NAVY NEWS, APRIL 2008 51
Meet the soaring Igls
THE 2008 winter season
exception of three men, had only Logs Becky Stevenson claimed
proved to be another
started the sport two weeks before the 2008 individual Inter Service
successful time in the
the championships. title with two outstanding runs;
her success took the ladies team to
development of the RN
Results
Men: 13 LD Dunstan; 15 Mne Leach;
second place and her fastest time
skeleton bob team, writes 17 LMET Pritchard-Jones
was unbeaten by any other female
PO(D) Sid Lawrence.
Ladies: 9 Logs Stevenson; 13 Logs Rushton;
competitor. She was also awarded
17 Logs Niel
The 2008 Inter Service
the fastest novice trophy.
Championships were held at the
The climax of the week was In all, considering the lack
Olympic Bobsleigh, Skeleton and
undoubtedly the Inter Service of experience of the RN riders,
Luge Track in Igls.
Championships. this race was a great success
The RN once again entered a
A year’s preparation and months and throughout the fortnight all
continually-improving team as
of training in gyms and on running members of the team trained
the fi nal results proved. Twelve of
tracks by the athletes was going to hard during the day, then worked
us made up the squad this season
prove worthwhile. late into the night preparing
including myself as manager,
The Inter Service race, which equipment, working on their sleds
coach and race offi cial.
was again based on the joint time of and runners.
Before the Inter Service race
two runs using only the fi ve fastest As a team, they pulled together
we held the RN Championships,
male riders with four counting and to ensure the future of RN skeleton
based on the fastest joint time over
three fastest female riders. is now fully set in motion.
two runs, with the men and ladies
This for me was the hardest part
Results
in separate races.
of the fortnight, because I had the
Men: 7 LD Dunstan; 9 Mne Leach;
The event also included a guest
unenviable job of selecting the fi nal 11 LMET Pritchard-Jones
class open race to all other Service
team from the previous two weeks’
Ladies: 1 Logs Stevenson; 5 Logs Rushton;
riders and all members of the training knowing that some of the
7 Logs Niel
RAF and Army Teams entered riders would feel disappointed. Plans are already under way for
this event. On a warm and sunny day, we the forthcoming season starting
Results
started the race. with ice training camps, followed
Men: 1 LD Sean Dunstan (SDU1 Plymouth)
After the fi rst run with all its by the British Championships, RN
– he also won the Admiral Stopford Arms,
total disregard for personal safety, Championships and ultimately the
fastest speed plate and men’s fastest single
sheer determination and making Inter Services of 2009.
time of the race; 2 Mne Mathew Leach
(Cdo Logs Regt) – also winner of the men’s
use of the knowledge built up over We have now fi rmly established
fastest start; 3 LMET Robert Pritchard-Jones the previous two weeks training on our place in this awesomely
(Drake)
the track, the Navy riders were in exciting sport and proved we are
Ladies: 1 Logs Becky Stevenson (Ocean)
– also winner of the ladies’ fastest single
second place for both male and serious competitors.
time; 2 Logs Sarah Rushton (Bulwark); 3 female competitors This year will see Royal Navy
Logs Samantha Niel (Ocean) – also winner of
Encouraged by the success of team members training at the
the ladies’ fastest start
the fi rst runs, all eight Navy riders facilities in Bath University,
Next up were the GB Skeleton then raced their hearts out in the including the specially built
Bobsleigh Championships. All second and fi nal run and both sprint start that replicates the
members of the RN team entered teams maintained their second top of a bobsleigh track, we are
and achieved some very good place standings. also entering summer sprint start
results against other competitors The ladies team in particular competitions and taking part in
● Head
start... A RN
who have been competing
did very well as they had only Great Britain Team selections,
competitor takes
throughout the season.
started sliding from the top of the hopefully a place in our national
off down the track
The results were made more
track the previous week and had to team will once again be fi lled by a
on the skeleton
impressive by the fact that all the
work very hard to beat the much Royal Navy athlete.
Pictures: Lt Cdr Graeme Stringer
Royal Navy competitors, with the
more experienced teams from the Anyone, male or female, who
RAF and Army who had also been has a passion for speed, lycra,
training and racing on various and lunacy, contact Sid on 9375
Sleighing all challengers
tracks during the season. 65454.
