2008 VATC ANNUAL NAVIGATIONAL RALLY
13th & 14th September – Warburton
Competing Teams
Team Alpine Joe, Shane & kids GQ Wagon
Team Are we there yet? Adam, Tori & kids GU Wagon
Team Boost’n Shane, Leslie & Russ GQ Wagon
Team Bushpigs Jono & Macca GQ Wagon
Team Patrolla Joel, Susan, Cameron & Kynan GQ Wagon
Team Roly Poly Joel & Bec GQ Tray
Team Smithie’s Outback Greg & Pete GQ Ute
Team Vic Truck Painting #1 Andrew, Julie, Kim & Karen 80 Series
Team Vic Truck Painting #2 Rob & Beno 80 Series Ute
Team Wat’s 1st Jonesy & Buckers 80 Series
After months of planning, pre-drives and many hours on a computer the weekend had finally rolled around and it was time for everything to come together.
FRIDAY - Bidders & Big Scotty met me at the caravan park early on the Friday before the Rally and we headed out to pre-drive all of Saturday’s sections and what we could of Sunday’s plots to prove all the notes, double check questions and answers and get an indication of how long each stage would be. All went well and we returned to the park that evening happy with the section notes. I think Bidders was even enjoying the chance to learn some navigation and GPS skills.
With 8 teams arriving on the Friday night most enjoyed a quiet beverage while getting prepared for the weekend ahead, having their vehicles scrutineered and checking out the new bling 80 Series Ute which Rob and Beno had brought along for its first outing.
SATURDAY - The remaining 2 teams arrived Saturday morning and once they were scrutineered teams received an Engel show bag with hats, stubby holders, a pen and brochures from other sponsors of the Rally. This was followed by an event briefing to outline some important aspects of the weekend and to answer any questions teams had.
Once the formalities were completed teams received a map bag containing their section one notes and a selection of navigation gear. It was now time for the teams to put their skills to the test and start plotting section 1.
Section 1 had the option of easy & hard notes with 7 teams using the hard notes and 3 teams the easy notes. Those that took the hard notes received an extra 100 points but they were going to have to earn every single one of them. The last team left the caravan park 10.30am.
The teams had little trouble finding their way around section 1 but the business card size green markers proved very difficult. The most any team found was 9 out of a possible 23!
Teams encountered their first novelty of the weekend during this section, which was titled “Pretty In Pink” and ran by the “Trudis” (Acacia & Danni). Teams were required to dress up in the provided garments and wheel a spare tyre around a designated course.
The pictures of the eventual novelty winners, Rob & Beno, may or may not help to explain the rest!!!
At the end of section 1 the teams slowly started to roll in about 1-2 hours later than we had hoped. Unfortunately there was a welcoming party of some locals doing some clay target shooting, not really the peace and quiet many of us head out to the bush for!!!!
With some snags and a drink the teams chatted about section 1and “those bloody green markers” before shifting their focus to what was in front of them in section 2. Some teams plotted all of section 2 prior to leaving while others moved on to plot elsewhere as the constant firing of shotguns wasn’t ideal for concentrating on the section 2 notes.
Not long in to section two teams encountered the second novelty of the Rally, which involved driving a 5.2km unmapped course following both intermediate and accumulative notes and a stick map. While doing so they were looking for 20 blue markers. Roger, Cath and their kids ran this novelty after enjoying a relaxing afternoon waiting patiently for the teams to arrive.
Points were awarded for markers found, correct distance travelled and time taken to complete the course compared to the mystery time, this was an average of all the teams times that completed the course, with 2 teams getting the distance right.
While teams waited their turn they completed a lateral thinking test which really did have the teams thinking with some interesting answers coming from those with devious minds. Meanwhile the light was fading fast so the goal was to push teams through as quickly as possible to avoid a late night’s finish to the days driving but Andrew and the girls had other ideas. They went “exploring” and ended up 2kms off the course and plunging into a culvert which had washed away the track. They needed to be recovered backwards thanks to Rob and Beno who were the next team on the course.
