safeguarding the future of the RBRR

[Raider]

We stayed at Tebay until well after the official closing time at Tebay

[TedTaylor]

Fully agree with Alan and Derek.

I have been on the receiving end of running late - last one like has happened to Alan due to helping others while at the same time as we were running with an mechanical problem which put doubts upon whether we would even finish .... bit what the hell we took part! And there is the rub, you give it your best shot and if you do not finish ....... at least you had a go.

It is the challenge of being involved that is the fun - helping others where necessary, seeing parts of this country which we never see otherwise, just having fun with my friends, and overcoming problems mechanical and otherwise.  in 2014 I did it 6 months after a knee replacement at 70, and then in 2016 knowing another knee replacement was imminent (now due in a couple of weeks).

Some teams like to use more modern methods of navigation whereas others like to keep to traditional methods.  However the basics are the same as when the event first ran ....... without Sat Nav and mobile phones!

The only reason that having marshals should be discontinued is if it became impossible to get enough.  However a lot of Club members like to marshal because they are not able to be involved in an other way, such as they do not have a car ready.

MUT

[mikeyb]

As a participant and more recently a marshall, it works well for me as is.  The key to running smoothly is communication.  This (oops last) year at Skiach, Graham and I stopped on past the "closure" time for both visits, because we knew there were some cars still to pass through. For those that don't already know, each marshall point messages a list of "no show" and confirmed "retirees" to the next control.  This way, the controls are able to have an idea of whom to expect once the main running bunc has passed through.  

This was helped greatly on the southerward return to Skiach last time by some of the late running crews taking the trouble to phone/message me to say how far behind they were and what breakdowns they had left behind,  We needed little excuse to sit in the beautiful Scottish sunshine a little longer!

[thescrapman]

My point is that some things have changed.

Reading Dereks excellent book, i see no mention of obtaining Permits, completing Risk assessments, arranging Route Liason Officer approvals, etc etc back in the old days.

Times are a changing and these are (possibly unwelcome) developments that we have to deal with, and we will have to embrace even more as time goes forward.

The time will come when we have to prove that that what we are doing is safe, and modern technology can provide that reassurance to the relevant authorities.

Another advantage with having every vehicle tracked is that Main Control can note when cars stray from the pre-approved route and ring them up and put them back on the correct route.

I suspect that every vehicle had a method of being accurately tracked last year, we just didn't make use of it.

Should we be pro-active here?

[ferny]

Start watching what I'm doing and how I'm doing it on an event with an advised route and I'll tell you to give my place to another team.

On a more serious note and suggestion. How about the club invests in scanners and leaves them (securely) located at control points? We can get bar codes on our wrists and that way you'll get to keep the same team number for each event and it'd make updating the drivers championship automatic.

[Clive]

I don't see why anything needs to be made more complicated, it all seems to work pretty well as it is.
And Mike has made a very good point, IF there is a problem, then communication is the key to sorting things out and making sure an entrant has the very best chance of getting their book signed if running late. (thank goodness for mobiles, but there are dead spots. However, with the number of entries it is,hopefully, unlikely taht a breakdown is the very last car, though as the event progresses this becomes more likely)

[JohnD]

Quoted from thescrapman

Times are a changing and these are (possibly unwelcome) developments that we have to deal with, and we will have to embrace even more as time goes forward.

The time will come when we have to prove that that what we are doing is safe, and modern technology can provide that reassurance to the relevant authorities.

Thank you, scrapman, you echo the point with which I started this thread.   There is no need to change the Run, but there is to recogise modern conditions, so different from the original Triumph use of the route.   Despite the frequently hostile responses, I hope that the many useful ideas suggested will be consdered by the Organisers, so that the RBRB will continue for another fifty years.o

John

[mole42]

Quoted from thescrapman

..... stray from the pre-approved route and ring them up and put them back on the correct route.

There is no 'correct route'.

[thescrapman]

Quoted from mole42

There is no 'correct route'.

No, there isn't, but in years to come there may well be a pre-approved one that everybody is required to follow in order for a permit to be issued.

Dealing with the MSA is becoming ever more trying as other agencies put ever more pressure on them to curtail our hobbies.

[ferny]

Is there anything to suggest it's being considered for an event like the RBRR?

