RACING STARTS AGAIN ON THE 29TH APRIL 2012 SO THAT’S A DATE FOR YOUR NEW DIARIES

THANK YOU FOR YOUR CONTINUED SUPPORT

HERE’S A SONG TO GET YOU IN THE SPIRIT! QUITE APT DON’T YOU THINK?
“STOCK CAR RACING IS MAGIC” www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOKfOCKIkq8
 

Latest News

2012 News Letter now on see Rules & Regs plus Rookie Banger & F2 Rules & Regs as well as your start of season grades if you are unsure what your roof colour will be.
Provisional Fixture list 2012 is now on. PLEASE NOTE THAT ALL EVENING MEETINGS WILL START AT     7.30PM
Current visiting drivers information for 2012 is now on.

I am away now for 2 whole months working with Great White Sharks in South Africa and working on a big 5 Game Reserve. I have updated the website with as much information as I have to hand. If anything important needs to be mentioned then I will post it on our Facebook Fan Page whilst I am away on my jollies! http://www.facebook.com/?ref=logo#!/pages/Onchan-Raceway/203774960978 If anyone has any questions then please do not hesitate to call John Whitehead on 07624 432232. Many Thanks Angie

JOHN SAILS TO VICTORY!

On the 22nd October 2011 John and 3 other crew members set sail in a 40ft yacht to race from Portsmouth down to Lanzarote 23 days later they arrived safe and sound winning the first two stages and coming third in the last stage finishing them top of the leader board and winning the competition overall. Below is some extracts from his emails of all the adventures he has gone through over the past few weeks ... starting at the very beginning! ... nothing is straight forward where John is concerned.

Well we did finally get to sea.
 
1st leg and the start was exciting just like a bigger version of a dingy race start, but with 40 foot boats jostling for position, the 5 minute horn was sounded to signal the count down , then an Isle of Wight ferry drives straight through the fleet, so that start was abandoned. Fortunately the second start went without problem. We crossed the line second but took the lead after 5 minutes, due to bad weather in the English Channel we were diverted to Guernsey, but then re directed to Brixham to shelter from the storms, we were in big seas straight away, no chance to get used to things.

After Brixham we started the remaining first leg to La Rochelle in France. Again got a good start in 2nd then took the lead, played chicken with container ships and tankers in the Channel in the dark.

Good mix of crew just 4 of us. When they asked my job they were a bit surprised when I said I crashed cars for a living and sunk boats for a hobby, !!! they were nervous about my navigation skills. I said I d never purposefully avoided a crash before for so long.
 
We pulled out a 3 hour lead over the first leg to arrive in La Rochelle first, even before the tide !!!!  Yep my concerns about the maps of the marinas was right, we ran aground and had to wait until the tide came in so that we could make it into the marina!!! After a quick shower and re provisioning we set off again heading south but were allowed to use the engine to get to La Corona in northern Spain, the idea was to get through the Bay of Biscay before another storm hit, we got here in Corona first even though this wasn’t counted as part of the race which resumes tomorrow Friday.
 
So we have one trophy and an eye on the overall first place and that free holiday.

In for a rough ride.

2 nd leg started from La Corona in northern Spain, we started well and crossed the start line with our spinnaker flying and took the lead, only for the wind to die completely stopping all boats so the race was abandoned and the engines turned on until the wind returned.
The race was restarted when the wind picked up  we continued to lead, the weather turned and for the next few days it got rougher and rougher.
 Marco in 4035  had problems breaking his boom and had to retire off Portugal. Others had rigging issues, we just went without sleep and food as it was too rough to cook or sleep. We had built up a convincing lead as we rounded the bottom of Portugal and headed into Cadiz, so much so that we were out of radio and AIS computer tracking of the other boats, we had periods of no wind which allowed 4037 to close within 10 miles at one stage. The race was stopped once everyone hit the no wind area but by this time we had found wind trying for a further 4 hours no knowing we had already won the 2 nd leg. 4039 came 2nd with 4037 3rd.
 
A quick visit to pubs in Cadiz and re fueling and provisioning saw all boats along with a new German yachting team consisting of yachting journalists on 4028. We had another crew change as Alan left and we were joined by Elka and Martin a couple from Germany who brought lots of wine !!

Leg 3 started by motor sailing until a 3am start in pitch darkness  a moving start line between 2 committee boats, a bit hairy but we tacked and took the lead, throughout the night we checked the others on the AIS chart plotter, we stayed off shore intending to take the shortest most direct route, followed closely by 4036 and 4938, the others went closer to the coast of Africa. Which meant they went out of our tracker range.

Not until we approached Lanzarote on Sunday 13th did we find out we were in 3rd place. The German journalists on 4028 won passing 4039 who had led for most of the race when they hit a hole with no wind. We on 4040 finished 3rd with 4037 4th. The other boats retiring deciding the pub was more inviting.

Yesterday Monday 14th was the prize giving  we won overall with 4039 2nd and 4037 3rd overall. This then started a drinking session which lasted 15 hours, and we completed that in reasonable shape.

So after 23 days at sea, we overcame difficult seas and weather along with language difficulties both Alex and Mark can get by with Yorkshire speak whilst Elka and Martin are fluent in Yorkshire now.

Congratulations to John and the rest of the crew for not only making it in one piece but for winning the overall event.

Pictures by Elke Pichlmayr one of John’s fellow sailors

So What’s Your Track Promoter up to during the winter break???

Well unlike most who after a busy summer season working non stop would want a relaxing holiday in the sun, John Whitehead track promoter for Onchan Raceway has decided to Race a 40 ft sailing yacht from Port Solent to La Rochelle then to Cadiz and finally finishing up in Lanzarote!! ... “Different that’s all I can say!” The competition is called Chase the Sun but that’s once you get there in between times you have to battle rough sea’s and storms 24hrs a day. The winners of each leg receive trophy’s and the overall winners get a one week free holiday in the sun ... “this is were I think John’s logic is in his madness!”

There is a crew of 4 on each boat all enthusiast on sailing and racing. In total there are five yachts all competing to win that final prize. The winner of stage 1 was sunsail 4040 and yep you have guessed it that is Johns boat winning the first leg. Second place was 4037 and Third 4039 the other competitors are 4033 and 4038.

So the next leg is La Rochelle to Cadiz due to server storms at sea they have been stuck in La Rochelle for a few days but are aiming to set sail again Friday 4th November, it is expected to take 4 days but you can never rely on nature to give you an easy ride. You can track John’s progress and the other competitors by checking them on Marine Traffic website. Here’s the link if you are interested http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/shipdetails.aspx?mmsi=235083874

Don’t panic it’s not just all hard work and battling rough seas, apparently there has been a bit of drinking and celebrations involved when they have been moored up at the ports. “Mind you several days at sea I doubt their legs work very well anyway!” And on that note I’d like wish John and the other crew members a safe onward journey and the best of luck in the rest of the competition.

I’m off to relax in the Egyptian sun now for a week and yep I’m on a boat too but I hope I don’t have to drive that one! I will update you when I am back on John’s progress. In the meantime check out the link!! ... Angie