Results

Fantastic effort by the Course Setters; Michael Brown, Dan Locke, Geoff and Mike Taylor for building 12 excellent sections.

The trial was limited to just two laps following a prolonged torrential down poor, courtesy of storm Ciara, making many of the sections too dangerous to attempt a third time.

Trial Report, by Scout Gregory:

The third round of the IOWMCC's 2020 Winter Series Trials Championship took place on Sunday 9th February at Arreton Down in Newport. Arreton Down is one of the larger trials venues on the island - a vast area of land which we are fortunate to be able to use, courtesy of A. Brown Farms Ltd. We are very grateful to be able to ride here. The relentless wind and sideways rain certainly made for some tricky conditions; and many club trials across the country would have no doubt been cancelled, but Storm Ciara was no match for Wayne Brodie or the 17 riders who turned up to face the 12 excellent sections set by Michael Brown, Dan Locke, Geoff Taylor and Mike Taylor. The sections differed, from short, twisty and tight to long and flowing, incorporating a variety of natural features such as banks, tree roots and logs.

Expert rider Jack Ayres completed the 2 laps of 12 sections with an impressive score of just 29 on the A route. The awful conditions clearly didn't phase Jack as his score proved to be the lowest of the day. James Stay finished 13 marks behind on 42, dropping most of his marks on his second lap. James was one of the last riders to set off, perhaps to his detriment as conditions really deteriorated throughout the afternoon. Tom Richards had another solid ride finishing in third place on 61.

Just two riders battled it out in the Intermediate class, Sonny Gaskin and Scout Gregory. Sonny managed to put together a more consistent ride, dropping a very respectable 60 marks versus Scout's 72 on a challenging B route. In the O/50 class, Andy Scott-Jackson had a good ride to finish in first place on 91. Stuart Gummer was the only rider of the day to score over 100 marks, but make no mistake, the slippy conditions made for some very challenging sections, particularly on the B route which Andy and Stuart were both tackling. This year's Clubman class continues to be very competitive as Phil Chase and Colin Brodie compete for the championship! Colin continues to chase Phil, who had an excellent ride, losing just 37 marks versus Colin's 56 on a 50/50 split of both B and C route sections. Geoff Taylor rounded out the top three with a score of 65 on board his 4-stroke Montesa.

Tristan Osborne was the solo rider in the Ad/Beg class, which follows the D route. Tristan went round for an impressive score of just 49; in conditions that made even the more straightforward sections difficult to ride. Dan Locke continues to impress in the Youth/Expert class, putting in another very good ride. Dan finished on 83. The Youth/Expert class follows the B route which is challenging for an adult Intermediate rider, let alone a Youth. Alfie Gaskin will be competing with his Dad Sonny before long, as his progression on the bike continues. Alfie finished the trial on 73, riding a 50/50 split of both B and C route sections.

In the Sportsman class, following the C route, Jon Read made a welcome appearance and put in a very good ride to finish with the second lowest score of the day on 31. Simon Watmough finished behind on 53.

A big thanks to all those involved with organising the trial and in particular; Wayne Brodie – braving the elements to sign everyone on as usual and also the man who does so much behind the scenes! The club's next trial will be on Sunday 23rd February at 12pm – Venue to be confirmed.

The Mercury Cup – Haslett Sand Pit – 26/01/20 by Scout Gregory.

The second round of the IOWMCC's 2020 Winter Series Trials Championship took place on Sunday 26th January at Haslett Sand Pit in Shorwell. The sand pit is a fantastic trials venue that is rideable even in the wettest of conditions, and we are very grateful to the landowner Mr Glen Draper for welcoming us here.

Despite the bad weather, it was another impressive turnout for the club, with 33 riders signing on to enjoy the 8 sections set by Scout Gregory and Tom Richards. The sections made use of the best features that the quarry has to offer, and included; hill climbs, drops, rocks, and even a wall ride! Scout and Tom wanted to set out a fun but challenging trial, and they certainly did that, despite some riders complaining that sections were too difficult on the first lap.