[Shed 1969]

Here is my personal opinion..Its about "spirit" ie "spirit of the event" ..you do the run to take part in that spirit ..there is all sorts of aspects to take spirit from ,,getting a car ready,long hours against the odds,challenging yourself,meeting friends,sharing,helping others...the cars don't need trackers the event is more than cars with trackers if you see what I mean? not explaining myself well here ! .. detouring massively off route to pick up a spare for a stranded Triumph at Exeter services  you hit a deer  this is after the co driver mistook the oil light for the indicator light coming on ..(the oil had been blown out everywhere due to a blocked breather) you still fix your car pick up the spares get them going and keep going yourself ..behind schedule missing signatures..but so what the beer tasted the same at the end and you know you did your best  ....we need to keep that spirit in fact to miss quote the Alarm we need "spirit of 66" ...yes to moving with the times in a common sense way but not to " over-sanitise" the world has changed so much in 50 years ..wont it be nice every two years to be allowed to get a taste of what it was like back in the day so to speak?

[DaveKent]

I'm sure that some still have common sense and spirit, and when things become too regulated or sanitised then breakaway groups are formed.  Sad but true.

[mikeyb]

I "get you" exactly, Andy!  (clap)

[TedTaylor]

Quoted from Shed 1969

Here is my personal opinion..Its about "spirit" ie "spirit of the event" ..you do the run to take part in that spirit ..there is all sorts of aspects to take spirit from ,,getting a car ready,long hours against the odds,challenging yourself,meeting friends,sharing,helping others...the cars don't need trackers the event is more than cars with trackers if you see what I mean? not explaining myself well here ! .. detouring massively off route to pick up a spare for a stranded Triumph at Exeter services  you hit a deer  this is after the co driver mistook the oil light for the indicator light coming on ..(the oil had been blown out everywhere due to a blocked breather) you still fix your car pick up the spares get them going and keep going yourself ..behind schedule missing signatures..but so what the beer tasted the same at the end and you know you did your best  ....we need to keep that spirit in fact to miss quote the Alarm we need "spirit of 66" ...yes to moving with the times in a common sense way but not to " over-sanitise" the world has changed so much in 50 years ..wont it be nice every two years to be allowed to get a taste of what it was like back in the day so to speak?

Yep .....(clap)

MUT

[Raider]

Quoted from TedTaylor

Yep .....(clap)

MUT

And I agree too.

To add though-

I can see where there's a third way (who said that?)

I have seen the RE - enactment of the Battle of Hastings and they do try to make it as realistic of the time as possible without killing anyone! No doubt there are risk assessments done but I am sure we can run our event in the right spirit of the original whilst taking into account the modern world.

The organising team do a great job and I am confident this will continue.

[thescrapman]

Quoted from mikeyb

I "get you" exactly, Andy!  (clap)

You don't get a say as you said you would never ever ever do the event ever again, ever.



And I agree that Martin and Andy have the right idea. We need to ensure we comply with all demands but minimise the impact to the spirit of the event.

[Saltddirk]

dont we take ourselves a bit too serious?
for me this is to have a week end of fun and to raise a bit for a good cause while we are at it, Not more not less. This is not a million dollar race with professional teams and assistance, just a bunch of oily rags getting together and see what we can do, having fun and suffering a bit.... As far as I know nobody has been refused a finisher award because he missed a control out of the opening times, I know I haven't.. And when we arrived this year at kneb Dave (or that was perhaps Tim) remarked "well done, at least it is still the same day"  and we laughed at it.
I have been calling "control" when we were late but still moving, mainly because I did not want the marshals to stay back for us when I knew we were not going to make it in a decent time. They have a life too...

As to the origin of this tread, please dont change anything it's perfect. We are there out of free will and sound of mind, (OK I made that up, it doesnt apply to me) well capable of making our own decisions and judgments when to stop or where to Drive.
In a few years time it might well be not longer morally acceptable to waste fuel and drive all night,  just as 4x4 vehicles are now frowned upon because , to quote Jeremy Clarkson:" They make the polar bear topple over", but what will change then is that we will not longer be able to raise money for a good cause, so be it. We'll do it on our own and still have fun and a good laugh doing it.

D

[mikeyb]

Quoted from thescrapman

You don't get a say as you said you would never ever ever do the event ever again, ever.

(whistle)

[mole42]

Quoted from Saltddirk

dont we take ourselves a bit too serious?
for me this is to have a week end of fun <snip> We'll do it on our own and still have fun and a good laugh doing it.

D

Absolutely!

My finishers "souvenir" is mostly the fact that we finished.