Port Navigation 200km : Saturday 13th April 2013

[Bairn Again]

Appearing on an audax calendar soon….

The Port Navigation 200km event returns, on Saturday 13th April 2013.

The event will start from Ballachulish (I’m currently in negotiations to use the Village Hall) with intermediate controls as follows

Invercreran (info) – familiar to those who’ve ridden the old school Daylight or Twilight 600.

Oban – many cafes etc

Pennyghael on Mull – either an info or car based control depending on the number of riders

Lochaline – Jeans café at the pier.

There’s three ferry journeys on the event, Oban to Craignure, Fishnish to Lochaline and finally the Corran Ferry.  This means that even the quickest riders will probably take almost 11 hours to finish, but that simply allows more time to enjoy the breathtaking scenery. 

The start time of 8am allows for a reasonably leisurely ride down to Oban (62km) and the aim is that all riders will be on the 11.45 ferry to Craignure.

The ferries from Fishnish are at 15.40 (25kph), 16.25 (20kph) 17.10 (17kph) or even 18.10 (14kph). 

The Corran Ferry has a half hourly schedule leaving Ardgour at XX.00 and XX.30 though quite often runs a double frequency service to avoid queues building up.     

In order to cut down on event admin and cost there will be no postal entries for this event, its paypal only with all event info online. 

[Revolution9]

looking forward to this

i'm ashamed to say there are a lot of places on the route i've never visited, never mind cycled

[MercuryKev]

Paypal only?  That's not an option on the AUK site - I'm trying to be organised, when with the entries open or will I just chuck you a tenner tomorrow night

[Bairn Again]

Paypal only?  That's not an option on the AUK site - I'm trying to be organised, when with the entries open or will I just chuck you a tenner tomorrow night

hi Kev - paypal is now activated. 

Ive just tried it out by entering myself (as it were) and it worked fine.  i'm now on the start list, and I think I owe myself a tenner.

Of course, feel free to chuck me a tenner anytime, but it'll no' count as an event entry fee.

[MercuryKev]

Excellent I'll have to try it out to see if it work.

[Bairn Again]

Excellent I'll have to try it out to see if it work.

yes thats worked.

Tinez'll be raging, hes normally always first in.   

[Tinez]

Excellent I'll have to try it out to see if it work.

yes thats worked.

Tinez'll be raging, hes normally always first in.   

Damnit!

[eck]

Excellent I'll have to try it out to see if it work.

yes thats worked.

Tinez'll be raging, hes normally always first in.   

Better not tell him that I had an email yesterday from a guy wanting to enter the Snow Roads... in 2014. 

[MercuryKev]

My strategy this year is to enter rides in three month batches - I'm looking at Feb - Mar - Apr just now.

[Bairn Again]

event update.....

entries have been steadily coming in, almost 20 now, sufficient to cover the cost of the village hall at Ballachulish which has been booked (its the "curtains + voddie" control used on the sun drenched Twilight 600 in 2008), so no al fresco start.

Two good reasons not to leave your entry until the last minute –

(i)   Id like to give CalMac a reasonably accurate idea of rider numbers in advance.       

(ii)   With enough entries I might consider using this place http://www.pennyghael.org.uk/Community/Storage/index.htm as a control, otherwise it will be something more modest.   

Entries here http://www.aukweb.net/events/detail/13-278/

If anybody wants to help out the calendar event, let me know.   

I’ve pencilled in Saturday 2nd March to do the organisers ride, and anybody helping on the calendar event is free to join me that day.   

[mcshroom]

Looks interesting. I'll have to look into logistics though first.

[Bairn Again]

Ive booked the Pennyghael Village Hall as a proper control (= decent feed stop just shy of 100km) and Ive got the offer of some help too .   

Theres no excuses now, get your entry in!

http://www.pennyghael.org.uk/Community/Storage/index.htm. 


 

[jogler]

I can't ride this event 'cause I have a hot date elsewhere on the AUK calendar with a lady yacfer
ftw

I may see you at the Mersey Roads 24hr again.

[Bairn Again]

I can't ride this event 'cause I have a hot date elsewhere on the AUK calendar with a lady yacfer
ftw

I may see you at the Mersey Roads 24hr again.

A lady yacf-er eh?  Sounds like fun jogler

Aye maybe see you for the 24. 

[eck]

I can't ride this event 'cause I have a hot date elsewhere on the AUK calendar with a lady yacfer
ftw

I may see you at the Mersey Roads 24hr again.

Bbbut, jogler, one of the helperettes on yleeg's event will be Mrs eck, so I hope your hot date is worth it!
And, aye, hope to see you next July. 

[Phil Tomlinson]

Will it be possible to kip in the hall at Ballachulish on the Friday and Saturday nights?

[Feanor]

I appear to have entered this event.

Like Mr. EP, I'd also like to know if the village hall at Ballachulish will be available as an overnight stop.

Otherwise, I'll need to book myself into the Glencoe Malmaison.
Or for Old Time's Sake, I could camp up near the Clachaig in the pishing rain.

[Pingu]

Fighting off the buttery obsessed sheep.

[valkyrie]

Did my annual diary negotiations this mornings with Mrs V and sadly didn't manage to get a pass for this one. Bit gutted as I love the route.

[Bairn Again]

NO sleeping at the HQ either on the Friday night before the event or the Saturday after, its  a condition of our use of the hall.  The community association who own it are shit hot on this as they've had walkers and cyclists (not audax ecosse) take the piss using it as a "low cost" bunk house in previous years.     

They are willing to play ball with us on something like the Twilight when riders might arrive or leave during the night, but other than that they are very firm (*).  On past occasions weve even had a visit from the janny to make sure we werent breaching the terms of our let.  Good news is that theres lots of other commercial sleeping options including syha and camping. 

(*) I wont get the hall key until 5am on the day of the event.   

[eck]

The janny didn't mention curtains, did he? 

[Bairn Again]

The janny didn't mention curtains, did he? 

he did, and i had a fair amount of explaining to do. 

by the time we got beyond 15 minutes on campag v shimano though I had him on the run,   

[Ernst]

Greetings from New Zealand. We could help you with this event but won't be home in time for your organiser's ride. If you have enough help then maybe we'll ride it.

[Dave_C]

I'm in!! Hope I'm not too late. Still to organise accomodation, probably camp, but need to ensure I can get there first as I have no transport.

[Noodley]

I'm still humming a hawing...