Expert rider Jack Ayres completed the 4 laps of 8 sections with a score of 30, just beating Rob Howard on 34. Rob must pleased with his performance after a lengthy lay out with injury. Rob's accomplished background in bicycle trials has certainly transferred over to motorcycle trials, as he made some of the technical A route sections look seemingly effortless. He made his Beta dance! Tom Richards was just 2 marks shy of Rob on 36. Tom hasn't been riding in the Expert class for long, but you wouldn't know that as he made light work of the sections; in particular section 4, a near vertical rock face climb before turning immediately right along a narrow ledge – impressive stuff! Experienced rider James Stay was unfortunate to have to retire this time around due to mechanical issues.

Just two riders managed to finish the trial in the Intermediate class, Sonny Gaskin and Scout Gregory. Sonny and Scout regularly enjoy close battles; but it was Sonny who came out on top this time, posting a score of 73 versus Scout's 84. Both riders particularly enjoyed the more aggressive B route sections, with Sonny choosing to take flight where ever possible – rolling back the years to his motocross days!

Simon Newnham had one of the most impressive rides of the day, proving that age is just a number. Simon scored 48, the lowest score of the day on the B route, and took his GasGas to first place in the Over 50's class by some margin. Simon finished 34 marks clear of second placed Stuart Gummer on 82, who had a good ride himself!

A welcome return to trials was made from the Clubman king, Scott Milton. Scott kept fellow Clubman riders Colin Brodie, Phil Chase and Geoff Taylor at bay with a score of 57 on the 50/50 split of both B and C route sections. Colin found some of the sections quite difficult on board his borrowed Beta, but completed the trial never the less, finishing in second place on a respectable score of 75. Phil Chase finished third, just 3 marks behind on 78, and Geoff Taylor placed fourth on 81.

Ryan Munt was the clear winner of the Novice class. Navigating yellow flags on the C route sections, Ryan posted a score of just 24, beating Marcus Rickard and Paul Kent by some distance. Ryan's consistent riding in the ever changing sand was very impressive!

Mike True was the only rider of the day to go clean. Mike successfully completed the whole trial without making a single dab in the Adult Beginner class, which follows the D route to claim the win. Tristan Osborne, the other rider in the class finished second, also having a strong ride, only dropping 10 marks on section 4.

Dan Locke had one of the rides of his life on the B route, not only winning the the Youth Expert class by a huge 61 mark margin, but also beating experienced adult intermediate riders in the process. Dan's score of 72 on this route was only bettered by Over 50's rider Simon Newnham. Incredible performance from the young rider! Josh Morris put in a good ride and finished in second place on 133.

Another impressive performance was from the young and ever improving Alfie Gaskin. Alfie finished on 70 in the Youth Intermediate class, riding a 50/50 split of both B and C route sections. As Alfie's confidence on the bike grows, no doubt so will his ability – he is definitely one to watch out for in the future!

Freddie Death completed the D route in the Yth/Beg class on 26, cleaning section 2 all four times!

In the Sportsman class, Simon Watmough finished on an impressive score of 46, opting to ride a 50/50 split of both B and C route sections. Steve Chase went around for the second lowest score of the day on just 4, riding a 50/50 split of both C and D route sections. John Townsend rode the D route and completed the trial on just 9, a very impressive score for the clubs oldest rider.

A big thanks to all those involved with organising the trial and in particular; Wayne Brodie – This man not only signs everyone on at almost every trial but does so much behind the scenes! The club's photographer, Viki Taylor and to our loyal observers who brave almost all weather conditions; Steve Kent, Rob Richards and Andy Scott-Jackson!

The club's next trial will be on Sunday 9th February at 12pm – all the details are to be confirmed and will be available from the Club website nearer the time. Meanwhile entries are steadily coming in for the Club's flagship event, The 2020 Wight Two Day Trial. There is a limit of 150 entries for this popular South Coast trial. All the details can be found on the Club website (Forms section). Entries can also be made via the ACU website.

The New Year Shield – Sweetwater Brook – 05/01/20, by Scout Gregory.

The IOWMCC's 2020 Winter Series Trials Championship was kickstarted on Sunday 5th January at Sweetwater Brook in Calbourne. The cold, wet and muddy conditions that might usually deter some riders, attracted nearly 40 entrants, with both new and old faces which was great to see! This was a brilliant turnout for a club trial and long may it continue.

The trial was set out by two of the clubs longest serving members, Nick Symes and Geoff Taylor who did a great job of marking out a variety of sections along either side of the brook.

