Introduction

   There are numerous different types of rallies ranging from the humble club night navigational event through to the International Stage Rally, however, the same basic principles apply to all events regardless.

   All motor clubs organising rallies whether they use the public highway or not are required to comply with the relevant sections of the MSA Yearbook.

   Rallies can be split into two main categories which can then be subdivided further:

A. Road Events

1. Road Rally - A competitive event which can be timed to the minute or second with a route length usually in the region of 100 to 180 miles taking place overnight on a Saturday/Sunday.  The route instructions cannot be issued before the start of the event and the maintenance of a strict time schedule forms the basis for the competition.  Some events use a large element of "white" roads that give competitors a bit of variation.
2. Navigation Rally - These events are of a similar format to road rallies, however the navigational skills of the crew are a major factor in determining the winner.  Sections must be timed to the minute only.  With navigational rallies the technical regulations relating to competing vehicles are slightly relaxed as a performance car is not necessarily the key to success on these events.
3. Twelve Car Rally - Organised by motor clubs for their own members and usually taking place on a weekday evening these events are of a similar format to Navigational rallies, but are limited to twelve cars only.  They usually have a route of between 50 and 60 miles and are ideal for the novice and beginner to learn the ropes.
4. Navigational Scatter - A navigational event where crews are expected to visit a number of predetermined points but the route to visitation is generally free.  The crews will be expected to locate clues at each point, some of which they may have to get out of the car to locate.  For these events no merit is placed on visiting more than 75% of the controls and timing is only governed by a finishing time.  A navigator is not always necessary nor is a car as it is only the incidental means of transport.

B. Stage Rallies

There are two types of Stage Rallies:
 

1. Multi-Use Stage Rally - An event usually taking place on one venue with no public highway link sections.  Disused airfields and race circuits are popular venues for these types of events.  Stages can be used more than once, however, certain restrictions are placed upon the amount of times a stage can be used unless slight changes are made to its layout.
2. Multi-Venue Stage Rally - An event where stages are located at different venues, which may be used no more than four times.  Stages are linked by Neutral or Road Sections often on the public highway.

Organisation

   A rally must comply with the relevant section of the MSA Year Book.  The information that competitors must comply with, together with any other relevant information such as the start venue, mileages, surfaces, etc, will be contained in a set of Supplementary Regulations which are issued by the organising club.  These Supplementary Regulations will also include an entry form.

Authorisation

   Some types of events are automatically authorised provided the local Route Liason Officer (RLO) approves the route of the event.  These events are detailed in Section K of the MSA Yearbook (Blue Book).

   Multi-Use Stage Rallies which do not use the public highway are exempt from this procedure.

   Any application for authorisation must be submitted no earlier than 6 months and no later than 2 months prior to the event.  The official application form must be accompanied by 2 copies of a tracing detailing the whole route of the rally taken from 1:50 000 scale Landranger OS maps together with locations of controls and a time schedule.  A copy of the tracing should also be sent to the relevant RLO(s).  Upon receipt of the tracings the CAS section will copy them to the local police authorities for the area being visited.

   Prior to the event a per capita fee will be payable based on the total number of starters and mileage of the event.  Authorisation will not be granted unless this fee is paid to the CAS.

   Applications in Scotland are slightly different as the tracings are made on 1:250 000 scale maps and letters of authority must be submitted to the RSAC from local police authorities whose area the route traverses.
 

CAS Authorisation Addresses:

Insurance:

   In addition competitors on stage rallies on private land benefit from insurance against third party claims.

   Where private land is used on a rally whether for a special stage or otherwise, the landowner may require the club to make good any accidental damage that may occur.

   The MSA can arrange contractual liability cover to protect clubs from any such claims.  This cover must be arranged in advance of the event by the organising club with the MSA.  Cover cannot be arranged for damage to road surfacings.

   The motor vehicle insurance policies held by most competitors will specifically exclude the use of the vehicle on public roads for rallies.  Where a competitor is unable to arrange their own insurance through their existing policy, the club should arrange for a suitable scheme.

    To operate the scheme the club must apply to the insurer in writing at least 21 days prior to the event.  The insurer will then issue a blanket certificate of insurance for the rally which will allow any competitor, provided they have a letter of acceptance and can sign a declaration and pay the relevant fee, to take part in the event under the event insurance.

   Event insurance schemes known to the MSA are:
 

   Both schemes have subtle differences in their method of operation and organisers should familiarise themselves with the method of operation long before the scheme is required.

Event officials:

