NAVY NEWS, FEBRUARY 1991
39
Racer's back - as good as New
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FOR EVEN the most experienced riders, motorcycle racing is a dangerous game. Take Barry Sheen . . . After riding bikes without a serious mishap for 16 years LS(D) Roy New (Nelson Gunwarf) came a cropper when he lost the back of the bike at over lOOmph on the lake Ss at Maliory Park. It wasn't so much ihc coming off thai caused the damage but being run over by the rider he had just overtaken. Two broken arms, a broken toe. a wrist requiring pinning and injuries to his left knee and both shoulders resulted. The enforced lime oul of the sport came as a great disappointment to Roy. The accident happcnded in April last year, just a few months after he had bought a new bike — a Spondon RG500 S u z u k i , a handmade racing bike capable of speeds of 165mph, or maybe more — with the aim of going up a notch in the sport. Gradually he and the bike became used to each other; he
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Sport
THEM INDOORS OH SO CLOSE
SEAHAWK SWOOPS ON HOCKEY TITLE
RAF Newton in Nottinghamshire was the venue for the Women's Inter-Service Indoor Hockey Championships. Drawn against the favourites, RAF(W), in the first match, the RN(W) equalised within a minute of the airwomen opening ihc scoring. First Navy goal came from LWrcn Claire Worsley. The RAF(W) pulled ahead again, and this time LWrcn Annette Parry responded with a goal. The RN(W) pressed forward and LWrcn Elaine Boughton put them ahead. With nothing to lose, the RAF(W) kept pressing forward and with 20 seconds r e m a i n i n g t h e hollow sound of the ball striking the backboard echoed round the gymnasium, robbing the RN(W) of victory. After eight minutes of extra time, Parry put the R N ( W ) ahead once again, but the RAF(W) were not finished and equalised in the 54th minute. With the final score remaining at 4-4, penalty flicks were required to force a result. CWren Annette Ludford was first for the RN(W), but the RAF(W) keeper read it well and, diving to her right, just managed to get her stick safclybchind the ball. RN(W) keeper POWren Julie Voss also anticipated the first RAF(W) flick HMS Dryad starred in the RN Women's Inter Establishment Tournaments 1990, reaching the finals of all events and winning three of them. The Hockey 63 were played at RM Eastney and 15 establishments were represented. The final saw Dryad beat Heron 1-0 after extra time. HMS Collingwood was the venue for the netball knockout. Again 15 teams participated. The final saw HMS Nelson beat Dryad 14-9. A dozen teams turned out for the badminton at HMS Sultan. The final saw Warrior and Dryad 2-2, with Warrior winning after a points count back. A straightforward league rather than a knockout competition, the squash tournament took place at HMS Temeraire. Dryad won, with HMS Warrior runners-up. The indoor hockey event took place at HMS Nelson and 16 establishments participated. In the final HMS Heron beat Dryad 1-0. Finally, the table tennis event took place at HMS Dryad and the home side triumphed. Result of the final: Dryad 4, Osprey 2. Eight establishments competed.
well, but was just unable to keep the ball out of the net. Worlsey was next for the Navy and placing the ball at knee height to the keeper's left could only watch as it was kicked away by the keeper's pads. Voss tried desperately to keep the RN in the match, but the RAF(W) flick again hit the back of the net. One more flick each remained, but the game was over. CWren Sylvia Johnson at last managed to beat the very acrobatic RAF(W) keeper, but the RAF(W) haying scored from their last flick had snatched victory 7-5. In their second game, which was against the Army(W), the RN(W) attacked from the whistle and were rewarded with a goal in the second minute by Sub Lieut. Tessa Bates. In the fourth minute the Army (W) were awarded a penalty flick, but the RN(W) keeper judged it well and the ball rebounded off the post. The Army(W) kept pushing forward and after a mad scramble in front of goal equalised. Play then settled down and it was not until the 25th minute that the Army(W) went ahead from a corner. It was now the turn of the RN(W) to apply the pressure and in the 35th minute Worsley levelled the score. A minute later the Army(W) scored from a corner, going ahead 3-2. The RN(W) tried valiantly to fight back, but were eventually beaten by the clock. The final match saw the Army(W) and RAF(W) battle it out for the Championship, with the RAF(W) winning. The Navy team did score a first in one respect at least. Sub Lieut. Bates, currently serving in HMS Juno, has the honour of being the first Inter Service representative from the "Women Afloat". Representing the RN(W) were: Sub Lieut. Bates, Chief Wren Ludford, POWren Pam Jack, LWren Worsley, LWren DebbieVout, Chief Wren Johnson, POWren Voss, LWren Parry, LWrcn Boughton and LWren Jane Dommershuizen.
