed up very early in the night, and force them out. Remartkably, they were the only retirement in the field of 26 starters. Meanwhile, top seeds, Colin Duffy and Sam Johnston (Subaru) incurred penalties after they had a wrong approach at Via 8, south of Nadd.
By the time the first time card was handed in near Rylane, by which time the first regularity (which looped Eastwards above Aghabulogue) had been done, six crews were still with clean sheets. They were Packie Duffy/Nigel McCloughry, Dermot Whelton/Barry O'Sullivan, Johnny Kenneally/Ken Carmody, Gerard O'Connell/Denis O'Donovan, Mike Murphy/Pat Cashman, Brian O'Mahony/David Swanton, but the penalties were mounting for others, with only 4 other crews under 20 penalities.
The second Time Card took crews though some forestry above Rylane, where the excellent condition of most of the tracks ensured most crews had an enjoyable drive, even if they were not fully sure where they were. The remainder of the run into the halfway halt was largely uneventful, with a run thru the Balliunamorrive area, before reaching petrol at Cooneys Coachford (BTW – petrol @ 157p/litre!!) via a run thru the Rockgrove 4x4 venue.
By Petrol, only Dermot Wheton/Barry O’Sullivan and Gerard O’Connell/Denis O’Donovan were still clean, with three crews (Johnny Keneally/Ken Carmody, Mike Murphy/Pat Cashman & Brian O’Mahoney/David Swanton) with only a single penalty, although the low scores were helped by the fact that the Plot & Bash TPs had to be scrubbed due to some confusion in regard to the order in which they were to be tackled.
The second half took crews through Berrings, Dripsey, proceeding West of Courtbrack, then North of Donoughmore and Pluckanes and finishing in Donoughmore village at 5:15am. It started from Coachford at 3am via a Regularity which looped from Coachford eastward to Ballyanly & back, followed by TPs on what seemed to be some “ordinary” roads between Dripsey and Courtbrack, but with enough complications to eliminate all clean sheets.
By the time the third time card was added up, CMCs Johnny Keneally/Ken Carmody were leading on 2 penalties, ahead of David Beamish/Daire Hayes joining Gerard O’Connell/Denis O’Donovan on 3 penalties, and Dermot Wheton/Barry O’Sullivan on 4 dropping time north of Dripsey, and Mike Murphy/Pat Cashman on 5. Brian O’Mahoney/David Swanton had something of a disaster on this card, dropping right out of contention.
The Last section proved to be something of a “sting in the tail”, with all but the leading crews getting high penalties. After a Farm track near New Tipperary including a water (well mostly water – some, actually a lot, of slurry included) splash at TP 115 left the cars with an interesting burning smell, and some intricate farm tracks used as “loops” to the North of Fornaught caught out many, (although again some of them had to be scrubbed due to “plot & bash” issues), the last two points of the event – a short double loop thru a farm & farmyard at Donoghmore Cross using the same entry point but two different exits brought the event to an finish within half a mile of the HQ.
Congratulations to overall winners Dermot Whelton and Barry O Sullivan who finally pulled it out of the bag in their VW Golf GTi.
Congrats to Sean & Kiera on a fine job with some long-unsed territory being re-discovered, and thanks to them for taking the trouble to go outside their home “comfort zone” to do so. It was a fine event, enjoyed by all, and the fact that the exceptional finishing rate was achieved at the same time as being demanding enough to ensure no chance of a clean sheet made it all the more remarkable.
The COC would like to offer a sincere word of thanks to the many marshalls who gave up their evening to help make our event the success it was. Also a big thank you to the residents on the route, the committee of Stuake Community Complex, Leonard Downey for the use of his yard and last but not least , the members of Cork Motor Club who voluntarily gave so much of their time.
Results
Posted: February 27, 2014 12:07 PM
1 Dermot Whelton/Barry O’Sullivan (VW Golf) 4 marks,
2 David Beamish/Daire Hayes (Subaru Impreza) 5m,
3 Johnny Kenneally/Ken Carmody (Subaru Impreza) 10m,
4 Ger O’Connell/Denis O’Donovan (Subaru Impreza) 12m,
5 Colin Duffy/Sam Johnston (Subaru Impreza) 17m,
6 Martin Tynan/Fintan Clerkin (Subaru Impreza) 28m,
7 Pakie Duffy/Nigel McCloughry (Subaru Impreza) 30m,
8 Cathal McCarthy/Mark McCarthy (Honda Civic) 39m,
9 Joe Shinnors Jnr/Greg Shinnors (Subaru Impreza) 41m,
10 Trevor O’Callaghan/Iarla McCarthy (Vauxhall Vectra) 60m,
11 Mike Murphy/Pat Cashman (Subaru Impreza) 61m,
12 Ted O’Riordan/Patrick O’Leary (Nissan Pulsar) 71m.
Semi-experts:
1 Pakie Duffy/Nigel McCloughry,
2 Brian O’Mahony/David Swanton (Vauxhall Vectra) 97m.
Novices:
1 Martin Tynan/Fintan Clerkin,
2 Cathal McCarthy/Mark McCarthy,
3 Trevor O’Callaghan/Iarla McCarthy.
Beginners:
1 Ted O’Riordan/Patrick O’Leary,
2 Des Cooney/Roy White (Subaru Forester) 140m,
3 David O’Donoghue/John Finnegan (Subaru Impreza) 193m.
Marshals Meeting Points
Posted: November 2, 2012 1:27 PM
Marshals Needed
Meeting Stuake Community Centre on Sat Nov 3rd 8:30pm
Contact 0873132774
Regulations / Details
Posted: October 30, 2012 9:41 PM
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