Mac Kierans and Conor “Bobo” Boylan emerged victorious after a very challenging Monaghan Motor Club Navigation Trial on Saturday night last based in Scotstown. The Aghabog/Scotstown pair had 19 marks to spare over 2nd placed Martin Tynan/Fintan Clerkin. This was enough to clinch a 3rd successive Traders Trophy for Martin and the club Navigation Champions titles for Martin and Fintan. Josh Moffett and Stephen Thornton were a further 23 marks adrift in 3rd.
If the competitors thought this was going to be a gentle introduction to the new navigation season, they were in for a rude awakening! Clerk of the Course Oisin Sherlock really excelled with his trickery. Navigators needed to be switched on right from the start and those that were not (and there were many) were going to accrue significant penalties. By not following the instructions given, the three top seeded crews had wrong departures at TP1. Then, the start of the tulip to Via 1 was given with a grid reference catching out almost all crews, with knock-on effects for Via 2.
There were two parallel lanes on the approach to TP2, one was a dead end and the correct one was overgrown resulting in double visit penalties for a plethora of crews here. TP10 featured a previously unused lane that was difficult to spot, with most crews failing to find it. At the much needed relaxed section into Control B, it was Kierans/Boylan out in front but only by 2 marks from the Semi-Expert pair of Jack McKenna/Emmett Sherry, with Moffett/Thornton in 3rd.
The second half started with straightforward navigation but there was more trickery in store at TP 27 with a hard-to-spot entrance to a narrow yard. A piece of trace was used to find TP29 where further “Plot & Bash” instructions were issued for TP30, but if the shortest route was not taken here, competitors would visit Via 8 out of sequence. So it went on with a final sting in the tail at TP 39 and the final control where the survivors were glad to take stock of their losses.
Apart from the winners, the stand out performance of the night was that of Aaron Dixon and Dylan Lennon who finished 10th overall and won the Beginners class ‘by a mile.’ Of the 41 starters, there were 18 Beginners crews who battled gamely to the end. While this was a baptism of fire, they will have gained valuable experience for the events ahead. Donal and Killian McArdle won the Novice class, with Jack McKenna/Emmett Sherry taking the honours in the Semi-Expert class.
Well done to Oisin Sherlock and his team for organising one of the most challenging navigation events for some time. At the prizegiving, Oisin thanked all who helped including the marshals and especially the residents and landowners along the route, Scotstown GAA and the team of caterers who provided very welcome refreshments in the early hours.
Results
1 Mac Kierans/Conor Boylan (Subaru Impreza) 26 marks,
2 Martin Tynan/Fintan Clerkin (Subaru Impreza) 45m,
3 Josh Moffett/Stephen Thornton (Nissan Almera) 68m,
4 Mickey Tynan/Ciaran Tynan (Subaru Impreza) 80m,
5 Jack McKenna/Emmet Sherry (Subaru Impreza) 86m,
6 Peter Deery/David McCrudden (Subaru Impreza) 90m,
7 Derek Mackarel/Muireann Hayes (Subaru Impreza) 95m,
8 Donal McArdle/Killian McArdle (Subaru Impreza) 122m,
9 Arthur Kierans/Conor Maguire (Subaru Impreza) 130m,
10 Aaron Dixon/Dylan Lennon (Subaru Impreza) 146m.
County Monaghan Motor Club 