How to Go Road Rallying – 22nd December version (edited by Derek McLean – see below)
It may be reproduced by motor sport clubs or individuals for training and other non-profit purposes but may not otherwise be copied or published, and may not be sold.
Preface to the Third Edition
This is the third edition of this guide. I have modified the section on insurance to include the scheme operated by Bradstock, and rephrased a few paragraphs to make them read better or to reflect minor rule changes, but the rest of the content is identical. The original foreword is below.
These notes were originally written to accompany the road rally training classes run each October by Edinburgh University Motor Sport Club. The readership has since grown to include people all over Scotland and elsewhere, and in the light of this, things like the advice on where to buy supplies will seem very parochial. The thing to do is to join your local motor club and regularly attend its pub nights, where advice, whether wanted or not, inevitably flows almost as fast as the beer.
David Crooke September 1997
Foreword
This is a summary of what you need to know to get started in the sport of road rallying. It won't make you into an instant winner – there is no substitute for experience – but it will arm you with enough knowledge to get out there and enjoy an event.
The guide is based on the kind of navigational road rallies which form part of the East of Scotland Association of Car Clubs (ESACC) championship; the style of events and navigation varies slightly between different parts of the United Kingdom, and Scottish road rallies are quite distinctive, but most of this will stand you in good stead when you compete in the deep south.
Remember that this is only advice, and largely based on one person's opinion of how to go about competing in the sport. As you gain experience, you will form your own ideas about how to do things, which need not agree with those below.
Above all, remember that road rallying is purely for fun; go out and be competitive, but have a good laugh while doing so.
David Crooke October 1995
Appendix to foreword, by Derek McLean – December 2002
David and I were partners for 3½ years, and I have great respect for him. We did win the ESACC Championship three times in a row! But I have modified this treatise slightly, with the aid of the WORD program. I have done this in two ways: by tidying the format (e.g. by right justifying it); and by doing a little grammatical tweeking. David has always impressed me with his writing style, but – surprisingly – I found a few minor errors of grammar or syntax, which I have taken the liberty of adjusting in this particular version. This comprises no more than the odd comma, or the use of “that” instead of “which”. I take no credit for the content. I don’t agree with every single word, but you will not find a better introduction to the sport of navigational rallying anywhere. I salute David for a terrific piece of writing, and I am sure he would not criticise me for trying to make it just a tiny bit better still. The reason he can’t do it himself is that he defected to the west (Texas) in 1999, and has consequently lost touch with the real world!
I have just realised that some other items need to be changed in the light of developments such as the dropping of “RAC” and the change from Bradstock Insurance Brokers to Alexander Forbes. So that makes a third kind of minor amendment. I may also add a supplement at the end, if I think of anything else.
Contents
· Teamwork
· Getting Through Scrutineering
· Ordnance Survey Landranger Maps
· Tactics
· Road Rallying in England and Wales
What is a Road Rally?
The object in any rally is to get a car and its crew around a route, while complying with an often-demanding time schedule. A road rally takes place on open, public roads, and is something you can compete in with an ordinary car - in the past, an EUMSC member has won the ESACC Road Rally Drivers' Championship at Experienced level, against stiff competition, in a Citroen 2CV. A road rally isn't a 120 mph car-breaking charge through a forest, but then it isn't a church social club treasure hunt either.
As with most other forms of rallying, a road rally crew consists of a driver, a navigator and a car. The roles that the members of the crew play are somewhat different to those of their counterparts on, for example, a special stage rally.
Comparing it to other sports, road rallying is like a fast paced version of orienteering, done in a car instead of on foot.
Road rallies are legally restricted to an average speed of 30 mph. The object is to follow the correct route while maintaining this average speed, no faster, no slower. The "30 average" may not sound very fast, but there are a number of obstacles to slow competitors down; maintaining the required average speed in practice requires some enthusiastic driving.
Being the fastest on the road is not the way to win a road rally. The score is kept in terms of penalty points; you get a small penalty for being late at a time control (checkpoint), and larger penalties for being early, for missing out part of the route, for arriving at a checkpoint in the wrong direction, or for missing a checkpoint entirely.
The first problem you face is that you won't be told the route of the rally. A road rally is principally a test of the navigational skill of the crew. The route is kept secret, and competitors are given clues at the start of each section, which they must solve in order to find the correct route before they can start driving anywhere. The time taken to do this considerably eats into the allotted time of 2 minutes per mile allowed for each section.
The next weapon in the organisers’armoury is the natural topography of the roads along the route. Road rallies don't take place on motorways and major signposted roads, but on small, twisty "back roads" which provide an enjoyable challenge to the driver. Scotland has the wildest, highest countryside in Britain, and you can expect to encounter some roads where maintaining a 30 mph average speed is a challenge in itself.
Finally, there are route checks along the way. Usually, these take the form of code boards. A code board is a small temporary sign placed by the side of the road, with some numbers, letters or symbols on it. You are required to write these down on your time card. Occasionally, there will be a manned passage control, where you must stop and obtain a signature. Missing a code board or passage control is penalised heavily, compared with arriving early or late, so getting the route correct is vital.
