Edinburgh 2020 3rd October OFFICIAL UPDATES

[Mark Gregg]

In the current circumstances and with LE now offcially cancelled I ll be updating progress on This years Edinburgh in much more detail than ever before. The main location will be the clubs weekly newsletter published each Thursday/ Friday and delivered via email. Only available to members although membership is available here. https://www.themotorcyclingclub.org.uk/join-the-mcc/

However most of that information will be available publicly in this thread although it may be as much as a week later than via the weekly newsletter.

from the newsletter dated Friday 03/04

Edinburgh planning ramps up a gear this week.   Notwithstanding the current restrictions on movements etc. we are planning to go ahead on the scheduled date of 2/3 October.   
Given the restrictions in place today and for the coming 3/4 months and in the hope that come late summer they may be relaxed to allow free movement we are adapting our plans appropriately.    To which end The 2020 Edinburgh will be 99% digital.   Entries will significantly simpler and online only (no paperwork whatsoever) Route Cards will be pdf /word documents to download.   Programmes may be downloads.   
A solution is being sought for control cards/scrutineering cards to limit contact points or eliminate them physically.   All communication with officials will be digital including updated  -how to observe/marshal documents-  for all officials.   Digitising all these steps is a big step allowing us to minimise physical contacts, minimise costs, provide flexibility, giving us maximum opportunity to adapt to circumstances we cannot predict.
The route has been submitted to all appropriate parties (Motorsport UK, ACU, The Motorsport UK route liaison officers, The Police, The County Council the National Park, RAYNET etc.) this week 100% digitally via Motorsport UKs excellent Mapyx platform.

Given the circumstances, all of these actions are zero cost and that is how we will proceed until the future becomes clearer.   We have a couple of fixed expenditure items that have to be met whether the trial goes ahead or not but in the meantime we will continue to plan/prepare and organise at zero cost to limit the clubs financial exposure.
The trial we have planned is similar in many ways to recent years with a couple of significant differences!   TWO start points (North and South) with Carsington Water been the point where all starters come together.   The first vehicle will leave here at 00.01 on 3rd October.    We have 3 new sections for ALL classes, an additional special Test and we have removed 8 miles of A-Roads and added 6 miles of smooth/ gravel green lanes!
The main trial will be a classic MCC Derbyshire challenge, our aim is a gold medal in every class, we succeeded last year in all bar 2 classes.   Class 0 has been eased significantly AND will run at the front of the trial and again will have no restarts.   The classes for X90 and Adventure Bikes are incorporated and as we now have a dedicated assistant clerk of course for Class R there will again be a 100% tarmac route using much smoother lanes than in the past.   The popular daylight only Derbyshire class will also run again.
Much of this is planned, however with many offices/organisations not working at the moment permissions have yet to be confirmed and will not be sought until the circumstances improve considerably.   Should resources / circumstance not permit the event to run as the above plan we have an embryonic Plan B starting at 07.01 on 3rd October from the Duke of York and running entirely in daylight.
We have negotiated exclusive use of the Facilities at the Duke over the weekend and all camping/ caravanning/ trailer parking monies will be going directly to the club and booking will be via the club, all online..

[Tim Kingham]

This sound good
I suppose it all depends on the timing of the second wave of lockdown

[Mark Gregg]

There are a huge number of unknown variables but this is the trial we would run if we had full access and resources.
We do have a significant plan B which we shall invoke if we have partial access/ resources on that date. If we do not run on the first week in October then we will not run until October 2021.

[david@whitepost.me.uk]

Good work Mark.  It's good to have options just in case it's at all possible.

Thanks for putting the effort in!!

[Mark Gregg]

From NOTW Friday 10 April:
It pays to be prepared! last weeks plans to submit the route and an application for a permit to all the authorities may have seemed optimistic in the current climate, however I ve had an enquiry today from the powers that be regarding the route and a possible clash. A local club is planning a road rally two weeks after the Edinburgh over much of the same area we use and there are potentially significant route clashes.

Luckily  all our paperwork ( which is infact all digital) was complete and the send button had been pressed just days before!

Given that this week would have been LE The plan was to release details of the Edinburgh the first week in May but to put a little meat on last weeks information heres some details and stats from our planned route.

The 96th Edinburgh trial will be on 02/03 October 2020 featuring 18 sections and 3 special tests. The trial itself is 143 miles with the choice of a Northern start (+ 21 mile touring assembly) or Southern start (+46 mile touring assembly) The breakfast and the finish will be at the excellent Duke of York at Pomeroy.

First vehicle will leave the trial start at Carsington at 01.01 on 3rd October.  Class O will run in front of the main trial along with classes J and E and their starting point will be the Northern option. As promised dual carriageways are no longer in the route! 'A' road mileage is reduced by about 8 miles AND I ve had confirmation that two lengthy smooth hard packed gravel green lanes are definitely in!

