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NAVY NEWS, APRIL 1991
POWER UPDATE FOR PRIVATEER APRIL 28th sees the start of the 1991 offshore powerboat racing season in the familiar waters around Weymouth and Portland. Hoping for plenty of local support will be a Royal Navy crew of Licut.-Cdr. Rob Andrews (MOD) and Cdr Tim Williams (POST) in their Class MI boat Privateer.
Above: HMS Sultan's triumphant cross-country team with trainer/coach CPOPT Jock Stewart, sixth from left, enjoy their success Picture John McNally
CROSS COUNTRY GIVES CAUSE TO CELEBRATE ROYAL Navy Athletic Club completed its best winter in the West Country by winning the final Westward League cross-country race at Paignton and so became the first club ever to achieve a hat trick of league titles. The club had already established an unbeatable lead in the premier West Country league but it was nice to finish the season having won all races. RNAC totally dominated despite quality opposition —
with a large squad, a mix of experience and y o u t h , and superb motivation. Five RN runners finished in ihe lop 15 of the individual league; Steve Gough (Yeovillon) was first class to finish runner-up. The others were: 5th Andy Simpson (Manadon). 9th Bob Chapman (Drake), who was runner-up in the veterans, 1 l l h Mick Cave (FONA), and 15lh Mai Walker (Stonehousc). The B-team also performed well, finishing fifth, ahead of many strong teams, such as Torbay and Exeter. The season draws to a close
COLLINGWOOD TOP OF THE TABLE PLAYING at home, representatives of HMS Collingwood dominated the Portsm o u t h Command Table T e n n i s Championships, writes POWEM John Reha. All the top seeds made the q u a r t e r - f i n a l s of the open singles event. The semi-finals
NNJI Table-Tennis were closely f o u g h t , w i t h POWEM Steve Reilly beating Lieut. Mike Knowles and a victory for myself over CPO Andy Jones, both in straight sets. Rcilly went on to win the final, becoming singles champion for the second year in succession. The plate final was won b y L M E A K e n M o i r (Sultan). A new selection of junior players resulted in a close competition with WEA APP Hpward (Collingwood) defeating JWEM(O) Arnison to become the I99I junior champion. A larger than usual turnout for the ladies competition allowed a ladies singles and a mixed doubles event to be run. The ladies event ended in a "club swingers" final, with POWrcnPT Carol Shaw (Collingwood) defeating LWrenPT Burns (Sultan) in straight sets. The mixed doubles event saw Steve Rcilly and Janine Burns defeat LEM(O) Rose (Collingwood) and CWrenPT Johnson (Collingwood) by two sets to one in the final. Due to a lower entry age for ihe veterans event, (here was an absence of walking sticks and several new competitors. Youngest of the "veterans" was LWEM(O) Rose — remembered not all thai long ago as a consistent junior competitor! But he ran out of steam by the final, in which he was beaten by Lieut. Mike Knowles (Nelson). The doubles event provided
the finale and again saw an allCollingwood final, with Reilly and Howard defeating CPOWEA Pete Eggbeer and myself by two sets to one. Points were awarded at each stage of the competition and Collingwood. having by far the strongest squad, emerged as outright winners. Second were Collingwood B and third HMS Nelson. Any new players, male or female, w i s h i n g to join the RNTTA or WRNTTA should contact me or Steve Reilly at the PCs' Mess. HMS Collingwood, or Sub-Lieut. Tim Currass at RNEC Manadon.
Fencing SEVEN hours of unswerving concentration was required of Sub Lieuts. Alwyn Richter and Mark Barton as they presided over the National Boys Fencing Championships at Plymouth. The event gave Amateur Fencing Association coach Norman GoEding the chance to put Alwyn and Mark through their paces as potential amateur fencing Presidents. And their display of practical presiding — coupled with mastery of the rules and regulations of the sport — saw both qualify as National Grade II Presidents, a rare achievement even within the wider circles of civilian fencing. Both are members of Plymouth Command and Manadon Clubs.
with RNAC having won the Devon Championships (for the first time since 1939) and had two individual county champions in Dave Ncal (Cdo Log) for Devon and Tony Dunn (Culdrose) for Cornwall. While congratulating RNAC on its success, o p p o n e n t s warned they would be aiming to knock the club off its perch next winter. But, said Lieut.-Cdr. Chapman, "With such a large and enthusiastic group of club runners, RNAC views the future with considerable optimism. We now look ahead to the track season." Meanwhile, in the Hamps h i r e League R N A C p u l l e d back after a very poor start to finish the season fifth of the ten teams in Division One. The Bteam finished fourth of the 20 teams in the B league. Congratulations must go to the HMS Sultan cross-country
team, unbeaten this season in league and command races. Sultan won both senior and junior races in the Portsmouth area championships and repeated the double in the Portsm o u t h C o m m a n d CrossCountry Championships. The RN Marine Engineering School managed to field three teams in each of the six races in the aggregate leagues (consisting ofteams from the three Services, Police, Fire and Civil Service). Sultan's A team won all six races in Div. I and the B team finished top of Div. 3, with the C team finishing third. Four of Sultan's runners finished in the lop six of the individual league with an average of 200 runners in each race. CCPO Graham Riley was the outright winner, highlighting an excellent season in which he has been selected to run for the Combined Services.