The lengths of sections vary from as little as 1 mile to as much as 30 miles, but usually average around 6 miles. The 12 minutes allotted for a 6 mile section might be split up like this - 30 seconds to get your time card signed and get a clue at the preceding time control; 3 minutes to solve the clue; 8 minutes to drive the section; 30 seconds to stop for a passage control somewhere in the middle. This modest schedule has already brought the average driving speed up to 45 mph, and that's without having to double back if you made a mistake!
A final thing to note is that road rallies take place at night - this seems strange at first, but it is actually much safer, as there is far less non-rally traffic, and headlights give early warning of oncoming cars. Darkness also allows you to use your own car's lights to pick out the road ahead.
The Role of the Driver
It is a common misconception that a navigator solves the clues and a driver drives the car. A successful road rally driver does not merely drive and leave the navigator to do everything else. Before an event even takes place, the driver must prepare and check over the car, to make sure it will pass scrutineering, to make sure the necessary equipment is there, to be sure the car will last the night, and to ensure there is enough fuel!
On the event, the driver must support and assist the navigator in every way possible - by helping to solve clues, by supporting the navigator's decisions, by keeping calm and helping to build a spirit of teamwork. It is also the driver's responsibility to spot code boards. [Derek’s comment – I lost us as event by failing this particular test; my excuse was that it was daylight, and it was on an urban road; a feeble excuse.]
A good driver will also help the navigator with tasks like timekeeping - if you can keep track of the timing in your head it acts as a useful backup to the navigator's calculations.
· Prepare the car before each event
· Support and assist your navigator
· Stay calm
· Watch for code boards
· Drive!
The Role of the Navigator
It is the skill of the navigator which decides how competitive a crew is on a road rally - a fast driver or a fast car can at best save a couple of minutes here and there on the longer sections, but a good navigator can save hundreds of penalties that might be dropped by a less experienced one. Most drivers inevitably have a lot of experience - most people drive their car every day - but navigating involves learning a range of new skills. Being a successful navigator involves careful preparation before a rally, and juggling a number of priorities during the event itself.
The first and most important rule for a navigator is: No matter what is happening, never, never lose your place on the map. If you actually get lost during a rally, you're sunk. [Easier said than done, Dave. Even you got lost occasionally!! – Derek]
The navigator's next most important duty is to direct the driver. Make sure that the driver knows where you want them to turn and when you want them to stop, especially if you are busy doing something and not giving your full attention to giving directions. We suggest you start by giving directions at junctions using part of the system described under "Reading the Road", and then build road reading into it as your confidence and experience grows.
The next task for the navigator is to keep track of the time. The navigator should know when there is time to dawdle, and when to hurry; what time to book in at a time control; when time is getting tight and it's necessary to pull back time or to "cut and run". Good timekeeping is one of the most difficult navigating skills to learn.
A navigator handles the paperwork during the course of the rally; this means keeping clues and time cards in order, as well as things like not forgetting to write down the code boards!
It is the job of both team members to help solve the clues where needed, but simple clues should be solved by the navigator alone, allowing the driver to get on with the job. Many clues can be solved "on the move" in this way, and this can save a lot of time.
Another skill for a navigator to practice is the art of road reading. Good reading will help you keep your place on the map, and directions to turn at junctions can be inserted in the flow of road reading information. A driver gains confidence and enjoys the driving more when the road is being well read.
Finally, it is usually up to the navigator to make tactical decisions; the navigator is far better informed to do so. A driver and navigator should come to an understanding about this point - some drivers prefer the navigator to take all the big decisions (and the blame when things go wrong) while others like to be consulted.
· Keeping your place on the map
· Giving directions
· Timekeeping
· Paperwork
· Clue solving
· Road reading
· Tactics and Management
Teamwork
Good teamwork is an essential part of a successful rally crew. Most people who go road rallying stay together with their regular driver or navigator wherever possible. Successful crews work to build up a rapport, so each knows almost instinctively what the other is thinking, and they can communicate information in very few words. A driver and navigator need to build up trust and confidence in each other's abilities to help them relax and perform at their best. [Derek’s comment – “few words” is an essential piece of advice. Drivers are not noted for being able to take in long strings of data while concentrating on what is directly in front of them. Example – “There is a tee-junction about 200 yards ahead and I want you to turn right at it” contains grossly too many words. Better to say “Tee-junction right, 200.” Much less strain on the poor driver’s brain. Also, by the time the excess verbiage has been sorted out you are likely to do a tee-junction straight on – i.e. into the field!]
Car Preparation
One of the principles of road rallying is that it should be possible to compete in an ordinary, standard car. This is largely true, but there are a couple of minor modifications that you'll want to make to your pride and joy.
