Pokerstars Rally 2018

One word can sum up this year's PokerStars Rally - WET!

Thankfully the Irish Sea gods were kind to me as the 02:15 sailing on the Ben My Chree from Heysham on Thursday morning was quite comfortable, although I think I'm getting too old for these through the night sailings, I was shattered for the entire day afterwards. Anyway, down to the Grandstand on Thursday evening to pick up my Manx radio kit and document pack, by this time the forecast rain had arrived and heading back north over the mountain was a tad wild, I would have said horrendous, but that adjective will be needed for another paragraph.

I already knew that I was rostered to do start line radio for Stages 1 & 4 on Friday night, and for three runs of Orrisdale, Stages 9, 12 & 15 on Saturday. But my plans to go and watch the Friday lunchtime Shakedown were scuppered as I was needed for Stop line radio duty on that too.

Friday - Shakedown 

A familiar Stop line position behind the Creg Ny Baa pub with a view over Douglas Bay, and it was clear to see why the morning ferry had been cancelled, it also allowed me to see the rain clouds rapidly approaching. Nothing really to note, everyone who had signed up for Shakedown got their laps in, and no dramas, those who left it late had some very wet roads to contend with, good practice for later in the day.  A few mechanics, friends and family turned out to watch and get feedback from the drivers and I had a quick chat with Jason Pritchard, who was having a weekend out of the driving seat as his dad was piloting the NRG sponsored Focus WRC for this event.

Friday - SS1 & SS4  - Little London
With the weather forecast looking foul for the evening, it was off to the Druidale Road above Ballaugh for the opening stage. Its a great position for the Start Line with a spacious gravel bed to accommodate everyone who needs to be there. I've done mid point and Finish on this stage before but not Start, so as it turned out I was the only radio car to see the entire entry list roll up. 

I was asked by the Clerk of the Course, via Bill Wilmer in Radio Control to issue an official instruction concerning standing water on the lower end of the stage, and knowing that bit of road I knew it would be flooding. The gravel bed where we parked was rapidly turning into a flowing river too.
Safety calls started coming in from Terry Holmes (Manx 10) as reports of cars being stranded, but thankfully crews OK, reached him on the Finish Line 

I can now use the term horrendous, and it was, our timekeepers were having a miserable evening as they were battered by torrential rain and gale force wind at our exposed spot at Druidale so it was with some relief that they greeted the news that the 3 evening stages would only be run once, as the second run through to form Stages 4, 5 & 6 had been wisely cancelled.

As the back markers headed into the darkness it was time for our recovery team to get to work extracting a sizable number of stricken cars from ditches and verges. I stayed at the Start until my sister who was on Post 4 made it safely back down the stage and we headed home in convoy to Ramsey. I've never seen the main TT course so flooded, areas of it were completely under water, indeed the corner at Ginger Hall had become a flowing ford.

Saturday - SS9, SS12, SS15 - Orrisdale
Waking up to blue skies the next morning was a welcome sight, although the debris in the garden and on the roads was evidence of the wild night the island had slept through. 

Most of the flooding had receded as I made my way towards Kirkmichael and the Start Line of the 3 runs of the Orrisdale stage. Two handy driveways either side of the Start gave good accommodation to myself and the Rescue and Recovery vehicles, this stage was being run by the experienced Buccaneer Motor Club team, and my good friends Karen Spencer and Jon Binns were out in stage replacing stage signage that had succumbed to the overnight storm, but they were back in position ready for Stage 9 to begin and I was asked by Bill to remind them that we were running on 30 second starts, an instruction which was to prove aspirational at times. 

Listening to the radio traffic on the other stages, I heard the unwelcome call to "stop the stage" from Stage 8 (Dog Mills) as the rescue team headed off to an incident. Cars that hadn't started that stage were redirected straight to us at, although with the inevitable delay in getting cars to us using alternative instructions we had a 13 minute gap without any cars, this gap has to be monitored as if it goes past the 20 minute mark, then safety cars have to be put back through the stage before competitors are allowed their run through. However we got all the remaining cars through and away to their first service break.

David Mylchreest's beautiful MG

With the emergency services still dealing with the aftermath of the incident on Stage 8, it was decided that the second running of that stage (SS11) would be cancelled, so once cars had tackled Stage 10 (The Lhen) they would be coming straight to us Orrisdale, now running as Stage 12. By now the rain had also returned, although thankfully without the gales this time. Stage 10 duly recorded the only "same number out as they put in" of the entire event, and apart from a couple of mechanical retirements our stage also ran smoothly. Competing cars then headed to Jurby for their second service interval, and we tucked into our lunch bags kindly provided by Manx Auto Sport.

So with service completed it was time for the final set of stages of this year's PokerStars Rally, The Lhen now running as Stage 13, and Orrisdale as Stage 15 (Dog Mills was still out of action so Stage 14 was unfortunately cancelled). 

We hadn't been running for long when I heard another unwelcome "stop" call from Stage 13, with the accompanying dispatch of the rescue cavalry to assist. Remaining cars were instructed to bypass that stage and head to us. 

Car 42, after an altercation with the scenery

With a eye on the time, and wanting to ensure we didn't get a long gap in our stage, we lengthened the start interval to 2 minutes, then 3, then 5 as we desperately looked to our arrivals area for sight of the diverted cars. We had just one driver awaiting his final start of the day when suddenly the lane started to fill up with the welcome sight and sound of rally prepped cars. At last we could go back to 30 second starts. The Buccaneer team ran the timing post, like, well like clockwork, as my control sheet filled up rapidly. The next half hour flew by until there in front of me was the Saab, number 104, the sweeper. 

And that was that, goodbye hugs all round on the start line, and it was my turn to head to Jurby to return my borrowed equipment. Alas the champagne had been sprayed and applause duly given by the time I got there, so I headed home for tea.

Sunday - Ferry home

With the 8am ferry to Birkenhead beckoning, it was an early wake up and a still dark drive over the mountain to Douglas. The wild weather hadn't quite finished with me though, as I got to the Verandah the fog descended, then rain started as I cleared the Bungalow, by the time I got to Kepple Gate I was driving through hailstone, this persisted until Hillberry when it turned back to rain.  I was pleased to see a relatively calm sea though as I joined to queue to check in at the sea terminal and was soon back onboard the Ben My Chree and sailing away from the island for the last time this year. As we reached Liverpool Bay, the clouds cleared and we had welcome sunshine for the rest of the crossing and our arrival into a busy River Mersey.

Liverpool Skyline from Ben My Chree as we arrived at Birkenhead

Thanks to all fellow radio operators, timekeepers and marshals. To the officials and organisers. And of course to the Drivers and Navigators. That's my marshalling finished for 2018. After 35 days spent in orange this year, including the Isle of Man TT, Manx Grand Prix, Wales Rally GB, not to mention some 2,000 cars lined up on the start of Liverpool Motor Club's Aintree Sprints, I think it's time for a little holiday, so my next blog will be aboard the good ship Columbus on a short cruise to the Netherlands and Germany next month