Off Road Competition Secretary
33 Sqn
RAF Benson
Wallingford
Oxfordshire
OX10 6AA
Tel: 95261 7788
Email: sean948@hotmail.co.uk
www.raf.mod.uk/rafmotorsports
All RAFMSA Off-Road Riders
Reference: RAFMSA/MC/MS/1
Date: 19 Mar 2015
RAFMSA OFF-ROAD MOTORCYCLE -COMPETITION SECRETARY’S NEWSLETTER –
MARCH 2015 AL1
1.It is the end of the season again and I am writing this newsletter after a great team event at
Skegness Beach race last weekend which saw 20 RAF shirts on the gate on Remembrance
Sunday. The best turnout I can remember in a National civilian race ever! All team
competitors were wearing corporate kit and RAF race shirts sporting poppies on their bikes. A
great sight and very professional.
2014 SEASON
2.It has been a mixed year with the Ardua in January cancelled due to land issues, for which
we had over 150 entered. For one reason or another there has not been the attendance at
some of the RAF Championship rounds as we have seen in previous years. I think it is
partially due to members of the team leaving the service, work commitments including OOA
and land issues as ever. This is our own championship and we need to support it as much as
possible. It is a great opportunity to improve and train for larger events. Thank you to all those
that help out punching lap cards etc and attend in a support role at our events.
TRAINING
3. Our training event this year was held at Washbrook Farm MX organised by Flt Lt Reeve
and was with Chris Bastick from Train 2 Gain motocross coaching. Those that attended found
it very beneficial and with the 2014 season swayed towards motocross, it suited the riding that
the team undertook. Last years’ training was at Baskerville Hall organised by Sqn Ldr Colyer
and was also received well with Lee Walters as coach. For 2015 I am hoping to use Geraint
Jones Training School in Mid Wales. At the recent AGM we voted to contest the British
Enduro Championships series and Geraint is a very successful BEC competitor. With
hundreds of acres of forestry at his disposal, much of which is actually used in the BEC
series, we will benefit from his tuition and expertise.
NATIONAL EVENTS
4. Our National enduro events this year have largely been a success with riders at all planned
races. Hopefully more riders at each event next year carrying on the momentum from the end
of this season. My personal favourite from this year was our annual trip to the Isle of Man for
the 2 day enduro hosted by Southern MCC. A very friendly club who appreciate the effort we
put in to travelling to race their event. Day one was very tough due to awful weather but the
club cut parts of the course that were badly damaged for a very enjoyable day 2. All RAF
riders finished the event including a team rider on his first ever National enduro! Thank you to
all of you that have supported us this year at these events. Without support crew at big events
we would find it very difficult to race. Waiting at fuels checks all day, normally in the rain
giving the team fresh goggles, gloves, fuel and jelly babies is a very important job and is
appreciated by all those that race.
INTERNATIONAL EVENTS
5. We had 2 riders and support crew contest the Red Bull Romaniacs held in Sibiu, Romania
this year. Wg Cdr Pickard and his son Ben Pickard raced this round of the Hard Enduro series
supported by Sqn Ldr Colyer and Mr Wilson. It was a very successful event for the team that
travelled out there with both riders finishing the arduous 5 day event in the Carpathian
Mountains. Both riders plan to enter Red Bull Sea to Sky 2015 as part of the RAF team with
an additional 4 or 5 riders.
2015 OFF ROAD MOTORCYCLING CHAMPIONSHIPS
6. Cpl Jonny White is Off Road Championships Co-ordinator and will be organising a 6 round
championship split between motocross (with AMCA) and Hare & Hounds/Enduro (dependant
on numbers). If we are able to secure any more land/AMCA motocross races we will have
more rounds in the championship with your best 66% (approx) results to count towards the
final result for the year. We will be racing with North Wilts Motocross Club at Spirt Hill and
Ollerton Motocross Club at Bevercoates again. We have a good relationship with these clubs
and they are kind enough to host us in our own RAF only race in their programme. The Army
Championships will count as a round in our championships. This is a 2 day event with day
one as a long distance trial with scored sections and day 2 as a traditional enduro.
In a bid to encourage new riders, you are able to bring a new rider and both race for free in
one round of the RAF Championships at a Hare and Hounds event or Enduro event.
RAF ARDUA SERIES
7. The RAF Enduro team hold 2 civilian races per year called ‘Arduas’, normally after a round
of the RAF Championships on the lap we have already built and raced the previous day. It
was unfortunately cancelled in January 2014 due to issues with land. It is the team’s intention
to make the 2015 Ardua series as successful as possible. With so many events suffering with
poor attendance we need to make ours stand out to potential entrants. Maximum attendance
is requested for track building, running of the event including rider marshalling and track tear
down on the Sunday post race. Please let myself of Cpl White know the days you are
available prior to the event and we can then plan the most effective use of manpower and
make the event run smoothly.
