County Monaghan Motor Club

Pakie Duffy & Evin Hughes took overall victory on last weekend’s January Navigation Trial, Round 2 of the Club Navigation Championship & Overall Club Championship. COC Oisin Sherlock organised a mammoth 120 mile route over the South of Monaghan stretching from Latton to Broomfield and back. The event proved very tricky and demanding particularly on the plot & bash sections and it was former National Champions Pakie Duffy & Evin Hughes who came through to take the overall win.

Crews had to be on the ball from the off as even the route to TP1 would punish crews who deviated off the provided tulip diagrams. Plot & Bash followed at TP3, Via1 and TP5. The plot for Via1 was hidden on the reverse side of the plots for TP3 and many crews instead followed the tulip to TP5. Peter Deery/David McCrudden emerged in the lead despite missing TP5 with the Novice crew of Francis McElvaney/Danny McKenna a surprising 2^nd four penalties behind.

The event headed East towards the Corduff, Bawn & Lisdoonan areas before a petrol halt near Bromfield. Deery/McCrudden still led despite a wrong departure at the infamous TP13 which caught out all but six crews. Their lead was now down to two penalties as Pakie Duffy/Evin Hughes were recovering after earlier missing Via1 and TP4. Derek Mackarel/Conor Boylan were in 3^rd place. James McCabe/Shane Farrell led the Semi-Expert class. Kieran McCarra/Aaron McElroy led the Novice class and Shane Maguire/Pauric Duffy were out front in the Beginners class.

The second half of the event took crews from Broomfield through Aghnafarcan, Shantonagh, Lough Egish and Bawn. The Section from TP24 to TP26 consisted of four plot & bash timepoints involving tulip diagrams which tested navigators to the limit. Pakie Duffy/Evin Hughes emerged from this section in the lead dropping 9 penalties but getting all timepoints with correct approach and departure. A wrong approach at Via7 at Lough Egish chapel car park dropped Peter Deery/David McCrudden to 2^nd place. An impressive effort from Novices Aiden Keenan/Sean Marron saw them climb to 3^rd place.

As crews arrived back in Latton close to 2am, Pakie Duffy/Evin Hughes had done enough to take overall victory on 52 penalties total. Peter Deery/David McCrudden finished 2^nd with Novice class winners Aiden Keenan/Sean Marron 3^rd overall. Derek Mackarel/Conor Boylan and Martin Tynan/Fintan Clerkin completed the top five finishers.

Michael Carbin/Conor Mohan won the Semi-Expert class well clear of Ryan Brennan/Ryan Treanor in 2^nd with David Acheson/Philip Fitzpatrick taking 3^rd. Keenan/Marron led home the Novice crews with Kieran McCarra/Aaron McElroy and Cathal Croarkin/Marco Lennon putting three Novice crews in the top 7. The Beginners class was won by Shane Maguire/Pauric Duffy with Damien Hagan/Ryan Farrell and Michael Conlon/Paul McPhillips completing the podium.

COC Oisin Sherlock paid thanks to Latton GAA centre as well as the landowners and residents along the route for their support of the event. The National Navigation Championship continues next weekend in Skibbereen while the Border Championship resumes with the Midland Navigation Trial on February 8^th.

Top 10 Results:

1^st Pakie Duffy/Evin Hughes (Subaru Impreza) 52m,

2^nd Peter Deery/David McCrudden (Subaru Impreza) 70m,

3^rd Aiden Keenan/Sean Marron (Subaru Impreza) 88m,

4^th Derek Mackarel/Conor Boylan (Subaru Impreza) 91m,

5^th Martin Tynan/Fintan Clerkin (Subaru Impreza) 92m,

6^th Kieran McCarra/Aaron McElroy (Toyota Starlet) 96m,

7^th Cathal Croarkin/Marco Lennon (Toyota Yaris) 135m,

8^th Michael Carbin/Conor Mohan (Subaru Impreza) 135m,

9^th Declan Tynan/Ben McIntyre (Subaru Legacy) 136m,

10^th Brendan Treanor/Gary Farrelly (Subaru Impreza) 139m