Before you start, you need to make sure the car is up to scratch. A basic criterion would be that the car is capable of passing an M.O.T. on the day of the rally, and everything is in working order. A road rally is a bit more demanding on the machinery than going to the supermarket; overdue maintenance and botch jobs will come back to haunt you.
The first area concerns requirements mandated by the technical regulations. On top of the normal requirements for a car to be used on the road, you'll need the following:
· Insulation on the battery terminal - if your car doesn't have a nice red rubber cap on the positive battery terminal, it will need to be taped over.
· A warning triangle - competitors on a special stage rally are required carry a reflective warning triangle that can be displayed to warn subsequent cars in the event of a breakdown or accident. Although a triangle is not mandatory for a road rally, many scrutineers believe it is, and in any case it is quite a good idea to have one. Although not very suitable for road rallying, some Mercedes-Benz cars come already equipped with a triangle.
· Any loose objects likely to move around must be strapped down or removed from the car. If you're in the habit of keeping lots of junk in the car, remove it for the duration of the rally.
You need to provide a working environment for the navigator; usually all that is needed is a small gooseneck map light. The car's interior lights are usually not suitable while driving as they are too bright and cause reflections, but you can turn them on when stopping to solve a difficult clue.
An alternative or good supplement to a traditional map light is to strap a fluorescent light to the navigator's sun visor - the advantage of this is that it gives off a natural white light which makes it easier to distinguish colours on the map, particularly yellow and white. It is most useful when you stop to solve a hard clue, but can often be left on while driving "off the pace" as the windscreen reflection is not too bad. A fluorescent lamp is no good on its own - it must be complemented by a light that can be used on the move, preferably a poti (see below).
If your navigator likes to use a poti you will need to provide a power point for it; if the car has a cigarette lighter socket, it is the easiest and cheapest option.
We now come to modifications to make the car more drivable. The first and most important thing is lighting - the standard headlights in most cars are just about adequate for driving on wide, open main roads with lots of white lines; on a "yellow" in the middle of nowhere at 3 a.m. they are next to useless. The normal course of action is to fit a pair of supplementary driving lamps - make sure you get "driving" lenses and not foglights or pencil beams. The best value budget lamp is the Ring Phazar - avoid cheap plastic-bodied lamps, the small saving isn't worth it. Go for 100W bulbs in preference to 55W or 130W - the 55W ones aren't very bright, while the 130W ones have a very short life. If you can't fit spotlights, at a minimum fit high power bulbs to the normal lights, but only if the car has good quality headlights and the wiring can take it. When buying extra lighting, be sure to calculate the total load on the electrical system and ensure it stays well within the alternator's capacity.
A word on the legal requirements - spot lights must be fitted in matched pairs, and wired with a relay so they can only come on in conjunction with main beam headlights. A good way to tap the headlight wiring is to use a 3M Scotch-Loc connector. Cars made after January 1985 (late B reg.) cannot use uprated headlight bulbs; cars made after January 1989 (late F reg.) cannot use bulbs over 55W in driving lights either. Driving lights must be fitted at certain locations on the car, not too far apart, not too high or too low, etc. so be sure to check the advice on the packaging.
Other modifications to the car are far less important - people road rally everything from a completely standard car to something that is fully prepared for stage events, but the specification of the car makes little difference to competitiveness. The next area to look at is handling - bigger tyres, better brakes and more aggressive suspension can all help, depending on what the car has already, but avoid "boy racer" lowering kits as they will make your life a misery on bumpy back roads. In a "shopping car", better seats from a sportier model are worth considering. Apart from exceptional circumstances, tuning the engine for more power should be a very low priority.
It is wise to carry a small kit of tools and spares on the rally - the rule for selecting this kit should be to include only those things which you can fix by the side of the road, in the dark, in under half an hour. Carry a comprehensive set of spare bulbs for the car and the map light / poti. Ignition parts such as spark plugs, HT leads, a coil and a distributor cap are also useful. A torch and a small selection of spanners, pliers and screwdrivers will suffice for most repairs. Three essential things you should never omit from a rally kit - a roll of silver cloth tape ("gaffer" or "duct" tape), a towrope, and a can of flushing agent such as PlusGas or WD40.
Flat tyres are fortunately rare on road rallies, but it is essential to be able to change one quickly. Make sure you have a serviceable spare with legal tread, and a good jack and wheelbrace. If your car has a "space saver" spare (2CV wheel) get a full size one from a scrappie’s and strap it down in the boot. If you have locking wheel nuts, remove them and replace them with normal ones for the duration of the rally. Cars that are prone to shedding wheel trims should have them removed or strapped down too - Cavalier owners take note!
Getting Through Scrutineering
In principle, a road rally scrutineer is allowed to check anything specified in the construction and use laws, and anything that might be checked for an M.O.T. Additional requirements stated in the MSA regulations or the SR's for the event can also be checked; this applies to maps as well as cars!