NORTH/SOUTH DOMESTIC CHAMPIONSHIPS
8. The RAF Enduro Team predominantly competes in the south of the country. At the AGM it
was decided that there is to be a North and a South domestic series to be added to our list of
events. For the North, the Lincs Enduro Champs hosted by Banovalum MCC has been added
to the list of events. For the South, a mixture of RORE and PMCRC has been decided and
added to our events list. RAF Championships should be supported over these series.
CHAMPIONSHIP RULES
9. A copy of the 2015 Championship Rules can be found at Annex A and is published on the
RAFMSA website. Please ensure that you read and understand them. If there’s anything you
need explaining do not hesitate to contact Cpl Jonny White or myself. As per last year,
regulations and entry forms for all 2015 RAF Championship rounds will be published on the
RAFMSA website at
http://www.raf.mod.uk/rafmotorsports/2wheels/enduromotocross.cfm and will be announced
on the Facebook forum (contact me for more details about the Facebook forum).
RAFMSA OFF ROAD RACE/TRAINING CALENDAR
10. As decided in the recent AGM the RAF Enduro Team will contest a number of
club/regional/national with the possibility of an international event for 2015. The list below is a
rough idea and is not complete as some of the civilian clubs have not released dates as yet.
The final list will be published on the RAFMSA page.
December 2014 – BEEC Round 1 - Glyneath
January – BEEC Eddys’ Extreme, Round 2 Tong
January – Ardua 1 (hosting a civilian race)
February 28th – RAF Champs Rnd 1 Slab Common
March 14th & 15th – Northern Enduro Championships, Helmsley,
March 7th – Tough One Enduro, WOR Events,
March 22nd – RORE Rogershill Raceway 3hr H&H
April 12th – Banovalum H&H, Lincs
April 19th – RAF Champs Rnd 2 Bevercoates
April 4th & 5th – BEC Rnd 1 Lossiemouth
May 2nd & 3rd – BEC Rnd 2 Helmsley
May 4th to 10th May – Hellas Rally Raid, Greece
May 10th - Banovalum H&H, Lincs
June 14th - Banovalum H&H, Lincs
June 24th to 26th – Welsh 3 Day
June/July – RAF Champs Rnd 3 Spirt Hill
July 4th & 5th – BEEC, Eddy’s Extreme, Round 3 Cowm Quarry
July 18th & 19th – Manx 2 Day, Southern MCC, Isle of Man
July 19th - Banovalum H&H, Lincs
July 29th - RORE Rogershill Raceway 2hr H&H Wednesday evening
August 1st & 2nd – BEC Rnd 3 Knighton
August 15th & 16th – BEC Rnd 4 Hafren
August 30th - RORE Rogershill Raceway 3hr H&H
September – Sea To Sky, Turkey
September 13th - Banovalum H&H, Lincs
September 19th & 20th – BEC Rnd 5 Natterjack
October – Army Champs
October 11th - Banovalum H&H, Lincs
October 18th - RORE Rogershill Raceway 3hr H&H
October 24th & 25th – 2 day Fast Eddy Racing, Jurby, Isle of Man
November 1st - Banovalum H&H, Lincs
November 15th – BEC Rnd 6 Muntjack
November – Skegness Beach Race
2015 RAFMSA EVENT POLICY
11. A copy of the 2015 RAFMSA Off-Road Event Policy which details entry procedures and
general rules for competitors and support personnel can be found at Annex B and are
published separately on the RAFMSA website. Please ensure that you read and understand
the policy and do not hesitate to contact me if there is anything you need explaining.
LICENSES
12. ACU licenses – most non-RAF Championship events require an ACU license. Previous
ACU license holders can now renew their licenses online with a unique activation code. If you
require a code contact Sqn Ldr Colyer. For events that are not ACU affiliated a one day
license can be purchased when booking event or on the day.
DUTY STATUS AND TRAVEL AUTHORITY
13. All authorised RAF team events can be found on the MOSS for the enduro team and will
be updated frequently with the latest information as we receive it. You can also find a link to
the MOSS site from the RAFMSA homepage. Once you have expressed an interest to
compete by contacting myself or Cpl White, you will be required to enter and pay for the
event. You will then receive an admin order from myself or Cpl White granting you Duty
Status. This will afford you time away from work, MT, insurance if injured etc. Please see the
RAFMSA Off Road Event Policy at Annex B for further details. If the event/series you wish to
contest is not on our list of events for the year, I can write to your gymnasium asking for you
to be afforded Duty Status from your CO. I really want to push maximum participation in our
authorised events for the coming year.
