The Good Old Days

If you think rally navigation is tricky then take a look at this example from an early '60s book on rally navigation. Notice that the first navigator to crack this mind bender was your expert tutor Willy Cave. You might be pleased to know that CRA events do not require this degree of mental gymnastics.

The remainder of this article is reproduced from ”Rally Navigation” by Les Needham

Hants & Berks M.C. “Experts” Night Trial, 5th-6th October, 1957
Map 158.

Start: - The Chequers, Bablock Hythe.

Central Time Control: - 173° Neptunium; 331° Lock 90,

Neptunium.
The new clear-powered S.S. “Fred”, moored at 680749, moved up Thames against the current, at a steadv 7 knots RELATIVE TO THE WATER, at 12.30 p.m. The crew, disguised as Night Trial marshals, disembarked starboard, near a bridge, just in time to open this control.

Californium. - 565¾060½.
Berkelium. - 644¼830.
Lock 90. - Kennet & Avon Canal.
Centurium. - 308½752½.
Ye Ancient Smithy (schoolboys beware).
At 2.09 p.m., the S.S, “Fred” despatched a message by rocket on a bearing of 274° 20' while crossing a parish boundary (near RIV). The rocket passed over the Central Time Control shortly after reaching maximum altitude, and landed here.

Route Check A - Bridge 1,050 yards from the Start.
Route Check B - 500 yards North of Hampdens Monument (S.E. of Californium).
Route Check D - Hangmans Stone, nearly six miles from Central Time Control.
Route Check G - Longitude 1° 29' 28”. Latitude 51° 42' 46”.

The Hants & Berks Experts is in its own way, one of the classic events, only to be tackled by top-grade navigators. The event quoted was eventually won by Pat Moss, navigated by Willy Cave, and they were over three hours late!

The following is the method adopted in tackling the difficult parts of this route card: —

From the start all competitors had to go to the Central Time Control, so the first idea was to plot this point. This was given as a cross-bearing from Neptunium and Lock 90, but unfortunately the location of these two points was not apparent. A search of the map failed to locate any sign of numbers being indicated alongside the various locks on the Kennet & Avon Canal. The Regs. stated that all controls were due to open at 9.0 so the S.S. “Fred” would be on the move for 8½ hours, at 7 knots relatively to the water–but what was the speed of the water? In Ye Ancient Smithy it stated that at 2.09 the boat crossed a parish boundary near RIV, and by following the course of the Thames a parish boundary was located near the words RIV THAMES. This located the boat's position at 2.09. and by measuring the distance from 680749 it is possible to calculate the speed of the water, and the boat's actual speed. Thus it was now possible to plot Neptunium, and draw a bearing of 173° as a first step towards plotting the C.T.C. At 2.09 the boat fired a rocket, which passed over the C.T.C, so this line was drawn in, giving a cross-bearing and locating the C.T.C. According to the instructions, the rocket passed over the C.T.C. just after it reached maximum altitude, in other words just over half-way on its journey. Plotting the line right across the map on this basis revealed a 'Smiths Cave' in the appropriate position, and the title of the point confirmed the plot. Lock 90 could now be plotted as a back-bearing from the C.T.C. A pair of compasses placed on the start and set at 1,050 yards soon located point A, and point D was found in a similar manner.

Well, there it is, simple enough afterwards, but quite a headache at the time. You won’t get many as tough as that, but it does give you an idea of what organisers can dream up!