Results

These are the fully amended results for Saturday. All ties obviously resolved.

The Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club held the sixth round of the 2019 Winter Series Trials Championship on Sunday 4th April at Haslett Sand Pit, Shorwell, courtesy of Mr Glen Draper. We would like to thank Glen for welcoming us back once again. Andy Ryall was tasked to set the eight section course – which he did brilliantly. We would also like to thank the six Observers and Club Photographer; Viki Taylor who all gave up their Sunday afternoon, braving that bitterly cold wind, to help ensure a smooth running event. I would like to say a special thank you to Geoff Taylor who kindly stepped in to sort out all the signing on etc, in my absence. I have heard that he enjoyed it so much he may well be offering to do it more often! The Club would like to extend a very warm welcome to new member; Mike Tru, we hope he enjoyed the experience and we look forward to seeing him back out very soon.

The usual four laps of eight sections were ready to test the riders skills of balance and control. Dry and bright conditions remained all afternoon, although that strong and bitterly cold wind, blowing in straight off the English Channel helped to keep the riders from overheating. The Winter Series is made up of thirteen rounds and to qualify for an award riders must complete a minimum of eight rounds – with the best twelve to count. This trial concludes the first half of the Winter Championship.

Lone Expert competitor; James Stay earned himself maximum points with a solid performance. Loosing just twenty seven marks, nineteen of these on sections one and three. Meanwhile the very well contested Intermediate class was dominated with an exceptional display from Mark Coombes – just a single dab on section three spoiling his otherwise clean sheet – Incidentally, Mark has only dropped six in two consecutive trials, a master class in consistency! Tom Richards and Ben Brodie found themselves in a very close battle for the minor places. Tom managed to hold on to the second spot by just three marks, on seventeen with Ben on twenty. Shaun Harris took the fourth place with the upcoming Harvey Grieve in fifth. Simon Newnham was once again victorious in the Over 50’s finishing on seven, the second lowest total of the day. Malcolm Hawkins kept going to claim his seven Championship points.

Scott Milton continues to dominate the Clubman class with another fine effort, twenty-one ahead of Colin Brodie in second with Phil Chase not many more behind in third. It was great to see Brian Brockwell returning to trials after a prolonged break. Competing in the Novice’s he was tied with Steve Chase on twenty-nine. Brian was awarded the top spot after notching up 20 cleans compared to Steve’s nineteen cleans – it really doesn’t get any closer than that! Paul West continues to show improvement and was rewarded with the third place today, Joe Taylor was fourth. Stewart Freeman seemed to struggle on the loose sand but never the less kept going to earn himself maximum points in the Twin Shock class. John Townsend returned from injury to take the honours in the British Bike class – excellent effort John, good to see you fit again. Two Sportsman riders; Geoff Taylor (C route) and Gary Jones on the D route these two finishing on twenty-seven and sixteen respectively.

Five Youth competitors this afternoon headed up with the ever improving Alfie Haydon (Youth Inter). Alfie had a fantastic result ending the day on just fourteen. Dan Locke had to fight off a determined challenge from Josh Morris to take the spoils in the Youth Novice class, nine marks separating these two. Alfie Gaskin proved to be the clear winner of the Youth Beginner class with Bertie Grieve in second - Excellent effort by all these young riders.

The Club next meet in just under two weeks-time for its flagship event, the annual Wight Two Day Trial. The entry window closes on Easter Friday, so just a few days left to get that paperwork in! There are 135 confirmed riders to date. All the info can be found in the Forms section of this website. Around 90 of these are riders travelling from as far as Northern Ireland and Gurnsey – would you believe we even have an entry from Australia! Saturday 27th April at Knighton Sand Pit, starting at 11am and Sunday 28th April at Bembridge Down starting at 10am. Spectators are very welcome with free entry into each venue. Please follow any instructions issued by Club Officials - who are concerned with everyone’s safety.

The Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club held the 5th round of the 2019 Trials Championship on Sunday 24th March at Apse Down, Calbourne. We would like to thank Mrs Jane Ball for the kind use of the land. The course was set by Steve Chase, Phil Chase, Ben Brodie and Paul West. Eight superb sections, something to suit all styles of riding – top effort by them. The Club would also like to thank all eight Observers, it was especially good to see Mike Taylor, well enough, to get involved once again. Club Photographer; Viki Taylor did a brilliant job, as ever, with her take on the trial through the lens - these are all volunteers who give up their time for us and are vital to the continued success of our sport.