TEAM RIDING KIT
14. As you can appreciate, with over 100 members of the enduro team (albeit many not
active) the team are unable to subsidise everyone to the same extent. There will be 2 tiers of
subsidy of team kit. The first tier is open to all competing at RAF Championships or Club level
as part of the RAF team. The second tier is for those competing at a number
National/International Events. The decision as to what tier of subsidy you will receive is at
Comp Sec/committee discretion and is dependant on a number of factors. These consist of
budget remaining for year, events left to contest, severity of event and team participation
throughout the year. All figures quoted below as subsidy are estimated as prices do change
with our team kit suppliers. The reason for the 2 tier system is that a lot of our budget in the
past has been spent on supporting riders not competing at National events and only racing
RAF Championships or their own domestic series. If a rider has expressed an intention to
compete in a considerable number of Tier 2 qualifying events, and deemed appropriate at
committee discretion yet fails to contest them, he/she will be required to pay back the
difference between Tier 1 and Tier 2. This is to prevent the team money being misused and to
re-distribute funding to those that need it and qualify for it.
Tier 1 Team kit (rough cost):
Race shirt with name £28 associates £25 full members
Alpinestar Techstar pants £101 associates £80 full members
Airoh Aviator Valour £240 associates £220 full members
Gaerne SG12 £304 associates £280 full members
Alpinestar T8 RS £201 associates £180 full members
Gaerne React £162 associates £140 full members
CFX seat cover red/white/blue £TBD
Team graphics kit for bike £TBD
Tier 2 Team kit (rough cost):
Race shirt with name £20 full members
Alpinestar Techstar pants £60 full members
Airoh Aviator Valour £150 full members
Gaerne SG12 £200 full members
Alpinestar T8 RS £160 full members
Gaerne React £120 full members
CFX seat cover red/white/blue £TBD
Team graphics kit for bike £TBD
SPARES AND SUPPORT
15. All those competing at National Events will receive a rear tyre applicable for that event. In
addition to this all riders will also be supported by means of kit and equipment before and/or
after successful completion of the event. The value of kit and equipment will be dependant on
budget remaining, events left in the year, severity of event and number of riders at the event.
Any remaining money at the end of the year will be used to reward those who competed at
the North/South domestic Championships.
TRADE ACCOUNTS
16. We have trade accounts with CI Sport, Off Road Only, Talon, Dunlop and Rip N Roll.
Contact Cpl White or myself with orders for CI Sport, Off Road Only or Dunlop providing as
much information as possible with part numbers if you can. Individuals are NOT to contact Off
Road Only, CI Sport or Dunlop directly. The accounts we hold with these companies are
linked to our bank accounts and addresses. A lot of work has been put in with keeping these
accounts over the years and we do not want our relationship with them jeopardised. We will
not be advertising when we order so as soon as you need something, message us. We will
then compile a list and order once there is enough for free delivery. On average we order
twice a month and kit is available to collect from RAF Benson, Swindon or any RAF event that
either of us are attending. You will be required to pay upfront via bank transfer and details of
accounts will be provided by myself or Cpl White. Any returns are at the individual’s personal
expense. For Talon, call them direct and chat with Simon quoting RAF Enduro Team for
discount.
SPORTSBOARD AND LOTTERY GRANTS
17. Sports Lottery Grants are available to full members of the RAFMSA. They are subject to
close scrutiny by members of the RAFMSA firstly the Comp Sec and then onto the Chairman
before submission to the Sports Board for further scrutiny and possible approval. Individuals
are NOT to submit applications straight to the Sports Board, but to myself first for
consideration. At present all Sports Lottery Grants have been suspended until further notice.
TEAM PLASTICS AND GRAPHICS
18. The RAFMSA have provided subsidy for RAF graphics for bikes. Cpl White is the POC for
team graphics and they are provided by Spiral Graphics. Most riders are purchasing white
plastics kits from our trade accounts at a very reasonable price for the new graphics kits to go
on.
RAFMSA MEMBERSHIP
19. All those who compete at any level with the RAF Enduro Team need to be RAFMSA
members. A form is available from the RAFMSA website for joining, and associates (Army,
former RAF members etc) can still join, just needing a signature from Comp Sec for approval.
Flt Lt Reeve is now the membership secretary for the team so contact him for further
information.
CORPORATE CLOTHING
20. Cpl Carl Jones has kindly volunteered to run the account for corporate clothing. A range
of polo shirts, coats, fleeces, hoodys etc are available, all with names on. Please make sure
you wear corporate clothing to and from events with the RAF Enduro Team. Corporate image
is very important in maintaining our reputation as a professional organisation. To go with our
corporate clothing we now own 2 large printed RAF gazebos and a number of feather flags
which we take to all events and practice days.
COMMUNICATION
21. We tend to communicate via group email and the ‘Unofficial home of the RAF Enduro
Team’ on Facebook. If you wish to join the group, just contact one of us first and we will add
you. It is a very useful tool for staying in touch and providing updates on race events and
training. We are looking into being able to use the RAFMSA forum effectively in the new year
as our official form of communication with Facebook as a backup. All RAF Championship
dates are published on the RAFMSA page as soon as land and dates are confirmed.
22. Good luck for the coming season and see you all soon.
All the best,
Sean
S Delaney
Cpl
Comp Sec Enduro
Annexes
A. RAFMSA 2015 Off Road Championship Rules
B. RAFMSA 2015 Off Road Event Policy