Rob and Tim first teamed up last year and achieved a series of good results including placings in the Portsmouth. Torbay. Humber and Round the Island races, which led to fifth place in the 1990 National Championship.
Preparation Over the winter months the boat has undergone a "refit and capability update" in preparation for the 1991 season and the crew are confident that she can now better 60 knots. W i t h this extra performance. a season's e x p e r i e n c e and much-appreciated sponsorship from the Sea Life Centres in Wcymoulh and Southsea. the crew should be right at the front of the field in 1991. The Wcymouth race is fol-
lowed on 5 May by the Portsmouth race in more familiar waters off Southsca. Thereafter the series moves further afield to Swansea- Torbay. the Thames Estuary and Hull before r e t u r n i n g to the South coast in August and September. Rob and Tim would welcome support at any of these events to help them prove that the RN crew, professionals in powerboats of all sizes, can win the Championship in 1991.
AS A result of the Gulf War and its heavy demands on manpower, this y e a r ' s Joint Services Skill-atArms Meeting and National Rifle Association Services Meeting at Bisley have been cancelled. Arrangements are being made for a Joint Service Target Rifle Match on July 7 and July 23. Details will be circulated. The NRA National Meeting will be held from July 18 to July 27. Those wishing to shoot do so as individuals. Details from RNRA Secretary.
Tigers subdued EIGHT members of the WRNS swimming squad travelled to St Helier in Jersey for a gala against the Jersey Tigers Swimming Club. Three swimmers from each team swam in each event, with all competitors swimming in several races. In each of the relay events the whole team swam, so there was little time to rest. The Wrens took first, second and third in all races but one, where they managed first, second and fourth! The relay teams shone equally and the final points tally was Wrens 80 Tigers 34. Team members were Sub Lieut. Lisa Roberts, LWren Rachel Kirkham, LWPT Louise Richardson (capt) and Wrens Lisa Butler, Donna Maclean, Sue Howard. Jo Offlcy and Jill Watson. CPOPT Pete Crowley and CPOWEA Sam Wakefield coached.
Brakeman saves the day when handle gives WITH half the first team unavailable due to Gulf commitments, some last minute phone calls were required to bring the Royal Navy and Royal Marines team up to strength for the 1991 Fosters Inter-Service Bobsleigh Championships in Igls, Austria. CPO Andy Michel dusted off his driving gloves after a
'NNJI Bobsleigh five year break to join experienced Navy drivers, PO Bob West (team captain), LAEA Chris McCulloch and CPO Gary Warner (who extended his service to compete). As for the brakernen, Mid Gary Stubbs became available, along with novice AEM Lee Wafford. They joined Mne Craig Elliott and LAEM Steve Holdsworth. The Army team were expected to be strong, all having been on the ice all over Europe since October. The RAF team had been badly affected by the Gulf and like the Navy squad contained a mix of experienced men and novices. Equipment was where the Navy team was lacking. The best two bobs were selected from the team store at HMS Sultan. The team still had possession of a year-old bob belonging to 3M, which Warner had been working on back in October. 3M agreed this could be used for the competition. The team's fourth sled was brand new and picked up the day before practice started. This
was bought half through team funds and half by a long term team benefactor — Bradford University Research again sponsored the team with an interest-free loan. Transport across Europe for personnel and equipment was again supplied by Vincents of Yeovil. As expected, the Army took the lead in the competition, but not without some scares. On the third day of practice West was fastest down the track and caused some worried looks in the Army camp.
Chased hard The Army won the team race, with the Navy second and the RAF third. There was victory for the Army No. 1 in the individual race — but he was just two seconds faster than West. He, in turn, was chased hard by the Army 2 and 3 and the RAF No 1, wih just 0.5 sees covering all four sleds. So Bob West took the Navy title and Craig Elliot was named best Navy/Marines brakeman. Andy Michel took the Navy novice award despite having a moment on his last run when his push handle released while he
was still pushing. Quick thinking by his brakeman Lee Wafford, who hauled him off his knees and into the bob, saved a potential disaster and Lee having to learn to drive in double quick time!
Above: The RN and RM Bobsleigh Team. Back row from left: Mid. Stubbs, LAEM Holdsworth, CPO Michel and AEM Wafford. Middle: CPO Warner. Front: Mne. Elliott, PO West and LAEA McCulloch.