Under the heading
Off-Road there exists such a diverse range of events that it is simply
not possible to cover each type of event in any great detail. Historically
there has been a presumption that Off-Road events are only run by Off-Road
clubs, but increasingly motor clubs are also including Off-Road events
within their club's calendar of events. Whatever, there is certainly
something for everyone within the discipline that is Off-Road.
Off-Road presents certain organisational difficulties which are less apparent to organisers of other events. The terrain is the most difficult aspect to get right, for being a natural surface it is of course subject to the weather. To the casual observer one might presume that as the majority of vehicles are 4x4 they can tackle almost anything. This presumption might still hold for a small trial but the ever increasing popularity of Competitive Safaris and Hill Rallies means that the ground must be selected to sustain the large number of competitive vehicle movements without becoming impassable. For in such a situation not only will your event be spoilt by delays or abandonment, but lasting damage may be caused to the venue and that will guarantee that you will not be able to use the site again.
Assuming that you have selected a venue for your event there are three other aspects unique to Off-Road which must be considered when design your competition course whether it is to be a Competitive Safari or a Trial. Firstly avoid natural watercourses. Whenever a vehicle is driven through water some contaminants will escape and pollute the water and the statutory authorities take very strong action against such pollution. Secondly do not set your course in such a way that damage is caused to trees, bushes, etc. Quite apart from there being a General Regulation requiring organisers not to do this, the resultant environmental damage attracts a similar response to that involving watercourses. Finally you must check for the presence of Rights of Way. Make sure that you check this point thoroughly and obtain the necessary permissions from the Highway Authority (Section 33 Road Traffic Act 1988).
Obviously there are many other factors to consider such as the access, neighbouring properties which might not share our enthusiasm for motorsport, depositing mud on the road when leaving the site, etc.
So what of the events themselves?
Selection of the route is important because you do not want to put off novices either with intimidating terrain or terrain which is going to damage vehicles. Remember that this is for beginners not experienced club members playing with specially prepared vehicles.
The Promotional Event qualifies for a Certificate of Exemption which means that provided that you make a formal request in accordance with B 5.1 the public may participate but not officiate.
Gymkhanas and Treasure Hunts similarly qualify for Certificates of Exemption so it is possible for you to organise a variety of events suitable for recruiting new members to your club. Remember that if your Treasure Hunt is going to use the public highway then you must comply with the Motor Vehicles (Competition and Trials) Regulations. Please see the sections in this manual concerning Event Organisation and Rallies.
The regulations set specific requirements on the severity of the trials section and for the types of competing vehicle which must be fairly standard road legal vehicles. In addition 16-year olds may drive provided an experienced person is sitting alongside, and the regulations allow for all of the family to be in the vehicle through the sections, provided of course that they are properly seated.
Apart from these restrictions, in all other respects the Tyro Trial is organised in the same way as other Off-Road Trials.
Most events are set out at one venue, but it is possible to organise a multi-venue Trial. However this would require all vehicles to be road legal and the event would be subject to the Motor Vehicles (Competitions and Trials) Regulations.
There are no classes specified in the General Rules and Regulations, however there are two common types run by most clubs. Firstly theres the Road Taxed Vehicle (RTV) Trial. As this implies the vehicles must be road legal but unlike those eligable for the Tyro Trial many clubs allow for quite extensive modifications. Secondly there are Modified or Cross Country Vehicle Trials. The regulations only require the necessary safety equipment and the sections are suitably challenging.
The General Rules and Regulations recommend a class structure which was created to ease interclub competitions, although the classes are not obligatory.
Other events which may be organised include Recovery Events, either based upon a Team of vehicles working together to complete set tasks or Winch based events where the use of such equipment is necessary to complete the set tasks. There are also opportunities to organise navigational events such as Orienteering where the skill of map reading is paramount rather than that of negotiating off-road terrain and Point to Point where a team of vehicles work together to find controls or code boards.
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