1. Clerk of the Course: The Clerk of the Course is the event manager.  This person has overall responsibility to ensure compliance with the relevant regulations.They must also keep the event on track in its early stages of organisation to ensure that deadlines are achieved by the other team members.  The Clerk of the Course also acts as the first judicial body when protests are made.  The Clerk of the Course may have an assistant if required.  This is a useful position for a new organiser as it allows them to gain a taste of what it is like organising an event.
2. Secretary of the Meeting: Responsible for the general event paperwork and to manage "the office" for the Clerk of the Course.  The Secretary will be involved with signing-on and competitor liason.  Much of the documentation for the event will be produced by the Secretary.  It is a busy role and for smaller events may be combined with the role of Entries Secretary.
3. Entries Secretary: To be responsible for receiving entries and relevant fees and organising event signing-on with the Secretary of the Meeting.
4. Chief Marshal: The role of the Chief Marshal should not be underestimated as it is this person's job to arrange the supply of marshals for the event and to ensure that they know what to do and where to go.  In the present climate recruiting marshals can be extremely difficult and someone who has several contacts could be a useful person to fulfil this role.
5. Timekeeper: To arrange the supply and distribution of timing equipment for the event.  Also required to ensure timing equipment is accurate and set in accordance with MSA Requirements and tolerances to BBC/Telecom time.
6. Scrutineer: To ensure that the competition vehicles all comply with MSA technical regulations that apply to the specific event.
7. Stewards: On rallies of clubman status only one Steward is required.  All others need three Stewards.  The Stewards are there to act as impartial observers and to ensure that the event is run in accordance with the regulations.  They also act as a second judicial body should an appeal be made against the decision of the clerk of the course.  It must be noted that Stewards should not be permitted to undertake any other official post.

Public relations:

   The PR work is necessary to minimise the disruption caused by an event, warn people on the route of the event and to protect the future of the sport.  It must be carried out by trustworthy club officials and far enough in advance of the event so that problems can be overcome in plenty of time.  Re-routes may be required and these must be processed via the CAS.

   When undertaking the PR work it is essential that a diplomatic approach is made and that you do not ask for permission from the householders en route as this can lead to unnecessary difficulties.  Inform them of the event, leave a PR Letter and have them sign the PR Register which must be kept for all PR work carried out.  In England and Wales you must also refrain from implying that the Police have authorised the event.

   The RLO(S) for the area may request that additional PR work is undertaken in sensitive areas.

   The PR Register must be available for inspection by the Clerk of the Course, Stewards and RLO(s).
 

Road event specifics:

Sections on road events need to be carefully planned depending on the type of section.

   Standard and Regularity Sections are the competitive elements of the route and may be timed to a legal maximum average speed of 30 mph.  Often "whites" (unsurfaced tracks) are used on these events to maintain a challenge to competitors.  The routes of these sections should be designed to avoid built up areas wherever possible.

   Neutral and Transport sections are the linking parts of the route whose main purpose is to allow competitors to travel through villages, PR sensitive areas and along long stretches of main roads to link different parts of the event together.  These can only be timed at 28 mph average in the case of Neutrals.  Transport Sections can be timed at 30 mph average.  Time controls on the public highway must be a minimum of 2 miles apart.

   Whilst planning the event route you must be mindful of the style of event, the time of year and the length of route.  There is no use running an event on top of the North Yorkshire Moors in early February as the majority of the route could be blocked by snowfalls.  It is also essential to take into account locations of the start, finish and importantly petrol/rest halts.  In remote locations it may be difficult to find a garage that will open in the middle of the night to service your competitors.

   The time control locations that you select need to allow plenty of space for the marshal to park and to allow other road users to pass when competing cars are waiting.  This is especially important at the end of a long Neutral or Transport section where a queue of several cars may develop.

   This brings us onto marshals.  For a road event a large number of marshals are required.  However by planning the route effectively you can allow many of the marshalling crews to "double up" and thus help reduce your manpower requirements.  Marshals should be given specific instructions of what to do and how to find their control point never assume they have a map with them!

   It will also be necessary to man any gates and/or fords en route to reduce the risk of problems occurring - such as livestock escaping from a field or a car drowning out and holding up the whole event.

Event paperwork: The paperwork for every event is different, however by maintaining a consistent, clear and informative approach, the competitors will know what is going on and what to expect.  Route cards, time cards and other documents must be checked by the organising team for correctness.  The route cards in particular should also be checked by a trustworthy independent person.

Stage event specifics

Officials:

1. Chief Timekeeper: The Chief Timekeeper must be from the MSA appointed list of Timekeepers.
2. Chief Scrutineer: The Chief Scrutineer must be from the MSA appointed list of Scrutineers appropriate to the grade of event.  The Chief Scrutineer will also be responsible for booking a number of other scrutineers depending on how many entries are received for an event.
3. Chief Safety Officer: The Chief Safety Officer is responsible for booking the relevant Safety, Rescue and Recovery vehicles along with Doctors and Paramedics.  He is also responsible for producing an event safety plan and ensuring that this is adhered to on the day.
4. Radio Controller: The event Radio Controller is a very important job on any Stage Rally, but especially on a Multi-Venue event where the Clerk of the Course may be out of Communication range and he may well be required to make some important decisions.  For this reason when appointing a Radio Controller you need someone who is both conversant with all current radio procedures and can work under pressure.
5. Stage Commander: The Stage Commander is responsible for ensuring a Stage is fully ready to run by the appointed time, and for dealing first hand with any safety and operational details.
6. Press Officer: Depending on the size of your event, you may well be inundated with media requests for information.  One person should handle this.  If you have an incident on your event all media enquiries should be directed to this person.  If you are unfortunate enough to have a fatality on your event, all media enquiries should be directed to the MSA.

Forest Enterprise:

   If the application is successful the club will be notified that it has an allocation to use Forest Enterprise land.  The granting of an allocation does not guarantee that forestry roads will be available in the area that you may wish to run the rally.  The club must start discussions with the appropriate Forestry Liaison Officer to discover what forestry roads may be available for their use.

   The Forestry Liaison Officers are listed in the Officiais'Yearbook (Red Book).

Servicing:

Chronological timetable