Cleeve Hill RTV - July 2007

Well, here we were again, well into the rainy season and Cleeve Hill beckoning us to take on the elements. Richard Smith and I departed at a respectable time on Friday morning to go and lay out the RTV trial course. No prizes for guessing what the weather was doing. The site hadn’t changed that much since the last time. (So I’m told since my memory is getting worse every day. I can’t even remember my way around the site as some competitors found out!)

To be fair, the morning turned out only slightly damp but that still meant a lot of failed climbs and rearrangement of finishing gates. It was difficult to assess the probable deterioration of each section without the aid of a crystal ball but, hey ho, it all adds to the fun at the end of the day.

The last two sections were laid out in pouring rain which had quite made a distinct difference to section seven especially. (More later).

Saturday arrives. “My God. It’s not raining. Quick, make the most of it!” Fifteen motors turn up so we decide to run one group as not many delays are expected. There was the occasional long section thrown in where sat nav may have helped but everything went along nicely thank you very much. We had saved the best till the end, or so we thought.

Section seven was the one with the water hole. (Doesn’t every trial have one?) Richard had asked me on the Friday “do you want to go through it and try it out?” Eh? “No thank you very much. I haven’t got a snorkel. Neither has the motor!” Funnily enough, after he’d dropped one front wheel into it and it was still sinking, Richard decided against it as well. So we decided to lay out a wide gate and let the competitor decide for him/herself. I washed my motor that evening when I got home so it was amazing how many people assumed that I had actually attempted the “Water Splash.”

Unfortunately this section fell foul of the changeable weather. When we laid it out in the wet the tricky eight gate was easy to get through. The motors just under steered on the wet grass and went straight through. Now the conditions were somewhat drier very few people managed to clear the eight gate except for the LWB brigade, using their shunt, and the occasional ninety.  Anyway, Tom Archer was one of those who got as far as the water splash and he was the only one brave enough to try it! I wondered why Mike hadn’t sat in with him on this section. I didn’t see it but I could certainly hear him from the other end of the section. By all accounts he gave it a bloomin’ good shot but the gloop won in the end.

Section eight can only be described as “The Mud Run”. Again, unfortunately, a lot of competitors didn’t make it as far as the gloop due to a very tricky nine and eight gate. It was a shame really and I still can’t understand how such a simple looking gate can prove to be so difficult. Mind you, the look of astonishment on people’s faces as they unexpectedly failed the gate was something to behold. (Mental note: must carry camera more often.)

We were really lucky with the weather (that’s a first at Cleeve Hill). From what I hear Sunday was true to form and very slightly damp underfoot. Many thanks to competitors for their entertainment value and many thanks to everyone involved in the running of the event.

See you all at the next trial (or Baskerville).

Tony O’Connor.