Avoid thinking of the scrutineer as an adversary or red tape official who is trying to come between you and your fun; the purpose of scrutineering is ultimately to ensure your own safety and that of your navigator. Take pride in keeping your car in a good enough condition to breeze through scrutineering at every rally you enter. If your car can't come up to scratch, then it probably isn't safe to rally it.
A scrutineer will usually take 5-10 minutes over each car, checking a number of points. The usual scrutineer's checklist is something like the one below - ensure your car complies with it before you leave home. No scrutineer ever likes to exclude someone from a rally, but don't put them on the spot, because they will if they have to.
· Tyres – in good condition, with legal tread, including any spares.
· Lights – an extensive check will be made on every car. They must all be working, and wired correctly, e.g. driving lights must only come on with main beam headlights, and fog lights only with dipped beam. All bulbs should be of legal ratings and all extra lamps in the correct places. Any event restrictions (e.g. no more than one set of extra lights) must be complied with. Large spotlights fitted to the boot lid for quick reversing are a touchy subject as they are often used by unscrupulous people to deter following competitors!
· Noise – no more than 102 dBA measured 50cm from the exhaust pipe at a 45 degree angle, with the engine running at 5,000 rpm, or 3/4 of redline if it's a diesel. A standard exhaust in good condition will pass with ease. Rear-engined cars can be problematical but testers are usually sympathetic and may do a test from the side of the car instead.
· Seats – should be firmly anchored with stable backrests. Seat belts must be fitted and working.
· Brakes – pedal must be firm, and handbrake working. Make sure your brakes are in top condition and well bled. Scrutineers have been known to ask for a road test demonstration.
· Engine Bay – battery secure (it's surprising how often cars fail on this) and positive terminal insulated, no dodgy wiring, engine secure, throttle return springs working.
· Exterior – no major dents, sharp protrusions, rusty bodywork, etc. A dilapidated and badly cared for car may raise questions about its structural integrity.
· Interior – nothing loose that can fly about the car; if you're in a habit of carrying junk, empty the boot and leave it at home. Strap down or stow spare tyres, jacks, tools, etc.
· Suspension – wheels are given a good shake to ensure the suspension is secure and the wheel bearings are serviceable.
· Fluids – there should be no significant leaks of coolant or oil, and definitely no brake fluid or fuel.
· Fuel – you are not allowed to carry cans in a competing car.
· Warning Triangle – although this isn't mandatory for road rallies, most people think it is, and it's a good idea to carry one anyway, so be sure to have one!
· Road Tax – must be up to date
Driving Technique
You don't have to have a quick car or drive like Colin McRae and Juha Kankkunen to win a road rally. There is a traditional homily "to finish first, first you must finish" and it applies to road rallying more than any other sport. The amount of time and penalties you might save by going a little faster is small compared to the amount of penalties you incur by missing a single code board, or the time it takes to pull a car out of the ditch!
The most sensible approach is to drive at a moderate pace as you would if you were not doing a motorsport event, and to concentrate as a crew on getting the navigation right and getting all the code boards. After a few rallies, when you build up a rapport and your navigator becomes proficient at reading the road, use this information to help you judge the corner ahead, but never trust the reading. Reading the road is a very demanding skill, and it is difficult to see every corner on the map; also, because of the small scale, the maps are often quite inaccurate, merging two opposing sharp corners into a single, more gentle one. As a bonus, every Landranger contains one or two infamous "not as map" corners where the cartographer has simply got it wrong. You have been warned!
Remember at all times that you are competing on open public roads, and you can come across anything around the next corner; a lost competitor coming the other way at speed, a tractor doing 3 mph and dropping manure and mud everywhere, a local resident out keeping an eye on the rally under the pretence of walking their dog at 2 a.m. It is easy to get carried away in a rush of adrenalin, so you should go into each and every corner with the thought at the back of your mind that it might be tighter than it looks or you might have to stop in a hurry.
The biggest difference between driving on a road rally and driving for transport is that because you are trying to maintain a moderate pace on twisty roads, you are continually accelerating and braking. The normal brakes and brake pads on most cars will not take this sort of punishment indefinitely, and will begin to overheat and lose performance. The most common problem is "pad fade"; the brake pedal is still firm, but the car doesn't slow down as much as you expect. A less common problem is "fluid fade", when the heat from the brakes boils the brake fluid – when this happens the pedal is very spongy and may require some pumping to get any effect from the brakes. Be watchful for the onset of brake fade, and take it as a sign to take things easy, slow down in plenty time for corners, and use the engine and gears to help slow the car.
On a rally you are required to obey the rules of the road at all times, and drive sensibly. There are a couple of additional restrictions. The first is that you must come to a complete stop at all junctions where you have to give way. The second restriction is what is called a "Quiet Zone" - these are areas designated by the organisers where competitors must pass through making the minimum of noise, in order not to disturb local residents. Typical Quiet Zone restrictions require you to drive gently, at less than 30 mph, in a high gear (4th or 5th) and with dipped lights and no driving lights. The regs. for the event will define what constitutes a Quiet Zone; usually, they are all villages or towns with 30 mph speed limits, and any other areas marked by a "Quiet" board. It is in your interest to obey these rules, as there may be a Driving Standards Observer watching; it is also in the interests of the sport at large, as it is essential that we are courteous to people who live near rally route.