On the Crest(a)
THE Mo Hammond Trophy is in Royal Navy hands
Service event and the team were privileged to have Lord Glentoran
for the third time in four years after an Inter Service
present trophies and colours; Lord Glentoran won a gold medal in the
bobsleigh triumph in Igls, Austria.
two-man bobsleigh at the 1964 Winter Olympics in Innsbruck and is the
President of the British Bobsleigh Association.
of a wave
Formula 1 on ice has often been the best way to describe the sport of
The British Championships are traditionally the fi nal race of the
Bobsleigh, writes Lt Cdr Graeme Stringer (HMS Ocean).
bobsleigh season and allow many entries from diverse privately-sponsored
At speeds of 70-90mph and experiencing 4-5g in some of the solid
THE bell rings from the control tower; you take a fi nal deep
teams to the more professionally-funded teams which represent the UK
ice curves that are found at the Olympic bobsleigh tracks in Europe and
breath followed by a sprint start and dive on to your toboggan.
on the world stage – more often than not predominantly Service teams.
North America, it is not a sport for slouches.
Suddenly, you are hurtling down a solid ice track through
A similar pattern emerged as in the Inter Services but this time with
Training for the sport has also developed at pace and the Army have
tight and steeply banking corners with only minimal control, at
Royal Marine Sgt John Jackson winning the two-man race.
taken a lead in recent years with signifi cant investment in both equipment
speeds of up to 80mph, with your nose only inches from the ice.
The four-man race was perhaps one of the closest in recent years and
and coaching staff.
All too soon, you (hopefully) cross the fi nish line, with the rest
signifi cantly was won by Mne Lee Johnston with his closest rival S/Sgt
Fortunately, a close working relationship established over the years has
of the world a barely-noticeable blur, the run has taken you less
Sean Olsson coming a close second.
enabled up to a dozen RN/RM novices to attend Army training camps
than a minute to travel the just-over-¾-mile-long track from top
The signifi cance of Sean’s team was that he had almost completely
in Norway and Canada in recent years and the dividends have been
to bottom but; it passes in the blink of an eye.
recreated the bronze medal-winning Nagano Olympic crew of 1998 and
obvious.
Why on earth would you want to do that? Because it is
some inspired driving saw him take the lead after the fi rst of two runs.
Events in Austria this year began with a single week of training for the
brilliant that is why, writes Maj Jamie Summers RM, team
Carrying an injury that had plagued him all season, Johnston had to
less experienced bobsleighers and this was an opportunity to get used to
captain.
dig deep to overcome the defi cit of the fi rst run and to eventually win
a new track.
This is a very simple description of the Cresta Run in
with a combined time of 1m 46.72s compared with Olsson’s time of 1m
The pressure was going to be on for the RN this year as the Army had
St Moritz, Switzerland.
46.79s.
only recently held their championships on the same track and so had a
The run is unique, similar in some ways to bobsleigh or luge
All in all, the week proved very successful for the RN/RM bobsleigh
head start.
but with a bit more risk involved and tight lycra body suits are
team with the British and Inter Service
Training went well with
compulsory.
Championship titles returned
new drivers Lt Fiona Bell
Riders tackle the run head fi rst on toboggans that weigh
to dark blue ownership.
and POAH Nige Bickley
around 40kg; the run itself requires not only an ability to control
The Navy’s luge team
(both from Ocean) quickly
your own fear but also to master the toboggan you are riding – it
also took a giant step
learning that the 1,220m
will not make it down the very fast and tight corners on its own.
forward by entering a
track at Igls can bite like the
The Inter Service Cresta Championships are the culmination
complete team – CPOAEA
best of them.
of careful preparation and training by all the team.
Dave Terry (CHF), Sgt
The weekend saw the
This year the Navy was in the unusual position of defending
Damian Leaver (Ocean), NA
arrival of the more experienced
the Inter Services trophy, something that has not happened
Taff Wilcox (Ocean) and NA Annie
members of the team with captain
since the 1980s.
