Rallye des Jonquilles 2014
Discussion
The Crack Fox said:
Anyone else had a problem paying? My bank doesn't accept the IBAN number.
I'll be in this, and my youngest daughter is chucking a sicky from primary school to navigate, I don't think her eco-warrior greeny Teacher is going to be impressed when she inevitably finds out
Great looking car, will be good to have someone else along with a bit of pace I'll be in this, and my youngest daughter is chucking a sicky from primary school to navigate, I don't think her eco-warrior greeny Teacher is going to be impressed when she inevitably finds out
I sent via PayPal, miles easier.
Oh gents (and blonde ladies in Ferraris ), this is coming together nicely now.
We may well get one or two more entries but it looks like we're around 15 cars or there abouts.
Quite a few of us are on the 1320 Eurotunnel crossing so lets aim to group up there for a team blast on the other side into Arras.
The most important point of order is to organise a venue and meet point for a massive lash up on Saturday night
There is a bar about 2 minutes walk from the Ibis right on the Place des Heros (where the rally starts on Sunday morning) called Au Bureau (http://www.au-bureau.fr/)
I suggest we meet up there from 6pm onwards on the Saturday evening once everyone has scrubbed up. You can see the bar easily on google maps / street view on the south (long) side of the square.
Note to all: remember all the required kit for travelling in France - gb sticker, warning triangle, hi-viz vests etc etc etc. Make sure you have them as I'm sure the local constabulary may check if you get collared shooting flames and doing skids.
Lastly a note for first timers: make sure your navigator has some kit to hand - a few pens and pencils and so on, highlighters are handy for marking off your progress so you can still see the instructions.
), this is coming together nicely now.We may well get one or two more entries but it looks like we're around 15 cars or there abouts.
Quite a few of us are on the 1320 Eurotunnel crossing so lets aim to group up there for a team blast on the other side into Arras.
The most important point of order is to organise a venue and meet point for a massive lash up on Saturday night
There is a bar about 2 minutes walk from the Ibis right on the Place des Heros (where the rally starts on Sunday morning) called Au Bureau (http://www.au-bureau.fr/)
I suggest we meet up there from 6pm onwards on the Saturday evening once everyone has scrubbed up. You can see the bar easily on google maps / street view on the south (long) side of the square.
Note to all: remember all the required kit for travelling in France - gb sticker, warning triangle, hi-viz vests etc etc etc. Make sure you have them as I'm sure the local constabulary may check if you get collared shooting flames and doing skids.
Lastly a note for first timers: make sure your navigator has some kit to hand - a few pens and pencils and so on, highlighters are handy for marking off your progress so you can still see the instructions.
My pleasure all, it is going to be a lot of fun.
Parking - not sure, will have a look. Hopefully we'll just skid them into the Place des Heros and leave them there until morning. You can park on it anyway. I may need to do a bit of tinkering with the Porsche anyway, get it match ready.
As for the groups, have a look at Bruno's site here, it gives all the entries (scroll down)
http://www.lagrangeauxdamiers.com/categorie-102301...
Parking - not sure, will have a look. Hopefully we'll just skid them into the Place des Heros and leave them there until morning. You can park on it anyway. I may need to do a bit of tinkering with the Porsche anyway, get it match ready.
As for the groups, have a look at Bruno's site here, it gives all the entries (scroll down)
http://www.lagrangeauxdamiers.com/categorie-102301...
The Crack Fox said:
benjj said:
As for the groups, have a look at Bruno's site here, it gives all the entries (scroll down)
http://www.lagrangeauxdamiers.com/categorie-102301...
I'm in the McRae catagory then. First time I've done this, I'm in probably the slowest car in the catagory, with a 10 year old girl navigating. Neither of us speak French. This should be fun http://www.lagrangeauxdamiers.com/categorie-102301...
At each time control I would leap out to have our roadbook stamped, the wife would breast feed the baby and my 4 year old would be fed a snack by the lovely French ladies at each stop. Not a problem.
Rochester TVR said:
I'm in the Colin McRea group aswell... worryingly it looks like I have one of the most powerful cars in the group. This is going to make it even more embarrassing once we come home dead last after getting hopelessly lost just 2 miles into the rally, having a huge argument and end up following some french farmer thinking 'he must know the way'...
Even so, it will be a great weekend
Does anyone know what is the time gap between each car setting off?