[Derek’s comment – “regs.” will be described in detail later on. Suffice to say here that they provide the initial introduction to the event’s existence. The word is simply short for “Supplementary Regulations”.]
The Navigator's Toolkit
As a navigator, you will need a number of items to enable you to plot and solve clues. The list below is divided into three categories - items on the first list are truly indispensable; treat the second list as things you really should have, and buy them as you can justify and afford the cost. They're listed in order of priority rather than cost, so check down the list and collect up anything you already have and put it in your kit. The third list contains things that you may want to collect gradually as you gain experience and move up to competing in higher classes.
Essentials
· Maps – obvious but true! Make sure you have the correct edition of each map as specified in the event regs. and that you have prepared it properly.
· Pencils – carry several pencils, which should be fairly dark; 3B or 4B grade is ideal. These can be obtained from art shops and most stationers. Normal pencils, which are HB, are not dark enough to show up well under a map light or poti. Never write on a map in ink.
· Eraser – this should be of the very soft, clear white type. The ones found on the end of pencils are a bit too harsh and will fray the map surface.
· Map Board – you will need a surface to lean on while drawing on the map. This should be made by taking two layers of cardboard from an old box (or one layer from a thick box like you get with a microwave or big TV) and cutting out a rough square and taping the edges. Do not use wood, metal, rigid plastic or anything else that is too substantial, as your gut will wear it in the event of a crash. The board should be as big as will comfortably fit in your lap with the car seat all the way back, without obstructing the driver or fouling on the dashboard. If you intend to use the "origami" map folding described below, make the board exactly 46cm square so you can clip the map to it.
· Map Light – in addition to the car's interior lights, which you can use while stopped, you need a light that you can use to see the map while driving along. Ideally, get your driver to provide a gooseneck map light, either a temporary one in the lighter socket, or preferably one that is permanently mounted. Permanent map lights are best mounted low down, e.g. on the top edge of the door. A poti (see below) is very useful in conjunction with a map light, and is even adequate alone without one. Don't bother with the cheap £2.99 disco DJ's deck lights - they're not up to the job.
· Romer – this is a small piece of plastic with map scales etc. printed round the edge. The most useful part of it is the top right corner, which has 1:50,000 scale map gradations (divisions of a grid square) marked along and down it, counting backwards from the corner. When you place the correct numbered marks on the grid lines of the map, the corner of the romer shows the point the map reference refers to. This is essential for accurate plotting of 6 and 8 figure map references. Most romers have a hole in them; it's a good idea to loop a piece of string through it and hang it round your neck so you don't lose it under the seat.
· Digital Watch – you need to know the exact time to decide when to book into time controls and how you are progressing. A watch that shows seconds on the main display is best, but one without seconds is about adequate as long as you can set it exactly to the second to be synchronised with rally time – this type only costs about £1.99 from a junk shop, but make sure it's reliable! You should have at least two time pieces in the car set to rally time, as a backup – set the driver's watch or car clock too.
· Travel Sickness Cure – navigating involves spending a lot of time with your head down while the car is in often violent motion. Inevitably, this can lead to a feeling of queasiness. This affects some people more than others; a heavy meal just before the rally is a bad idea, but a light snack may be better than starting on an empty stomach. Some navigators do without anything, while others eat sweets or take pills. Experiment to find out what works best for you, and don't take anyone else's method as being the absolute truth - with most remedies, the placebo effect is just as important as any chemical one. Having said that, it is generally agreed that the best pills are the "Stugeron" brand. Be sure to follow the directions, which usually tell you to take them a couple of hours before you start the rally.
· Highlighter Pens – the style of map preparation is a matter of personal taste, but most people prefer to highlight certain features with fluorescent pens. You shouldn't actually need these during a rally, as you will have already prepared the map!
Highly Desirable
· Clipboard – a cheap A4 clipboard is perfect for keeping together all your rally paperwork
· Calculator – some clues will involve a bit of arithmetic to solve them, and a calculator will save you a lot of time. The four basic functions are all you need. A solar one isn't much use under incandescent light, so get a battery powered one.