There are 6 sections and two tests in the 50 miles before the 5.30am breakfast at the Duke , even the back markers should get at least 4 sections and 2 tests in the dark.

Our planned final section is new to the trial and for the more specialist classes will be a real sting in the tail!

We ve looked at restarts and they have been reduced for every class.  5 classes will have no restarts at all! The introduction of class 90 meant we have been able to drill down on the last three years results find out where our Suzuki driving friends have suffered unduly in class 5 and amend the restarts appropriately.

Last years popular daylight only Derbyshire class will again run, starting from the Duke at 09.01 and have 11 sections and 1 test.

The Duke of York has full camping and caravan facilities available as well as trailer and van parking all of which will be available exclusively to competitors/officials and heavily discounted and available ONLY through the club..  As Fred Pontin used to say '' Book Early'' ( you ll have to wait until entries open but get ready to press that 'Buy Now'' button!)

Due to the circumstances we are not going to open entries until we know we can run the trial and will make a final decision no later than mid July. All paperwork will be virtually eliminated and competitors and officials information will be delivered digitally and available on at least one public platform. Entries will be available to MCC members and members of 13 invited clubs. In 2019 opening up entries to a broader base increased competitor numbers and brought many new competitors to our trials including some for whom the Edinburgh was their first ever trial.

Should circumstances/ resources dictate that it is not appropriate to run the trial as detailed above Plan B is in place. The trial will not be postponed if it cannot run on the planned date.

We have some serious earthworks to do pre trial on one new section, close to the petrol station from last year, and on one old favourite. As soon as we get the all clear we ll put the call out to put boots on the ground. So aside from fettling your car bike or three wheeler, clean, oil your shovels and picks and wrap them in sack cloth, sort that squeaky wheel on the barrow, scrape the muck from your Dunlop wellies and stand ready to answer the call!

[Mark Gregg]

Working to a routine in isolation and Edinburgh preparation has a three hour window between my 9:00am coffee and the first teenager showing their face in the study.   This week I have learnt that two important people have moved job roles ( Staffs Police and Forestry England ) and that the mailbox of Derbyshire police is full and won't accept emails.   Solutions have to be found for all three.   The road book covers and appendices / amendments have now been completed for all bar Class R.   Work has started on the road books themselves.   Google Earth is your friend here as once you have the route plotted on the excellent digital mapping programme Mapyx, calculating distances becomes easy as it has pretty good measuring devices.   We then virtually travel the route on Google Earth to capture road signs etc.   This is all mocked up on a word document which is built with cut and paste from last years document and new sections minus deletions.   You would think that would be quick but I think it will take the rest of the week to complete the first draft just for class O.   This gets us to a stage where I can print a hard copy and go out and physically check on the ground.   I have set up and been practising with the trip meter app on my phone, so that we are ready when we can get out and physically check and have the most accurate road book measurements ever.   I have also asked one large land owner for Permission.   As is often the case with him, I do not expect a reply of any sort until the week of the trial and written permission until possibly the Thursday or Friday of trial week.   We won't be seeking any more permissions though until at least the first restrictions are been lifted.

[Mark Gregg]

With Govt. restrictions/announcement being fluid, a final decision date for committing to this year's Edinburgh has been moved to Sunday 5th July with hopefully a positive announcement and entries open from Monday 6th July.   This coincides with The ACU who have decided this week that motorcycle sport will "commence in parallel" with the governments planned " step three" and that this is not likely to be before 4th July.    Until now we have been able to plan with absolutely minimal costs added to our fixed costs.   However almost immediately after that date should we make the decision to proceed, significant financial costs to meet our legal obligations for use of footpaths and bridleways etc in the order of £2200 have to be committed to with absolutely no refunds possible if we should then have to cancel.   Although nothing is certain I need a high confidence of been able to proceed before I commit the club to that amount of expenditure with no chance of a refund.   At this time the Peak District National Park regards itself as closed for business and there is considerable resistance to people travelling to the area.   As the ACU point out it would also be illegal at this time for anyone to travel to an event from Scotland, Wales or NI.
Positively the organisers are keeping in touch and plans A and C are developing well and I have an early plan D in mind as a last resort for an event held without the need for section 33 Authorisation which is in truth the source of our largest single financial outlay.   I am scheduled to call the Council Rights of Way to clarify their position on Friday.    We expect demand for entries will be high.   I recently placed a single post on 36 differing Facebook pages from trail riders to Austin 7 clubs promoting the event with a photo of an MG from 1931, by far the biggest response with 120 likes was from a motorcycle trail riding page and then other similar pages followed then by classic trials and vintage enthusiasts pages.   The Edinburgh's own facebook page is set up ready to go with links to the club website, it will be released on 6th July should we be able to proceed.

