Pakie Duffy & Evin Hughes took overall victory on last weekend’s Midland Navigation Trial. The event was a counting round of the Squealing Pig Border Navigation Championship.
At the end of the 75 mile route, they emerged comfortable winners from Derek Mackarel/Conor Boylan with 3rd overall going to the Semi-Expert crew of Michael Carbin & Conor Mohan.
COC Sam Johnston laid out a challenging route involving some classic lanes in the North Longford area. Monaduff GAA was the HQ for the event. Pakie Duffy & Evin Hughes led the crews away into the opening plot & bash section near Ballinamuck. Trace & tulip diagrams were used catching a few crews out.
TP6 was to be the deciding factor of the event. A newly created ‘road’ which crossed the mapped road proved very inviting and those that followed it were to land at TP10 which was to be given at a later location. Many crews decided to skip TP6-TP9 and wait for their minute at TP10 whilst others attempted to get these timepoints and either skip or double visit TP10 later.
Pakie Duffy & Evin Hughes negotiated this section correctly and were now well clear in the lead. By C13, they were on a total of 10 penalties. Derek Mackarel/Conor Boylan proceeded to attempt the timepoints from TP6 and take a double visit at TP10. This decision stood to them and they were now in a clear 2nd place.
The second half of the event was fairly straightforward with a mammoth 16 mile Speed Regulation Section included. As the crews returned to Monaduff, Duffy/Hughes emerged victorious on 11 penalties. Mackarel/Boylan took 2nd place on 85 penalties with 3rd overall going to Semi-Expert class winners Michael Carbin & Conor Mohan on 102 penalties. Novice class winners Aiden Keenan & Sean Marron were an excellent 4th overall ahead of Semi-Expert crew Shane Dalton/Seamus McTigue in 5th.
The Night Navigation seasons continues with the Cavan Navigation Trial on February 29th. It is a counting round of both the Border and National Championships.
Top 10 Results:
1st Pakie Duffy/Evin Hughes (Subaru Impreza) 11 marks,
2nd Derek Mackarel/Conor Boylan (Subaru Impreza) 85m,
3rd Michael Carbin/Conor Mohan (Subaru Impreza) 102m,
4th Aiden Keenan/Sean Marron (Subaru Impreza) 112m,
5th Shane Dalton/Seamus McTigue (Subaru Impreza) 113m,
6th Aiden Sherry/Oisin Sherlock (Subaru Impreza) 115m,
7th Jack McKenna/Ryan Treanor (Subaru Legacy) 121m,
8th James McCabe/Shane Farrell (Subaru Impreza) 124m,
9th Michael Tynan/Ciaran Tynan (Subaru Impreza) 135m,
10th Martin Tynan/Fintan Clerkin (Subaru Impreza) 139m
County Monaghan Motor Club 