· Poti – a poti is a squat plastic cylinder about 5 or 6 inches across, with a large lens set in the top, and a small bulb in it. You place this on the map and it lights up and magnifies a small area. These are quite expensive, starting at around £30 – the Terrain Follower brand at this price is the best value. Don't pay extra for features like dimmers and coloured bulbs; they are rarely useful, and if you want one, you can fit it yourself much more cheaply. You need to arrange power for the poti in the car; the easy way is to fit a cigarette lighter plug (around £1 from Omni Electronics on Dalkeith Rd.) but be sure your driver's car has a socket! Special plugs and sockets are more expensive and mean you can't easily take your poti into another car, but use one in preference to bodging a connection into the interior light wiring. Many people compete without a poti, but once you use one you'll wonder how you managed without it. A cheaper alternative is a handheld magnifier with built in light, but choose a good one with a base that supports it a fixed distance from the map. Always carry a spare bulb for your poti. The only shop in Edinburgh which stocks potis purpose made for rallying is Sportstune on Brandon Terrace. [Derek’s comment – there is a better (more positive) connection readily available by way of a smaller DIN-plug system. You can also get a dual-purpose plug that will go into either type of socket. If you don’t have a regular driver it may be better to go for this type.
· Ruler – some clues require a geometric construction of the form "draw a line from A to B" or measurement of a distance along a bearing. A 30cm ruler is usually adequate, but a 45cm one can occasionally be useful, as nasty organisers will design a clue to need a straight edge a little longer than 30cm. Remember when measuring that the scale is 1:50,000 and so e.g. 700m in reality is 14mm on the map.
· Pencil Sharpener – obvious!
· Tracing Paper – for clues that are themselves things traced off the map.
· Protractor – the odd clue will involve measuring an angle or bearing. A normal school protractor is usually adequate, but a large 360 degree one is nice to have.
· Drawing Compasses – handy for the odd clue that says something like "pass within 3.4 miles of this point"
· Decoding Wheel – many coded clues use a substitution of the form "A=1, B=2, ..., Z=26". A code wheel is two cardboard discs, one larger than the other, fixed together with a pin in the middle. Write the letters A-Z and Z-A round the edge of one disc, and numbers 1-26 (with a zero as well in the 26 box) round the other. By aligning the discs you can use it for most codes of this type.
Luxuries
· Mileage Wheel – a small device, often in the shape of a fat pen, which measures the distance as you roll it along the map. This is a handy confirmation of the mileage if you have to guess part of the route, but it really comes in useful when organising a rally. [Derek’s comment – if you want to be a pub bore, the technical term for this device is “opisometer”.]
· Magnetic Compass – useful as a check if you get really lost, but if you're paying attention you should never need one. You will only get a useful reading outside the car, since steel is a very magnetically permeable material.
Ordnance Survey Landranger Maps
The maps used for road rallying are the ubiquitous Ordnance Survey Landranger series. The scale is 1:50,000, so each 80cm square map covers an area about 25 miles across; the series covers the whole of mainland Britain and the major islands in just over 200 overlapping sheets. Most road rallies will require one or two maps, but occasionally longer events will be spread over three sheets if the third one contains a few particularly exciting roads.
Modern Landrangers are composed entirely in metric units, and use the national map reference grid based on 1km squares. These can be obtained in their pink cardboard covers from most bookshops, newsagents and even petrol stations, and cost around 5.00 each. The best sources in Edinburgh are the main branch of James Thin on South Bridge, Waterstone's on Princes St., and camping shops. [Note by Derek McLean – Government Bookshop in Lothian Road is a newer stockist too.]
Landranger maps are well prepared, contain a lot of information and are excellent value, but it is worth bearing in mind that they are not intended for motor sport use, and so represent a bit of a compromise. The scale is a bit smaller than an ideal size for road reading, and the cartography is rather variable - the representation of the roads varies from very precise to rather vague wandering lines drawn freehand.
The Key
There is an extensive key down the right hand side, which defines all the map features. It is worth learning what these are so you can acquire the skill of looking at a piece of the map and visualising what the area it represents will look like.
Edition Numbers
A vital point for road rallies (but not for many other purposes) is to have exactly the same map as the organisers. The SR's for an event will specify which sheet numbers you will need, and the editions of each. The edition number is found at the bottom of the key, next to the words "Made, printed and published by Ordnance Survey, ..." and is a capital letter often followed by a number, e.g. "A" or "B3".
Be careful when buying maps as most shops are not aware of edition numbers and there is often old stock lying around. It is not impossible, particularly with more northerly events, to be in the situation where the organisers have planned the rally using an old edition of the map, and a new edition has come out before the event takes place. If you can't obtain the version they specify, contact the organisers and explain your plight; they will usually deal with the problem at their end by making sure the clues work on both editions.
Examples
All the examples in the rest of this guide are real, and are taken from Landranger Sheet 66 "Edinburgh and Midlothian area" edition B2, which was published in September 1995. They should be largely valid for later editions of the map.
Map References
A national grid map reference gives a precise location on the map in terms of the grid lines printed on the map in blue. A map reference is given as an even number of digits - the first half of it refers to the "eastings" which run across the map, the second half to the "northings" which run upwards.
By convention, a map reference does not refer to a point, but a square area whose size depends on the accuracy to which the reference is quoted. On road rallies this only applies to four figure references, which refer to whole grid squares; six and eight figure ones can be considered as points.