Edwards (Ocean, pictured left) – in the
Mne Lee Johnston fresh from the World
The team this year was made up of four bootnecks (who were
Inter Service Championships for the fi rst
Championship four-man race at Altenberg,
all hoofi ng) and four matelots (cracking blokes).
time in many years.
Germany where he achieved a very creditable 13th position and Mne
Training went really well and all riders made good progress,
The races were held on the fi nal two days after ten days of rigorous
Shiner Wright who achieved 19th.
although there were a few fallers along the way.
training.
The championship week proper saw the pace of training runs increase
Special mention must go Capt Luke Kenny RM who rode
The team worked very hard and had some excellent start times off
threefold.
exceptionally well in his novice season and fought his way into
the ramp, experiencing only minor injuries, unlike the Army squad who
With all ice disciplines, both military and civilian, taking part and
the team.
sadly lost three athletes to serious injury.
unseasonably high temperatures of 15-20˚ at the venue, tension was
The squad also welcomed a visit from Brig Andy Salmon RM,
The RAF were the worthy winners of the Inter Service competition
building with the Navy team rapidly proving to be favourites for the Inter
who eagerly took up the challenge of riding the Cresta (the team
with the Army second and the RN taking the wooden spoon.
Service event.
hope he enjoyed it and that the broken ribs recover soon).
The result, however, was immaterial as all RN lugers fi nished
The middle of the week and race day one – the Inter Services are
By the time race day approached, the much larger RAF team
safely, having achieved speeds of up to 94kph (58mph) and some very
conducted in the same way as the World Championships with four two-
were considered hot favourites. We didn’t think they were much
satisfactory personal performances.
man runs taking place over two days – saw the RN establish a substantial
‘cop’ and knew when it mattered we would perform.
In particular, NA Annie Edwards who had only attended the Army
lead over the Army and the RAF.
After the fi rst few rides the RN team had set the pace and had
ice camp in November as a novice, earned second place overall in the
A brief diversion after this race was the RN/RM participation in the
effectively ‘blown’ the RAF away right from the outset.
individual ladies race and became the RN ladies champion at the same
ITV show Ant and Dec’s Saturday Night Takeaway with the RM members
Lt Cdr Angus Essenhigh clocked the fastest time of the day
time.
of the team taking the lead.
and won the individual event.
She excelled again a day later by coming runner-up in the British
Mne Johnston drove the four-man bobsleigh for two celebrity crews
However, with a team of six riders and four counting over
Championships (Ladies). Sgt Damian Leaver won the RN Championship
for the Ant versus Dec portion of the show, the other crew members
three courses, it wasn’t over until our fourth man made it safely
having already won the Army Novice Championships in January.
being the footballer Lee Sharp, former boy band singer Jason ‘J’ Brown,
down the track.
The events of the past two months have clearly marked the arrival of
model Melinda Messenger and actress Bonnie Langford.
That task fell to Sgt Ian Breeze, a Cresta legend but also
RN Luge at this level and the aspiration is for the team to build on this
It was back to business on the second day.
prone to falling; if he fell the RAF would win.
season with a concerted recruitment effort during the summer.
Temperatures at the track dropped, but tensions rose with all to
Tension was mounting at the fi nish and the RAF team were
The re-invigoration of luge in the RN has been a diffi cult process and
play for – and splits of hundredths of a second possibly deciding the
overheard praying for Breezey to ‘do one’.
would not have been possible without the support of the RN Bobsleigh
Finally he came screaming into view in the prone position
outcome. management and the signifi cant material support provided by Army
doing over 80mph and as he slowed to the fi nish a great grin
The strength in depth of the RN team came to the fore and an easy Luge, for which S/Sgt Graham Holmes RLC was a major contributor.
appeared; we had done it again.
victory was obtained securing the Mo Hammond trophy for a record If you think you have what it takes to represent your Service at luge,
If you’re interested in joining the Cresta team, contact Maj
third year. then contact CPO Dave Terry at Yeovilton on 93510 6980 to fi nd out
Summers on 93831 8733.
The RN/RM Championships were run coincidentally with the Inter about ice camps later in the year.
0051_NN_Apr.indd 151_NN_Apr.indd 1 118/3/08 16:12:208/3/08 16:12:20
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