Usually 30 or 60 seconds, no more.Even so, it will be a great weekend
Does anyone know what is the time gap between each car setting off?
Oh, the winning car from your class last year. They're running with you.
No, sadly I'm not joking.
dempsey said:
benjj said:
Lastly a note for first timers: make sure your navigator has some kit to hand - a few pens and pencils and so on, highlighters are handy for marking off your progress so you can still see the instructions.
Any more navigating tips for first timers? -Map of the area (which is best - Michelin, IGN?)
SatNav (is this cheating?)
Will we get the Route Instructions beforehand?
SatNav totally and utterly verboten. By all means use it to get down there, I will be, but then removed and tucked away somewhere you can't get at it.
Map wise I'll probably just sling in a large format France map. If you do it right you just use the roadbook for everything.
As for general navigating tips, will write something up and post it here later.
Ladies & gents, a few little updates:
1) Seat wanted for Mission Motorsport navigator
I am looking for a free seat in one of the PH cars for a Mission Motorsport navigator. I'll be running with an MM guy, as will Jim Cameron (Tankslider) in his 911. For anyone interested you'll receive the cream of the British Forces, a spooky ability to read maps and routebooks, utter fearlessness while hammering along and you'll almost certainly learn a few new swear words.
The MM beneficiary will be arriving in Arras with the MM team so you don't have to consider the logistics of the crossing etc. Likewise he'll have his own billet in the Ibis so no need to share a room.
Please drop me a line asap if you're willing to help, PM here on PH or on ben.williams@bjjw.com.
2) Restaurant booking
A few people have asked about booking something for some tuck. The bar we're meeting in at 18.00 looks like they do some nice stuff at reasonable prices so I suggest we book there. I'm quite happy to make a group booking but we'll need to act fast as Arras is quickly filling up that weekend with around 320 of us rallying + support crews, marshals etc. I propose a booking at 20.00 for a nosebag and then we can get back outside and on the outside of a few more light ales. Please let me know by copy and pasting this bit of the thread below
Dinner booking at 20.00
Benjj - 1 place
3) Navigating
I'll post up a few tips in an hour or so below.
1) Seat wanted for Mission Motorsport navigator
I am looking for a free seat in one of the PH cars for a Mission Motorsport navigator. I'll be running with an MM guy, as will Jim Cameron (Tankslider) in his 911. For anyone interested you'll receive the cream of the British Forces, a spooky ability to read maps and routebooks, utter fearlessness while hammering along and you'll almost certainly learn a few new swear words.
The MM beneficiary will be arriving in Arras with the MM team so you don't have to consider the logistics of the crossing etc. Likewise he'll have his own billet in the Ibis so no need to share a room.
Please drop me a line asap if you're willing to help, PM here on PH or on ben.williams@bjjw.com.
2) Restaurant booking
A few people have asked about booking something for some tuck. The bar we're meeting in at 18.00 looks like they do some nice stuff at reasonable prices so I suggest we book there. I'm quite happy to make a group booking but we'll need to act fast as Arras is quickly filling up that weekend with around 320 of us rallying + support crews, marshals etc. I propose a booking at 20.00 for a nosebag and then we can get back outside and on the outside of a few more light ales. Please let me know by copy and pasting this bit of the thread below
Dinner booking at 20.00
Benjj - 1 place
3) Navigating
I'll post up a few tips in an hour or so below.
Navigating on the Rallye des Jonquilles
Ok, sorry about the slight delay in writing this up but hopefully it'll help a few people.
Firstly the rally is not timed - it is a navigational competition. This means that in order to do well you need to get the route bang on at every stage.
At signing on you will receive a bunch of stuff, most notably your roadbook and your time cards. The roadbook is explained below, the time cards will be the ones you hand to the marshals at the start/end of each stage and will have spaces on them to fill in on route with any questions/code boards that are required to complete the stage. Some of this may be in sealed envelopes that you are only allowed to open once you start a stage in view of a marshal.
The roadbook is laid out as below (this is an actual RdJ roadbook from 2012). Reading left to right you can see as follows:
1) Total distance - this is the accumulated distance from the start of the stage (there are 3 on the day) to the end of the stage. Those of you NOT using measuring equipment (Brantz, Halda etc) will probably be using this minute by minute unless something goes wrong.