· Four Figure – these refer to an entire 1km grid square; the square is the one to the right of the vertical grid line and above the horizontal one, e.g. 3458 is the grid square containing Halkerston Farm
· Six Figure – these refer to a point to an accuracy of 100m (2mm on the map) e.g. Halkerston Farm is at 347583. When a driver is reading map references aloud from a clue and a navigator is plotting them, it is conventional to read the grid square first, e.g. 347583 is "thirty-four, fifty-eight, seven, three". This is helpful because you need to locate the grid square first when plotting the reference. A crew should decide on whether to use this convention, or to read map references linearly.
To plot this with a romer, first find the grid square, then position the "7" mark on the top edge of the romer on vertical grid line 34, and the "3" mark on the right edge of the romer on horizontal grid line 58.
· Eight Figure – these are used to give very exact references, e.g. when you need to distinguish the two halves of a dual carriageway. The "extra" digits, as compared to a six figure reference (i.e. the 4th and 8th ones) will only ever be 0 or 5. In our example, the entrance to the farm from the yellow road is at 34755830; this is read "thirty-four, fifty-eight, seventy-five, thirty".
· Letters and Prefixes – map references only refer to a point within a 100km by 100km area; on a rally this is not a problem, as each Landranger covers an area less than a sixth of this size. To give a map reference that is unique across the whole country, you need to specify the two letter code for the area. Sheet 66 is in area NT so the example above would be NT347583. Instead of using these letters, rally organisers often use the sheet number as a prefix, e.g. 66/347583.
The following map references all plot at road junctions - try them and see:
· 399649 – Entrance to Remote Farm, near Pathhead
· 468685 – Yellow road crosses B6355
· 419523 – B6368 and white meet A7
· 40806360 – Farmyard at Whitburgh Mains (white crossroads)
· 49506345 – Stobshiel Farm
· 24208955 – Fork on drive into Kilrie Farm
Map Preparation
There are two things to do to a Landranger to prepare it for road rally use. The first is to fold it; a map is 85cm (nearly 3 ft.) square and it's not very convenient to have it spread out in the car, as the driver can't see the road. If you fold it properly you should be able to use it without making it larger than the map board. The second part of the preparation involves highlighting and marking in certain features on the map to make them easier to find under the relatively poor lighting in the car.
There are three methods of map folding described below - each has its own advantages and disadvantages, and none of them is perfect. Try whichever appeals to you first, but once you've done a few rallies, consider giving one of the others a try or make up your own. For brevity, the descriptions below refer to grid squares on the map, assuming that the bottom left corner is 0000, the top right is 4040, the bottom middle is 2000 etc. Maps don't start from 0000, so you'll have to allow for that. It's much easier to understand once you see it done than it is to describe.
Map Folding 1 - Normal Folding
This method takes advantage of the folds already present in the map when you buy it, which divide it into 28 panels, each about 6 grid squares wide and 10 high. The idea is to work sharp folds into the map so you can lay out any 4x2 group of panels - this area nicely covers an average map board and is big enough to cover show the whole of a rally section.
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· Carefully detach the cardboard cover from the map, ensuring that you don't tear either of them. A knife or razor blade will help. Keep the cover, as you might need it.
· Have the map with just the first fold open, so the map is two panels high and one wide. You'll see that it's in a stack of fanfolds. Work these folds by fanfolding it the opposite way and back a few times until they all work smoothly in both directions.
· Unfold the map fully. There is a sharp fold across the middle of the map from about 0020 to 4020 - you need to put in two more, at one quarter and three quarters of the way up the map, from approximately 0010 to 4010 and from approximately 0030 to 4030. These only need to work in one direction, with the printed side of the map outwards. Use the blunt line of folds already present as a result of the fold in the map cover; pinch the convex folds flat, and then pinch flat the concave folds in between. When you have a sharp line, work the fold in fully.
· Finally, open the map flat again and work the vertical fanfolds in a strip the full height of the map.
To use the map in the car, fold it in half along the original machine fold (0020 to 4020), keep the top or bottom half uppermost as needed, and fanfold about half the width of the map underneath at the sides. As the rally progresses east or west, flip a fanfold under at one end and bring one out from the other. When you need to change to the other half of the map, flip it over.
Occasionally you may meet a section of a rally that crosses back and forth between the top and bottom halves of the map; this is when the extra horizontal folds come in useful. Have the driver stop for a few seconds, open the map fully, and fold the top and bottom quarters underneath, leaving the middle half. Fanfold the ends in the usual way.
Pros and Cons: The advantage of this method is that it doesn't require butchering the map, and you can fold the map to show any point on the map and a clear space of 10 grid squares in each direction around it. The disadvantage is the occasional need to stop and do a main refolding of the map - on average, this might be once a rally.
Map Folding 2 - The Origami Method
This method of map folding involves cutting and folding the map, so that with a flick of the wrist you can have one of four map board size portions in front of you. It is quite complicated, so don't rely on the explanation below; be sure to see a demonstration before trying this at home!