rose in t h e p l a c i n g s and achieved a first in class trophy in the Snctlerton Championship. His first trip to Mallory was going well, with a best finish of eighth and lap times of 59 seconds. Despite the crash that followed Roy was determined to get back on the bike as soon as he could. His opportunity came late in October with another meet at Mallory. His best placing was 17th out of 35 but he had demonstrated ull ihe courage of the successful racer in going back into the bend where disaster had struck. There was j u s t one more meeeting after that before the season came to a close. And once again no problems. Said Roy, "The idea was to get back on the bike and race it and not get into any trouble. After being off the bike for six months and after the big crash I was pleased with all my placings against people who had been racing all season." Although Roy has unlimited enthusiasm he doesn'i have unl i m i t e d funds and now he would like to hear from anyone interested in sponsoring him. The new bike, complete with spare wheels and engine, cost him £7,000. Personal equipment, tools and running costs come on top. Each two day meeting costs him £150-£180. excluding any crash damage to the bike. And last year when he joined HMS Brecon in refil in Scotland he had to fly down before driving to the race meeting.
-lozenge
etly struc
few minutes, HMS Sea hawk eventually triumphed over a resilient HMS Coliingwood side by 3 goals to 2. Seahawk took the lead early in the first half through LAEM Phil Cootes after Collingwood had failed to clear their lines from a penalty corner. But Collingwood responded almost immediately as Lieut. Simon Jenkins ran on to a quickly taken free hit to level the score. There then followed a long period of tense hockey with the teams finely balanced and both coming close to scoring on numerous occasions. The deadlock was broken when, with 10 minutes to go, Lieut. Mark Coupland ran on to a loose ball, then beat several defenders before crashing a superb shot into the Collingwood net from the acutest of angles. Seahawk's euphoria over the goal soon evaporated, however, when five minutes later CPO Nig Buckley equalised for Collingwood
With the game apparently heading for extra time, Seahawk once more piled on the pressure and with two minutes to go Lieut. Pete Davies played an incisive through ball to LAEM Simon Game, who coolly slotted it past the Collingwood goalkeeper to clinch the game for Seahawk. Sub Lieut. Ian Bissett, appearing in his fifth successive Navy Cup final, received the cup from Admiral Abbott. This was the first time Seahawk had lifted the trophy since 1958. The team photograph shows (back row, left to right) PORT Val Hodgekinson, Lieut. Pete Davies, Simon Game, Capt. Taylor, AEM Andy Driver, Jack Dempsey, Mid. Hattie Jacques, Sub Lieut. John Brunskill, LWrenPT Natasha Bassett, AEM Cliff Kaile and Lieut. Dick Buckland. (Front row) PO Kev Walden, Lieut. Mark Coupland, LCK Dave Benson, Sub Lieut. Ian Bissett (captain), LAEM Tim Taylor, Lieut. Mike McArtain and LAEM Phil Cootes.
-A BOB ORTWO! COMBINED Services Winter Sports Bobsleigh Association is £10,000 richer thanks to sponsorship from British Aerospace (Dynamics). A cheque was presented to Air Commodore Tim Thorn, Chairman of the Association, by Mr Norman Barber, MD of BAe (Dynamics). The 1991 Inter-Service Bobsleigh Championships will take place on the Igls track near Innsbruck, Austria, February 3-9. The Army will be defending the Championship title.