[Tony Bishop]

I must congratulate Mark for the thoroughness and quantity of work he appears to be throwing at the 2020 problem.
The degree of information that is being promulgated to keep us all aware of the situation is excellent
This would appear to be well above the call of duty but nevertheless I am sure I echo what most of the club members feel when I say thank you for your endevours.

Also the amount of interest that has been garnered from 3rd party clubs and organisations certainly seems positive but if entries were to be over subscribed will entry priority will be given to MCC members ?

[Mark Gregg]

Entry has only ever been for MCC members and a very small number ( significantly less than 10% ) from a small number of invited clubs. On the Edinburgh we have led the way in opening up those invitations to the maximum number of invited clubs and focusing those invites on clubs local to the event. This led to the number of invited participants probably been close to double the norm. Those additional competitors made up almost the entire derbyshire daylight only class. this served two valuable aims. Increased the number of participants who may well come back for more and the number of entries effectively paid for the legal costs for accessing Litton Slack and other rights of way. a win for everybody. Members effectively got to use those rights of way for no costs with the costs been borne by invited  clubs competitors.
For 2020 forward we do not give anyone priority entries. HOWEVER..  MCC members have a significant discount to their entry fees compared to invited competitors such that by doing two events you ll make a saving by been a club member. Equally MCC members will know well in advance of anybody else when entries will be available.
On the two MCC trials in the south west they have proven to be able to run considerably greater numbers in the past than they do today, however, Edinburgh entries have been fairly consistent over the last 25 years and frankly we want the trial finished before dark. On average all MCC trials have between 4% to 15% non starters so I think we shall set a nominal figure of 250 entries in total. in 2019 we had about 93% of that number entries and about 210 starters, last finisher was about 6.30pm. I think that if we run we ll be one of the first off the mark post covid so I hope for a premium entry especially amongst our motorcycling friends. we are after all THE motor cycling club.     

[Stephen Bailey]

Also the amount of interest that has been garnered from 3rd party clubs and organisations certainly seems positive but if entries were to be over subscribed will entry priority will be given to MCC members ?

That sounds reasonable.

The MCC members pay the asking price (It is not discounted) it may be Increased for Non members.

The actual Members of the MCC should come before Invited guests. If over subscribed possibly they should be put on a reserve list.

I would think it would be grossly unfair if an MCC Member lost out on having an entry to a Non Member.

It may be cheaper for a TRF member to pay TRF Membership than MCC Membership, and get to enter all the MCC trials and Win medals. (Why not do it for non members for honour only and exclude them from the counting results?).

There should be some reciprocation negotiated by the MCC to those clubs that are allowed to enter our trials. Its only fair.

After all it is The Motorcycling Club and the club was formed from its members for its members.
 

[Paul K]

I would think it would be grossly unfair if an MCC Member lost out on having an entry to a Non Member. …………

After all it is The Motorcycling Club and the club was formed from its members for its members.

The subject of invited clubs has been discussed several times by the Executive.  Inviting other clubs can serve as a means to make up for a reduction of MCC members and make a trial financially viable.  There are considerable costs involved in putting on a trial (see just some of those costs in Mark’s post) and these must be recouped in some way.

Paramount in the minds of the Executive is the requirement that MCC members come first. 

A marketing strategy is currently being developed to increase the Club’s membership and entrants.  As those numbers increase, different approaches will need to be made to ensure that MCC members are not disadvantaged.  There are numerous ways that could be achieved, e.g.  MCC members are given an earlier date to apply for an entry, the number of invited clubs is reduced, entries from other clubs have a maximum number, and, as has been stated, different entry fees.

[Tony Ferrari (Nomad)]

It may be cheaper for a TRF member to pay TRF Membership than MCC Membership, and get to enter all the MCC trials and Win medals. (Why not do it for non members for honour only and exclude them from the counting results?).

I'm not sure how you come to that conclusion?

TRF Membership = £56.50

MCC Membership = £35.00

[Stephen Bailey]

It may be cheaper for a TRF member to pay TRF Membership than MCC Membership, and get to enter all the MCC trials and Win medals. (Why not do it for non members for honour only and exclude them from the counting results?).

I'm not sure how you come to that conclusion?

TRF Membership = £56.50

MCC Membership = £35.00

Tony I did not come to any conclusion. a few years ago I think the TRF was a lot cheaper.

I wrote "May". 

[Stephen Bailey]

It may be cheaper for a TRF member to pay TRF Membership than MCC Membership, and get to enter all the MCC trials and Win medals. (Why not do it for non members for honour only and exclude them from the counting results?).

I'm not sure how you come to that conclusion?

TRF Membership = £56.50

MCC Membership = £35.00

Tony. Hi. Are you both a TRF and MCC member?

[Tony Ferrari (Nomad)]

Yes I am