Very many congratulations to Chris Stay, who recorded his first British Championship Expert win at Hookwood TC, Surrey on Saturday March 23rd. A perfect start to his 2019 campaign. This follows his recent National S3 Championship win at Stratford upon Avon a few weeks ago. All his dedication and hard work is now being rewarded with these top results – brilliant riding and we wish him all the best as he practices hard to keep this momentum going.

Rory Stephens displayed some perfection of his own this afternoon, winning the Intermediate class without loosing a single mark, an excellent clean sheet indeed. Very close behind him was Mark Coombes who briefly lost his concentration on section seven, missed a flag, to incur a maximum five point penalty - which relegated him into the second spot. Tom Richards had to battle hard to take the third place, four ahead of Ben Brodie in fourth with Shaun Harris in fifth. James Stay was all alone in the Experts and just needed to finish to take another ten Championship points and although he found section eight somewhat troublesome, he did exactly that. Simon Newnham took the spoils in the Over 50 (B) class with an impressive performance completing the four laps with a loss of just nine. Malcolm Hawkins finished in second on forty-one loosing over half these on sections three and eight.

Meanwhile over in the Clubman class Scott Milton returned to winning ways with a comprehensive cushion of nineteen marks from Colin Brodie. Phil Chase despite a determined effort was nine more adrift in third. In the Novice’s it was Steve Chase that took an impressive win (his second consecutive top spot) cleaning all but section three where he lost eight. Things were much closer for the minor placings, Joe Taylor just managed to stay ahead of Paul west in third. Nick Symes recorded another predictable win this afternoon in the Twin Shock’s adding to his seasons tally. It was great to see Stewart Freeman back on the ‘C’ route and considering his lack of ‘bike fitness’ posted an impressive total for a fine second place. Geoff Taylor was the only Sportsman rider, choosing to take on the ‘C’ route on an unfamiliar two stroke machine – I bet he’s looking forward to getting back on his trusty four stroke Montesa!

Five Youth riders in action today headed up by Alfie Haydon in the Youth Inter’s. Alfie did a brilliant job at making it all look so easy, finishing with an superb score of only nineteen. Dan Locke managed to hold off a determined challenge to take the win from fellow Youth Novice rider Josh Morris, just six marks separating these two. These could be in a photo finish for the Championship towards the end of the year! Last but certainly, not least, come two Youth Beginner riders Alfie Gaskin and Bertie Grieve. Alfie notched up his second consecutive win in just two outings. This was Bertie’s first ever trial and he did a great job to earn his seven Championship marks but more importantly he seemed to thoroughly enjoy the experience. These young riders represent the future of our Club, the future is looking pretty good at the moment! – Excellent effort by all five young riders.

The popular Wight Two Day Trial is just around the corner, 27th and 28th April. There are 125 confirmed entries with just over 3 weeks to the closing date (19th April) and only 25 places left. The entry will close before the 19th if the 150 limit is reached sooner. All the details are available in the Forms section of this website (Supplementary Regulations, Entry Form and Confirmed Rider List). If you are planning on joining us - then now is probably the time to get you paperwork sent in – or risk being disappointed!

The Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club held the fourth round of the 2019 Winter Series Trials Championship (The Novice and Expert Cup) on Sunday 3rd March at Newbarn Farm, Calbourne. The Club would like to thank Mr Chris Spence for allowing us the use of this excellent all-weather venue. We would also like to thank the Course Setters; James Stay and Rob Howard, assisted by Dan Flux and Rob Baker, between them they set eight superb sections – something for everyone, top drawer stuff. All clubs tend to rely heavily on volunteers to help out and we are no exception! Very many thanks to the Observers and to Viki Taylor (Club Photographer) who all braved the leading edge of Storm Freya, to help ensure a smooth running event – a good team effort people. I trust you all got home in good time to get dried off and warmed up.

The Club would like to extend a very warm welcome to four new members; Gill Locke, Tom Richards, Mark Grieve and Bertie Grieve. We hope they enjoyed the trial and we look forward to seeing them back out again very soon.