Elite rider George Gosden completed the 4 laps of 8 sections with a score of 32. George would have no doubt hoped for a lower total on the A route, as Expert riders Jack Ayres and James Stay both posted lower scores, 27 and 28 respectively. George had an out of sorts ride having not spent much time on the bike recently but take nothing away from Jack and James who were battling it out with each other all afternoon. Expert newcomer, Tom Richards finished on 55, an impressive score considering his recent move up from the Intermediate class.

Former Intermediate champion Mark Coombes, scored 27 on the B route in the Intermediate class and will be disappointed to have lost out to his old mate Alan Stay who finished 1st on a score of just 20. Alan is making a return to trials having not ridden for a few years - although watching him ride you would struggle to know as he made light work of the super slippy sections. No wonder they call him the mad dog! Scout Gregory finished in 3rd place on 30, which he will no doubt be happy with having not ridden much over the past few months.

The ever impressive Simon Newnham was the clear winner in the O/50 class riding the B route, some 11 marks clear of the experienced Rory Stephens in 2nd place on 31. Andy Scott-Jackson finished in 3rd place on 50.

Adam Morgan's trials riding continues to get better and better as he comfortably won the Clubman class riding a 50/50 split of both B and C route sections. Adam no doubt found his shiny new Beta somewhat easier to manoeuvre than his not so-easy 90's Scorpa! Phil Chase and Colin Brodie will surely battle closely for the championship again this year, having finished in 2nd and 3rd place on 47 and 48.

In the T/Shock class, Nick Symes put in an impressive ride on his trusty Honda TLR, scoring just 46 on the C route sections. Calvin Wright put his old Ossa through it's paces and finished in 2nd place on 74.

The Novice class had some very close competition on the C route, with three riders being tied on 29. Ryan Munt was awarded the win however with an outstanding 20 cleans. The number of cleans wasn't enough to separate John Coombes and Joe Taylor however, as both riders cleaned up 17 times! John was awarded 2nd place with nine 1's and Joe 3rd place with six 1's. The Novice class will no doubt be tightly contested this year!

Sam Jurich was the only rider in the Ad/Beg class finishing on 68. This class follows the D route which is perfect for beginners or those who are unsure of their ability.

Having spent most of 2019 trying to convince his Dad to let him move up to the Youth Expert class, Alfie Haydon has now made the move up a class and will no doubt thrive on the extra challenge the B route will present him with. Alfie went round for a score of just 42 under the watchful eye of his Dad who is an extremely accomplished rider himself!

Alfie Gaskin is looking more and more confident on his GasGas 125. Alfie finished on 109 in the Youth Inter class, riding a 50/50 split of both B and C route sections.

The Sportsman class was won by Steve Chase despite having not ridden for around 6 months. Steve completed a 50/50 split of both C and D route sections to finish on 25, ahead of Tristan Osborne in 2nd place on 60. The clubs oldest rider John Townsend rode the D route and completed the trial on 84. It's always brilliant to see John out on his old twin shock machine!

We would like to thank Mr Trevor Strickland for welcoming us back to this brilliant trials venue for which we are very fortunate to be able to use.

We extend our thanks to; Wayne Brodie – This man not only signs everyone on at almost every trial but does so much behind the scenes! The club's photographer, Viki Taylor and to our loyal observers who brave almost all weather conditions; Darren Taylor, Adrian Daish, Mike Morris and Colin Hare!

The club's next trial will be on Sunday 26th January at 12pm, signing on from 11am – Venue to be confirmed.

Overall standings for the 2019 Winter Series Trials Championship. Please be sure to read the notes at the top of the first page.

Very many thanks to Ralph Cook for the use of the chalk pit - very much appreciated. Thanks also to the Course Setters; Rob Howard and Mark Coombes who were assisted by Scout Gregory and Colin Brodie - superb effort guys.

Special thanks to Rob Richards and Colin Hare for observing in that bitterly cold and wet weather - and not forgetting Viki Taylor who also braved the elements to get some memorable images through the lens.

The Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club held the penultimate round of the Winter Series Trials Championship on Sunday 8th of December at Haslett Farm, Shorwell. The Club would like to thank Mr Glen Draper for welcoming us back at such short notice. The eight section lap was set by James Stay, Dan Flux, Rob Baker, Scout Gregory and Rob Howard. They did a brilliant job making full use of the available land. Very many thanks also to Gill Locke (Photographer) and to all the Observers who’s help is vital to the success of the sport – another very good team effort.