2) Inter distance - this is the distance from one turn/instruction to the next. These are very useful if you do go wrong and need to backtrack to a known point/position. If you do do this then you can use these inter distances to finish the stage.
3) Tulip diagram of instruction - these are pretty easy to get your head around. You are always approaching from the bottom of the box, the arrow is your destination. It'll show junctions, other roads etc. These will almost always be struck through (the French style is by two lines striking out the road(s) you don't want.) They can also show the village signs (the sort of 'Welcome to XYZ' etc) where you simply stay on route unless instructed otherwise.
4) Info 1 - these will be notable road signs or general points of reference.
5) Info 2 - These are generally used to illustrate the names of towns or other info on road signs.
6) Notes - Misc info, sometimes telling you that this route was used on a famous historic rally and other interesting info.
Using your roadbook:
The really key thing for any navigator, in addition to getting the route correct, is to keep notes of where you have been. I'd advise you to pack a specific nav bag including a few pencils, pens, highlighters etc. It is important for the nav to strike through or mark each instruction off as you make progress (you can see where my wife struck through in the above photos). If/when it all goes tits up this can be a very useful aid to getting back to a place you know is correct and carrying on.
Time cards, code boards and other bits:
In order to ensure that you take precisely the right route there are also a few things that rally organisers like to throw in. The first is code boards. These are typically black on white boards A5/A4 size put on little posts on the side of the road. They can have anything written on them: name of a town/place/name etc or sometimes just a code (eg ABC123). You need to enter this information into your time card as you go along.
Secondly (and hardest) are the photo questions. Typically they work like this: you receive an A4 sheet which has about 10 photos on it - these can be anything - houses/monuments/fountains etc. These can be used in a number of ways. Sometimes you may be asked to fill in the villages that the photos are taken in. Sometimes they will ask you to select the photo that you DID NOT see. These are always clearly explained.
That's about it really. Remember that EVERYTHING will be explained for you on the roadbook/timecard. It is your responsibility to read, understand it and do it! Don't assume that the car in front of you is doing it right, make your own decisions and crack on as fast as you can.
Bon route.
Ok, sorry about the slight delay in writing this up but hopefully it'll help a few people.
Firstly the rally is not timed - it is a navigational competition. This means that in order to do well you need to get the route bang on at every stage.
At signing on you will receive a bunch of stuff, most notably your roadbook and your time cards. The roadbook is explained below, the time cards will be the ones you hand to the marshals at the start/end of each stage and will have spaces on them to fill in on route with any questions/code boards that are required to complete the stage. Some of this may be in sealed envelopes that you are only allowed to open once you start a stage in view of a marshal.
The roadbook is laid out as below (this is an actual RdJ roadbook from 2012). Reading left to right you can see as follows:
1) Total distance - this is the accumulated distance from the start of the stage (there are 3 on the day) to the end of the stage. Those of you NOT using measuring equipment (Brantz, Halda etc) will probably be using this minute by minute unless something goes wrong.
2) Inter distance - this is the distance from one turn/instruction to the next. These are very useful if you do go wrong and need to backtrack to a known point/position. If you do do this then you can use these inter distances to finish the stage.
3) Tulip diagram of instruction - these are pretty easy to get your head around. You are always approaching from the bottom of the box, the arrow is your destination. It'll show junctions, other roads etc. These will almost always be struck through (the French style is by two lines striking out the road(s) you don't want.) They can also show the village signs (the sort of 'Welcome to XYZ' etc) where you simply stay on route unless instructed otherwise.
4) Info 1 - these will be notable road signs or general points of reference.
5) Info 2 - These are generally used to illustrate the names of towns or other info on road signs.
6) Notes - Misc info, sometimes telling you that this route was used on a famous historic rally and other interesting info.
Using your roadbook:
The really key thing for any navigator, in addition to getting the route correct, is to keep notes of where you have been. I'd advise you to pack a specific nav bag including a few pencils, pens, highlighters etc. It is important for the nav to strike through or mark each instruction off as you make progress (you can see where my wife struck through in the above photos). If/when it all goes tits up this can be a very useful aid to getting back to a place you know is correct and carrying on.
Time cards, code boards and other bits:
In order to ensure that you take precisely the right route there are also a few things that rally organisers like to throw in. The first is code boards. These are typically black on white boards A5/A4 size put on little posts on the side of the road. They can have anything written on them: name of a town/place/name etc or sometimes just a code (eg ABC123). You need to enter this information into your time card as you go along.