It was really encouraging to see five youth riders at the trial, headed up by Alfie Haydon in the Youth Intermediate class. Alfie only lost marks on four of the eight sections to end the day with a total of thirty-seven. Dan Locke took the win in the Youth Novice’s despite a determined effort from Josh Morris, fourteen marks between these two. Meanwhile Alfie Gaskin put in an excellent performance to take his first win in the Youth Beginners. Alfie completed the four laps of eight sections for a loss of only fourteen – this is an exceptional ride considering it was his first full trial. Young Bertie Grieve decided to sign on for the trial but decided to take the opportunity to treat the afternoon as a practice session. He did have a go at some of the sections and from what I saw, he seemed to be having a great time. Excellent effort by all five young riders.

Only two Expert riders competing for the win – which was taken by James Stay with a total of fifty-two. Rob Howard finished twenty-six more behind, not helped by no less than four maximum five point penalties on lap one! Very uncharacteristic for such an accomplished and steady rider – good effort by James none the less, although it wasn’t all plain sailing after his throttle jammed open exiting section two – luckily after some ‘precision adjustments’ he was able to regain control just in time, to prevent any damage to the motor! The very well contested Intermediate class proved to be a much closer contest resulting in a win for Mark Coombes, thirteen clear of Ben Brodie in second with Shaun Harris just one more behind in third. Arguably Brodie’s best performance since moving onto the B route. Dan Flux and Scout Gregory were only a few more marks adrift finishing in fourth and fifth respectively. Two ‘over 50, B route’ riders, both piloting their brand new Gasssers; Simon Newnham recorded an emphatic win loosing just eight marks – the lowest score on the B route by any rider – proving that youth and enthusiasm are no match for old age and treachery! Malcolm Hawkins was the second place finisher today but, once he has mastered the new bike, we can expect him to be much more competitive.

There was a surprise winner in the Clubman class, new member; Tom Richards took the win four ahead of Scott Milton in second with Colin Brodie in third – only twelve marks between the three. Over in the Novice's, Steve Chase took what proved to be a comfortable win, by twenty-two, from in second Joe Taylor. Steve has to be pleased with this result finishing so far ahead of one of the Clubs fast improving riders. Nick Symes, the only Twin Shock rider secured another ten championship points, completing the trial for a miserly ten dropped marks. Gary Jones (Sportsman class) almost finished the trial with a clean sheet, however the greasy uphill exit out of section three caught him out for one mark, on his final lap, spoiling his otherwise perfect punch card – very good effort though.

The full results are available on the Club website, from the results tab. The Club next meet on Sunday 24th of March for The Jeffries Cup. The usual start time of 12 noon applies, signing on open from 11am. Please keep an eye on the Club website where you will find all the details just as soon as they are available. The Club’s flagship event, The Wight Two Day Trial (27th & 28th April 2019) will soon be upon us! The trial is limited to a strict 150 riders. The entry is now well over half full. Please remember to get your paperwork in sooner rather than later to avoid disappointment. Entries must be received on or before April 19th – No late entries can be accepted. Please check this website for the all-important details.

The Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club held the Spring Cup Trial on Sunday 10th February at Arreton Down, courtesy of A Brown Farms. The Club would like to thank the Brown Family very much for allowing us the use of this top venue – which is only accessible for a few weeks of the year. The eight section lap was set out by Geoff Taylor, Michael Brown and Dan Locke - who produced some great sections. Unfortunately the ridiculous amount of rainfall during Friday (storm Erik) and further persistent rain during Saturday night, into the early hours of Sunday morning inevitably took its toll. Some changes were made but the weather did have a massive impact on the ground which resulted in very wet and slippery conditions - leading to scores that the current England cricket team would envy! Despite the tricky ground, and once the riders accepted the difficult conditions, most went on to have a great afternoon out on their bikes. Our thanks also go to the Observers who gave up their time to stand out in the bitterly cold wind along with Club Photographer; Viki Taylor for capturing all the action with her excellent camera skills.

Once again we would like to congratulate three of our Club riders for their superb efforts in the 2018 Southern Centre ACU Solo Star Championship; Rob Howard, winner of the Expert Class; James Stay, winner of the Clubman (Intermediate) class and Rob Baker who finished a very close second in the Novice class. The lads travelled across to The Roddington Forge, West End, Southampton on Saturday evening for the Centre Awards presentations, hosted by Waltham Chase MCC.