Expert rider James Stay found himself out on his own this afternoon but despite the lack of competition he still posted a good total of thirty-five. James admitted that he was hoping to get round for less than twenty but his total reflects the difficulty level on the Expert course, especially when combined with today’s unpredictable surface – good effort James. The Intermediate class proved to be another emphatic win for Tom Richards. He negotiated the ‘B’ route excellently to finish with the second lowest score of the day, just six dropped marks. Scout Gregory managed to stay ahead of third place finisher Sonny Gaskin – only 6 marks between the two. Andy Scott-Jackson beat his friendly rival Stuart Gummer in the Over 50’s by ten marks. Meanwhile in the Clubman class there was a close battle between Colin Brodie and Phil Chase. It was Colin who took the win with only four marks separating them. Today’s maximum points means that Colin has won the Winter Series Clubman Championship, with a round to spare – congratulations Colin.

The well contested Novice group of riders ended with a win for Brian Brockwell, he put in a confident performance to complete the trial with a loss of fifteen marks. There were only eight marks separating the first four - John Coombes took the second spot with Paul Kent just two more behind in third. Joe Taylor will probably be disappointed with his sixth place finish today but he’s already done the hard work, consistently scoring well throughout the season and he will be crowned the 2019 Winter Series Novice Champion. Nick Symes put in an excellent performance, despite riding unopposed, in the Twin-shock class to finish with the lowest total of the day – a miserly three dropped marks.

Four Youth riders in action at Haslett during the afternoon, Dan Locke and Josh Morris went head to head in the Youth Experts which resulted with a win for Dan on this occasion. These two young riders continue to impress with every outing. They both began the year on the novice course – excellent effort by both riders. Alfie Haydon put in a tremendous performance dropping just seventeen in the Youth Inters. Alfie has done more than enough to take the Championship – I’m sure he is champing at the bit to get stuck into the Experts next year! Alfie Gaskin had a mixed day in the Youth Novice class – he had four fairly expensive sections with excellent section scores (totalling eight) on the remaining, four helping him on his way to another ten Championship points.

The final trial of 2019 will take place on Boxing Day at Shorwell Chalk Pit. There will be prizes for the best Youth and the best Adult riders in fancy dress. Please note the earlier start time of 11am, signing on from 10am. The Club would like to take this opportunity to wish all the Landowners, volunteers, friends, associates, and of course, all our members a very happy Christmas and all the very best for 2020.

The Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club held the annual Matthew Russell Memorial Cup trial on Sunday 17th November at Nodewell Farm, Totland. The Club would like to thank the Morgan Family for the use of the venue, Ross & Alfie Haydon along with Josh Morris for eight top sections. We would also like to thank Gill Locke for capturing all the action with her camera, the Observers and Geoff Taylor - Geoff stepped in at short notice to sign the riders on and officiate as Clerk of the Course – superb team effort people.

The Club would like to extend a very warm welcome to three new members; Jack Ayres, Adam Morgan and Daryl Biles. Jack is no stranger to trials and its great to see him back on a trials machine riding with us after a break of far too many years! We hope they all had a great time and we look forward to seeing them again soon.

Matt Russell was a popular and a well-liked member of the Club. He was an accomplished Intermediate class rider who tragically and suddenly lost his life at the age of just twenty-nine. The ‘Matt Russell Cup’ is awarded annually to the best Intermediate rider at this trial. Matt’s Dad; Tony Russell, was on hand to present the Cup to this year’s Intermediate winner - Tom Richards. Tom put in an amazing performance on the tricky sections to cross the line with a miserly loss of only eight marks. Presentations were also made to Ross Haydon (2nd) and Ben Read (3rd) who dropped thirty and thirty-two respectively.

Things were very much closer in the Expert class, in fact Jack Ayres and James Stay were tied on thirty-one a piece. Jack was awarded the win for notching up twenty cleans to James’s fifteen – very good effort by both riders. Meanwhile over in the Clubman class it proved to be a successful return to trials for Adam Morgan – he completed the trial for a loss of thirty-eight, twenty-six ahead of nearest rival Phil Chase. Daryl Biles posted a very good seventy-three to take the third spot. Colin Brodie finished in fourth – it was great to see Colin fit enough to compete after a recent crash forced him off the bike for several weeks. Paul Kent dominated the Novice group of riders finishing on just five dropped marks – the lowest score of the day. John Coombes held on for the second place by two marks from Championship leader; Joe Taylor who was forced to settle for third spot on this occasion.