Secondly (and hardest) are the photo questions. Typically they work like this: you receive an A4 sheet which has about 10 photos on it - these can be anything - houses/monuments/fountains etc. These can be used in a number of ways. Sometimes you may be asked to fill in the villages that the photos are taken in. Sometimes they will ask you to select the photo that you DID NOT see. These are always clearly explained.
That's about it really. Remember that EVERYTHING will be explained for you on the roadbook/timecard. It is your responsibility to read, understand it and do it! Don't assume that the car in front of you is doing it right, make your own decisions and crack on as fast as you can.
Bon route.
PawnSacrifice said:
Excellent work Ben, thanks for sorting that. My navigator will be pleased about the lack of timing as a) I won't be going stupid and b) there's no reason not to have cigarette breaks mid stage!
Rochester TVR, genius.
One is allowed to smoke & rally at the same time you know. In fact in France it is positively encouraged...Rochester TVR, genius.
LADIES & GENTS - Arras is filling up faster than a £20 King's Cross streetwalker's thruppence so we really need to get something booked over the next week or so if we want to eat on the Saturday night en masse.
FYI it is not going to be fois gras & Bollinger at €300 per head, more like a steak frites and a few beers at around €15 per head for tuck (+booze, natch).
I'll give this until March 1st and them I'm booking for anyone who has updated the list below. End ov.
Dinner booking at 20.00
Benjj - 1 place
LordBretSinclair - 2
Keep it stiff - 2
Rochester TVR - 2
early_911 - 2
FYI it is not going to be fois gras & Bollinger at €300 per head, more like a steak frites and a few beers at around €15 per head for tuck (+booze, natch).
I'll give this until March 1st and them I'm booking for anyone who has updated the list below. End ov.
Dinner booking at 20.00
Benjj - 1 place
LordBretSinclair - 2
Keep it stiff - 2
Rochester TVR - 2
early_911 - 2
ANOTHER UPDATE: SPARE ENTRY
(hopefully Bruno won't mind me doing this, if so drop me a line!)
My friend Jim has had to drop out so there is a space for a car in the Jim Clark (73-82) category. I've said to Jim that I would try and 'resell' it for him (at cost, obv), so if anyone fancies it please drop me a PM asap so we can swap things over. It goes without saying that the car will need to be in line with the feel of the event (you'd be replacing Jim's immaculate yellow caged 1974 Carrera) so please no emails from people with cars that a) fall outside these dates and b) isn't a sport/rally car.
If this isn't snapped up today I'll feel duty bound to let Bruno know so he can release it to his many waiting French guests.
(hopefully Bruno won't mind me doing this, if so drop me a line!)
My friend Jim has had to drop out so there is a space for a car in the Jim Clark (73-82) category. I've said to Jim that I would try and 'resell' it for him (at cost, obv), so if anyone fancies it please drop me a PM asap so we can swap things over. It goes without saying that the car will need to be in line with the feel of the event (you'd be replacing Jim's immaculate yellow caged 1974 Carrera) so please no emails from people with cars that a) fall outside these dates and b) isn't a sport/rally car.
If this isn't snapped up today I'll feel duty bound to let Bruno know so he can release it to his many waiting French guests.
MEET UP POINT
A sensible member of the PH RdJ collective has suggested we arrange a meet up place ahead of the 1320 chunnel most of us are on.
The suggestion is the Folkestone Services at Jct 11 on the M20, just a few minutes away from check in.
Time wise 11.45am sounds right, means we can be there for 12 to check in and line up.
So another list for the meet up:
Benjj - black Porsche 944
A sensible member of the PH RdJ collective has suggested we arrange a meet up place ahead of the 1320 chunnel most of us are on.
The suggestion is the Folkestone Services at Jct 11 on the M20, just a few minutes away from check in.
Time wise 11.45am sounds right, means we can be there for 12 to check in and line up.
So another list for the meet up:
Benjj - black Porsche 944
Edited by benjj on Tuesday 25th March 22:05
LordBretSinclair said:
benjj said:
As Mike said, from 11am is bang on. We'll be leaving by 11.45am so time for a coffee and piss before the train.
The latest check in isn't until 1250 - isn't 1145 a bit early then ?????????? Edited by LordBretSinclair on Thursday 27th March 18:26
+
Plenty of time
=
The best idea
(in my experience
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