This method requires making very exact folds and cuts; unfortunately, the map arrives with a machine fold less than 1cm from where you will need to make one. For this reason, if you buy a pre-folded map, you will need to iron it gently to take out the creases. It is possible to get Landrangers as "flat sheets", rolled up like posters, from an OS dealer; unfortunately, the nearest OS dealer is in Dunfermline, so if you really want flat sheets you'll have to order them. Another disadvantage with flat sheets is that they don't come with a cover; occasionally clues refer to the list of names on the back of or inside the cover, so you'll need to buy at least one folded map. In general, flat sheets don't come highly recommended as they're more trouble than they're worth.
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slit
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· Carefully detach the cardboard cover as above, and gently iron out the creases in the map.
· Cut off the key to leave the map square; if you want to trim it exactly, cut round the outside of the thick black lines with the longitude and latitude marks, but do not cut them off. Don't throw the key away; every key is slightly different, e.g. the sample map reference is always on the map, and special features are sometimes described.
· Make exact folds along the following lines, which are one quarter, half and three quarters of the way up or along the map. Work each fold in both directions. Pencil in numbers 0 to 40 along the bottom and up the side of the map so you don't get confused. Every fold must be exactly on the grid line for this to work well.
o 0010 to 4010
o 0020 to 4020
o 0030 to 4030
o 1000 to 1040
o 2000 to 2040
o 3000 to 3040
· Make a slit across the middle of the map, from one quarter to three quarters of the way across (1020 to 3020). Do this carefully and accurately with a craft knife or razor blade; bleeding all over the map is not helpful.
· Pull up the middle of the map, along the vertical line from 2000 to 2040, leaving the left and right quarters of the map on the table. The one quarter and three quarter lines should meet. Fold the top half of the bit you picked up to the left, and the bottom half to the right (this is what the slit lets you do). Smooth the folds.
· Now, pull up the middle of the map from left to right, leaving the top and bottom quarters on the table. Fold the bit you pulled up flat, either on the top or bottom of the map. You should end up with a square about 45cm in size.
To use this map, start with it folded as described above, and attach the four corners of the sheet to the map board with bulldog clips. You can fold it to show any quarter of the map by flipping the folds left to right and up and down.
Remember to keep the key handy in case you need to refer to it. An alternative to cutting it off, which some people prefer, is to make a slit vertically, from a quarter to three quarters of the way down the edge between the map and the key. The key then remains attached to the map and can be folded onto the back of the map board.
Pros and Cons: The advantage of this method is that you never need to refold the map, and you have instant access to any part of it. There are two big disadvantages; the first is that the grid line numbers on the edge of the map don't correctly match the grid lines on the folded parts of the map - to overcome this, extensive marking of grid numbers is necessary (see "Marking" below). The second is that there are quite a lot of edges between the quarters, and working on a section that passes back and forth across them is awkward at best; a section in the centre of the map is a nightmare. Cutting a hole in the map is also not entirely desirable. If you plan to use this method, you should at least consider....
Map Folding 2(b) - Origami to Black Belt Standard
The problem of the folds and joins in the map can be partially resolved by putting in extra folds. These additional folds go along the "three-eighths" and "five-eighths" lines horizontally and vertically; the map references for these lines are:
· 1500 to 1540
· 2500 to 2540
· 0015 to 4015
· 0025 to 4025
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This enables you to see the area around the vertical centre line of the map by flattening the flap, using the vertical "eighths" folds. To see areas around the horizontal centre line, fold both the top and bottom flaps to the correct side, then pick up the main fold between the top and bottom half and flatten it using the "eighths" folds. You can view a small area (10 by 10 grid squares) at the exact centre of the map by flattening the both the top and bottom flaps to show the vertical centre line, and then picking up and flattening the main horizontal fold.
Needless to say, this method requires folding to sub-millimetre accuracy if the map is to work smoothly. This is critical to success in matching up the parts of the map either side of the centre slit.
Pros and Cons: It is an improvement over the basic origami method, but the view in the centre of the map is still quite restrictive. One for the more adventurous.
Map Folding 3 - The Star
This is a simple folding method, and in some ways is a compromise between the two previous methods.
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· Detach the cover, cut off the key and iron the map as for the origami method.
· Put in folds along four lines - fold the map in half vertically, horizontally and along both diagonals. The diagonal folds only need to be concave, but work the orthogonal folds well in both directions.
To use this map, pick it up in the middle so all four diagonal folds fall together, then fold the flaps flat leaving a quarter of the map showing on each side, and lay the map flat on the board. To change to an adjacent quarter of the map, fold a flap over and rotate the map 90 degrees, or you can just flip it over.
[Derek’s comment – when you hold the centre point up with the four diagonal folds hanging vertically, the whole thing looks a bit like a dart-flight. The orthogonal folds are sticking out at 45°. It can be presented very quickly in any quarter of the map. The drawbacks are that the middle is very difficult to deal with, and down the folds can be a bit awkward too. The latter can be overcome by adding supplementary folds approximately on