For this effort and due to no other damage happening to other teams throughout the weekend Andrew and the girls received the Russell Coight Award for their Russell Coight moment.
A couple of teams elected to call it a day after finishing the novelty as it was getting late already while the other teams pushed on in an effort to complete section 2.
Due to the delays on the novelty though section 2 was shortened and those teams who completed the entire section found there was no-one at the original finish point and the 25 points available for finishing with their hazard lights flashing was removed to keep it a level playing field for all teams.
Once all teams had been accounted for the remaining members still out on section 2 returned back to the caravan park and everyone enjoyed pizzas kindly provided by Buckers of M.B Plastering, a well earned drink and some interesting discussion about the days activities before getting some sleep in readiness for Sundays driving.
SUNDAY - The plot hunt on Sunday had teams choosing their own course for the day to find as many plots as possible. In total there were 15 general question plots, 15 marker plots, 5 photo plots and 5 mystery photo plots. The co-ordinates provided were a combination of grid co-ordinates and map datums. The point values for each plot varied depending on the degree of navigation required, the distance of driving required and the standard of driving required.
Teams started at 9am and had a compulsory 30 min stop sometime between 12 noon and 1.30pm where they were fed snags & burgers cooked by Nathan and Kerrie, grabbed a cold drink provided by the club, completed a novelty and a navigation test. They then had to be at the finish point no later than 3.30pm to receive 100 bonus points.
Some teams decided to chase plots that were of an easier navigation standard and lower points but hoped to get to more plots than those teams that chased the plots with harder navigation and driving and therefore higher points.
After the lunch stop teams continued on in their endeavor to rack up as many points as possible besides a couple of teams who had decided that they would take a longer route to the finish point in return for some harder driving. In the end Team Bushpigs was the only team to miss the finish deadline, and the 100 bonus points, due to a misunderstanding of the finish deadline requirements.
With all teams at the finish point, and their sponsors test handed in, the Rally was now finished for another year with everyone quite happy with their efforts.
RUSSELL COIGHT AWARD
Team Vic Truck Painting #1 – Andrew, Julie, Kim and Karen
FIRST FAMILY HOME
Team Roly Poly – Joel & Bec
3RD PLACE
2nd PLACE
WINNERS
We would like to thank the sponsors of the event. Without their support the Rally simply wouldn’t happen so please support those that have supported us.
They were in no particular order:
Frankston Toyota – Venue, supper & prizes
On 4 to U – Prizes
M.B Plastering – Tea on Saturday night
ARB Dandenong – Prizes
Dynamic 4x4 – Prizes
Engel – Show bags & prizes
L. Cooper Real Estate – Printing
Alpine Electrics – Prizes
We would also like to thank those who helped with setting up and running the event.
Rob, Simon, Bidders and Big Scotty for coming out on pre-drives.
Danni Micah, Roger, Cath & kids for running the novelties.
Nathan, Kerrie & kids for manning the BBQ trailer on both days.
Jonesy for the use of the BBQ trailer.
Thank-you to all the teams who supported the event and we hope you
enjoyed it as much as we did!
Once again congratulations to Greg & Pete on their win.
Shane & Acacia
OVERALL SCORES
TEAM NAME SEC 1 SEC 2 PLOT HUNT TESTS NOVELTIES TOTAL/PLACE
POINTS SPREAD 500 320 700 500 455 2475pts
Smithie’s Outback 335 180 430 224 275 1444pts / 1st
Boost’n 325 120 375 269 270 1359pts / 2nd
Patrolla 310 175 285 238 290 1298pts / 3rd
Roly Poly 320 145 365 245 50 1125pts / 4th
Vic Truck Painting #2 265 70 205 302 220 1062pts / 5th
Bushpigs 285 115 200 250 195 1045pts / 6th
Wat’s 1st 180 120 300 202 190 992pts / 7th
Alpine 220 70 225 261 205 981pts / 8th
Vic Truck Painting #1 295 75 225 309 60 964pts / 9th
Are we there yet? 55 0 205 207 50 562pts / 10th
click here for the 2008 navrally booklet with photos