NAVY NEWS, MAY 2008 47
The (cycling)
Qualifi ed ski instructors needed
Tough times
team works
THE biggest individual sporting event in race training programme headed by ex-RN All also give up their leave to teach as
the RN calendar are the Alpine ski and ski team captain Steve Cotton. volunteers – to dispel any myths, no-one gets
in Muscat
THE RN had another successful
snowboarding championships. There’s also a ‘learn to ski’ programme paid; in fact., a couple of instructors who are
year at the Combined Services
For the past fi ve years, the event has been for beginners, intermediates and advanced now civvies and teach at Intermediate and
THEY’RE dancing in the streets
Sports Awards.
held at Les Menuires in the French Alps. skiers. advanced levels take unpaid leave.
of Petroleum Development after
Sponsored by SSVC and
The championships are open to all The team who organise the event is on the If you fancy joining this good team
a gruelling series of fi xtures for
broadcast on BFBS, these
members of the RNWSA (Royal Navy Winter lookout for new instructors – they lose one – no poseurs and no egos, just dedicated
HMS Illustrious in Oman.
prestigious awards were presented
Sports Association) which includes serving or two every season as they get drafted or enthusiastic people who enjoy passing on
The carrier’s sporting sides
by the Duchess of Cornwall at the
members of the RN, RM, and RNR, RMR, leave the RN. great skills – then contact Lt (SCC) Tommy
challenged the petrolheads to
RAF Club in Piccadilly.
URNU and their families. All are either Joint Service instructors Wallace, Chief Instructor RNWSA, at HMS hockey, netball, cricket and
Navy nominees were CPOPT
The main theme of the championships is or BASI Qualifi ed (British Association of Caledonia on 9335 65045 or twallace@ touch rugby.
Sean Childs (Cycling) for
racing and there is now a very comprehensive Snowsport Instructors). ms-sc.org The day opened promisingly
Sportsman of the Year; LMA
for the sailors, thanks to a 6-2
Mhairi Muir (Triathlon,
victory for the hockey side.
Swimming and Cycling) for
sportswoman; Lt Keith Burrows
for sports offi cial; and the Navy
Time Trial Cycling Team for the
Karts and (super) Novas
The netballers were then
trounced 33-4 and the
cricketers defeated by seven
wickets.
Sports Team award.
The touch rugby squad
Competition for these awards
managed to restore some pride
is intense – Dame Kelly Holmes ON A very wet, windy
with a 12-12 draw.
is among previous winners – and
and miserable day Barton
“We expected to have a
the Navy did well to take the
quick game and then have a
Sports Offi cial award and the
Stacey Kart Circuit, near barbecue,” said AB ‘Tony’ Blair.
Team of the Year award.
Andover, Hampshire
“Petroleum Development
Lt Burrows is not only an hosted the first round of
took it very seriously, so we
exceptional fencer and has
the 2008 season.
had to raise our game.
captained the Combined
“After running around for
Some 29 teams turned up
Services team, but in addition
half an hour, I was knackered
for the six hour endurance race,
he is an international fencing
including Lt Kevin Westbrook
– the final whistle couldn’t have
referee and tipped to be one
(RNAS Yeovilton), representing
come soon enough.”
of the British referees at the
the Royal Navy Automobile Club
The full rugby side fared
2012 Olympics. His award was
in the ‘Teamworks’ No 48 Kart.
considerably better in an
an acknowledgement of his
After a good qualifying session
exhilarating 45-21 victory over
impressive contribution to both
Kevin put the Kart in ninth place
Muscat RFC in the searing
Service and British fencing.
on the grid; he slowly progressed
Omani heat.
The Navy’s Time Trial team
through the field up to sixth in
Also triumphant were Lusty’s
gained their award for their
the torrential rain, spray, and high
footballers, who put the British
complete domination of Inter-
winds.
Embassy (5-3) and RAF Seeb
Service cycling competitions over
Having completed 90 minutes
(7-2) to the sword.
the last three years and for their
and 119 laps of racing, a very wet
Illustrious’ visit to Oman (see
ranking at national level.
Lt Westbrook returned to the pits
pages 23-26 for more details)
The team was ranked second
for a refuel and driver change.
also afforded time for some
nationally in 2005 and third
The team were running in
non-competitive sports for
in 2007 and this was against
seventh place (second in the expert
the ship’s company including
specially-formed cycle teams
class) after 5½ hours of racing
diving, canyoning and a wadi
which included Olympic,
when a clutch failed; many other
trek.
Commonwealth and semi-
teams were also really struggling
professional riders.
● Lt Kevin Westbrook races around the damp Barton Stacey track in Teamworks
with the difficult and changing PO ‘Dutchy’ Holland, Phoenix CBRNDC School
CPO Childs has led the
weather conditions.
Putt for a
team to these successes and his
‘Teamworks’ finished in 19th
individual performance was such
place and seventh in class (expert), The Prod B was out fi rst in the By lap 15 she was catching the Then it was out of one Nova
to justify his nomination for the
despite not even completing the heats and with ten cars running car in front – until she realised it and into the other for the second
good cause
Sportsman of the Year title.
last half an hour of racing. and 15 laps to do, the Nova was was the last of the back markers, final.