It was good to see five Youth riders in action this afternoon, headed up by Josh Morris in the Youth Expert class. Josh managed to hold off a determined challenge from Dan Locke to claim the win. Alfie Haydon was out on his own in the Youth Intermediate class but despite this he posted the second best score on the B&C route – beating all but one of the adults! Alfie Gaskin also put in a superb performance to take maximum points in the Youth Novice’s – Excellent riding lads.

The Club next meet on Sunday 1st December for the Duver Cup. The venue is still to be confirmed, please keep an eye on this website where all the details will be made available once finalised.

The Club would like to thank Mr Glen Draper for the kind use of the pit & to Course Setter; Rory Stephens. A special thank you to Colin Hare and Darren Taylor for their superb efforts observing the trial, in the very wet and bitterly cold conditions.

The Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club held the ninth round of the 2019 Winter Series Trials Championship on Sunday 6th October at Bembridge Down. The Club would like to thank Rob and John Taylor for the kind use of this excellent venue. Very many thanks also to Alan Gosden (Course Setter) Viki Taylor (Club Photographer) Peter Rank (Guest Photographer) and to all eight Observers – great team effort. The Club would like to extend a very warm welcome to new member; Tristan Osborne. We hope he enjoyed the trial and we look forward to seeing him again soon. Not the easiest of trials for a debut, the exposed tree roots were very greasy after some heavy rain overnight, resulting in some high totals for most riders.

It was great to see Elite rider; Josh Stephens in action, negotiating the Expert route for a loss of sixteen - no doubt getting in some important bike time before he travels up to Richmond, North Yorkshire for the gruelling Scott Trial. Josh will make the journey with British Expert Champion; Chris Stay together with James Stay and Mark Coombes – we wish the four of them all the very best as they take on one of the most testing events in the trials calendar.

The Intermediate class was won convincingly by Championship leader; Ben Brodie. Ben finished the trial on thirty-one, forty points ahead of his nearest rival Harvey Grieve. Scout Gregory and Sonny Gaskin were tied on seventy-nine – Scout was awarded the third place notching up four cleans to Sonny’s three. There were four Over Fifty riders (everyone’s getting older!) and it was Rory Stephens who took another very convincing win with a fine total of only nineteen. Simon Watmough did enough to claim the second spot from Andy Scott-Jackson in third. Colin Brodie and Phil Chase were involved in another tie break in the Clubman class. Both riders scored sixty-six a piece. Colin took the win by the narrowest of margins, managing ten cleans to Phil’s nine – good effort by both these friendly rivals.

The Novice class only attracted three riders with just two finishers. Paul Kent took the win on fifty-nine from Championship leader; Joe Taylor, who finished on seventy-five – sections six and seven making all the difference. The pick of the Sportsman riders, once again, was Geoff Taylor, with a competitive total of fifty-six. Tristan Osborne, in his first trial for many years managed a good total of forty-eight, sensibly riding mainly ‘D’ route sections.

Five Youth riders taking on the tricky Bembridge sections, headed up by Dan Locke and Josh Morris in the Youth Experts. Dan managed to seal the win twenty-one marks clear of Josh – sections four and six proving to be the deciders. Alfie Haydon put in his usual confident performance to take the points in the Youth Intermediate class. It was really good to see Alfie Gaskin back on his bike so soon after his recent arm injury whilst on holiday – it was thought he would be forced off the bike for much longer than this. He finished the trial to take the points in the Youth Novice class. Bertie Grieve continues to gain in confidence in the Youth Beginners bagging himself another ten Championship points.

The Club next meet on Sunday 20th October for the Ted Phillips Cup. Your Course Setters for this trial will be Andy Scott-Jackson and Stuart Gummer. The usual start time of 12 noon with signing on open from 11am. Please keep an eye on the Club website: www.iowmcc.co.uk where details of the venue will be published nearer the time.

Finally on behalf of the whole Club - I would like to wish Jos Wright all the very best following a horrific car accident on Saturday evening. I understand he has undergone major surgery to both his legs. Our thoughts are with Jos and his family at this difficult time.

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