Sean has completely dominated
Also on the road, or rather turf, ready. and so she crossed the fi nishing The logistician really wasn’t SOUTHWICK Park golf club
Navy and Inter-Service cycling was Logs (Pers) Tracey Cotton
Tracey took her place on the line in fi rst. expecting much as the other hosts the 5th annual charity
over the last three years in the (DCMC Whitehall), competing in
grid, got off to a good start and sat She followed this triumph with a drivers had experience in this match on Tuesday May 20.
discipline of time trialling which the fi rst round of the three-round
in second place until lap ten when double victory in the second series class. The day kicks off with
has included all distances from SEGTO (South East Grass Track
she started experiencing problems of heats, taking the chequered fl ag After a bit of a disappointing breakfast, followed by a nine-
ten miles to 12 hours. During this Organisation) championship at with the grip from the tyres on the with both cars. start, Tracey managed to cling on
hole contest.
period he has been in the top ten Standlake Arena near Oxford. back of the car. Next came the fi nals; after to the leader.
Then it’s back to the 19th
in the British Best All-Rounder Tracey took both her cars – a She managed to keep the Nova fi nishing top of the leaderboard in When the two came up against
for lunch before an 18-hole
rankings. 1,300cc Prod B Nova, which she going to the chequered fl ag to take the Hot Rod heats and second in a back marker fi ve laps from the
stableford in the afternoon,
In her short time in the Navy, raced last year and her new motor, fourth. the Prod B, she had to begin from end, her nearest rival went for and then back to the 19th once
Mhairi Muir is now one of the a 1,300cc Nova which has to run Then it was straight out of the the back row of the grid. outside – leaving Tracey a gap on more for a curry supper.
Navy’s top performers in a in the 1,450cc Hot Rods because Prod B and into the Hot Rod for Yet again the Prod B was out the inside, which she grabbed... All standards are welcome,
range of sports. She won Inter- of its carburettor and wheel size the following race. fi rst, but Tracey struggled to fi nd and held on to fi rst place to the provided you pay the £55 entry
Service and GB Masters titles – to the meet, which began with There were only six racers grip throughout the race, so she end. fee, of course. Proceeds go to
at swimming prior to moving the track carpetted with snow. running in the class due to the had to settle for trying to fi nish “I have been racing for fi ve Cancer Research UK.
to triathlon where she found Thankfully, it began to clear non-attendance of several cars and gaining points years and I have never managed Details from Craig
her true potential. She is also quite quickly and as it melted, thanks to the snow. She fought her way to fourth to do the triple – taking both heats Beetlestone on 07886 030617
women’s Inter-Service Time Trial Tracey had both her cars Tracey set off from the front of place – and stayed there until the wins and the fi nal,” the delighted or craigbeetlestone@hotmail.
champion at ten and 25 miles. scrutinised. the grid for the 15-lap race. fi nish. racer said. com
They did run, run, run... and cycle
FOR the third year in succession Southwick Park the local hills, fi nishing with another 5km run. a minute’s lead over Jane Thomson of CTCRM. was over for another year, although the mud and hills
provided a superb location for the annual Royal Navy LAET Gosling from RNAS Culdrose posted an On the bike leg Muir was not to be caught by any were soon forgotten following a ‘post race analysis’
Triathlon Association duathlon championships, impressive fi rst run but couldn’t quite catch Cpl of the ladies, posting an impressive 57:29 split which chat over tea and cake in the gym.
offering a challenging course for athletes to test their Wayne Dashper from CTCRM as they entered T1. was comfortably in the top third of all bike splits on The overall winner, LAET Gosling, completed
mettle. Out on the bike Gosling came into his own and his the day. the course in an impressive 1h 29m 4s, with the
The fi eld again covered a broad spread of abilities, efforts were rewarded with a 50:26 bike split, making Enjoying a ‘good to soft’ run course for the second fi rst female home, LMA Muir, posting an equally
with several competitors trying a multi sport event up four minutes on Dashper. time, both Gosling and Muir held on to their leads impressive 1h 41m 49s.
for the fi rst time, but despite some athletes fi nding Coming to T2 just behind Gosling, Mike White of with times close to their splits for the fi rst run. The event wouldn’t have gone ahead was it not for
the course a real test, all the competitors fi nished the DSTL had also made up some ground out on the With four fi nishers in the top six, including the the considerable assistance of Lt Jack Frost, together
course and made it safely back to the gym in time for hills around Southwick and he was closely followed requisite two novices, CTCRM dominated the team with HMS Collingwood personnel; the RN Triathlon
a post race carbo load. by Sgt Steve Lewis, one of Dashper’s team mates. competition with BRNC and SDU Plymouth teams Association is extremely grateful to them.
The race itself consisted of The fi rst lady into T1 was LMA Muir of taking second and third. For more details on duathlon – and its sister
a 5km cross-country run DMSTC and it was a full three minutes As the rest of the competitors arrived at the triathlon sport – see www.rnrmtri.co.uk
followed immediately by before she was joined out on the road fi nish there was some
a 30km bike ride around by Jane Bonar of Haslar, who had relief that the event
047_NN_May.indd 1 21/4/08 10:38:07
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