James Stay’s good form continues into 2019 in the Club Expert class. Despite the lack of competition today he managed to complete the trial with a loss of just thirty-eight, this represents an excellent score in today’s testing conditions and testament to just how much an improved rider he is from this time last year. Meanwhile the very well contested Intermediate class was won by Ben Read who finished nine ahead of Ben Brodie in second. Rob Baker should be very pleased with his third place, only two more marks adrift following an excellent clean on the tricky hill climb at section four. Colin Brodie won the Clubman class with a superb performance crossing the line thirty-one marks clear from Phil Chase in second.

Joe Taylor proved to be the only finisher in the Novice’s, Joe’s determination to keep going was rewarded with another ten Championship points, and for the second consecutive trial, he equalled the score of Twin Shock stalwart Nick Symes. Nick did struggle on the slippery Arreton Downs and finished with a total of fifty-nine - probably what he would normally expect to loose over an entire season! Martin Moore, partnered by new member; Liz Wild brought their sidecar outfit intending to have a go at the trial but the ground conditions were most definitely against the sidecar, they decided instead to get some practise in to iron out some reliability issues. We look forward to seeing them taking on some of the D route sections at a more suitable venue very soon.

Two Youth riders braved the testing conditions this afternoon, Alfie Haydon Youth Intermediate and Dan Locke (Youth Beginner) Alfie’s riding continues to improve with every outing and today was no exception finishing on a very respectable fifty-one for another ten Championship points. Dan was going fairly well too for the first three laps – however the heavy downpour between laps three and four worsened the ground even more to cost him dearly. Very good effort none the less.

Geoff Taylor once again proved to be the pick of the bunch in the Sportsman class. Riding on the C route, he went on to complete the trial with the lowest total of the day, just twenty-three dropped marks. Excellent effort in the conditions. Alex Conrad in only his second trial decided to ride a mix of the B and C routes and despite the slippery ground he seemed to thoroughly enjoy himself. It was really good to see Michael Brown back riding with the Club today after a bit of a break. He also gave up his time to help set out the trial – top stuff Michael.

The Club next get together for a social evening on Saturday February 16th for the Annual Awards Dinner and Dance - where all the Awards earned during 2018 will be presented: 6.30pm at the Newclose Cricket Ground, Newport. Entries for the 2019 Wight Two Day Trial on April 27th and 28th continue to come in and the trial is now one third full. There is a strict limit of 150 and an equally strict closing date (Friday 19th April) These apply to everyone, including IOWMCC members! – If you are intending to take part then please get your paperwork sent in sooner rather than later - or risk disappointment - all the details are available from the 'Forms' tab: Reg's, Entry Form & the Confirmed Rider List.

The next Club trial will take place on Sunday 3rd of March, The Novice and Expert Cup. The usual start time of 12 noon applies, signing on from 11am. The venue is still to be confirmed so please keep an eye on the Club website where all the details will be published once finalised.

The Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club held the Mercury cup trial at Shorwell Chalk Pit on Sunday 27th January courtesy of Mr Ralph Cook. We would like to thank Ralph very much for welcoming us back at such short notice. The sections were set by Colin Brodie and Dan Flux, assisted by Rob Howard, on section six. This was their first attempt at setting out a trial which resulted in eight excellent sections – a top trial by anyone’s standards. Thanks are also due to the Observers who gave up their time to help ensure a smooth running event. Very many thanks to Gill Locke who turned out with her camera to get some excellent shots. Gill was standing in for Viki Taylor who was recovering from her 50th Birthday celebrations on Saturday night! On behalf of everyone at the Club – I would like to wish Viki all the best as she steps into her 51st year.

The Club would like to welcome two new members, Alex Conrad and Liz Wild. Alex, an ex Enduro rider, was taking part in his first ever trial. Liz will be partnering Martin Moore in his outfit – its been a while since we’ve seen a sidecar at a Club trial, but it will make for some great spectating, brave lady! It was great to see returning rider; Paul West back on a trials bike following a prolonged absence. We hope to see all of them back again very soon.

The rain during Saturday did its best to dampen the ground but Sunday brought dry and bright conditions, with at times, a brisk and bitterly cold wind which meant the riders could find plenty of grip. James Stay proved to be the lone Expert rider in action today and he completed the trial for a total of fifty - an unusually high score for him, sections two, five and seven were most costly. Meanwhile the Intermediate class winner faired much better, Ben Brodie took the win with a determined effort to finish on just twenty-six. Rob Baker claimed the second spot by just two marks from Scout Gregory with Dan Flux not many more behind in fourth. Both Scout and Dan have moved up two classes in just two trials – Experts next time out then lads!

Simon Newnham (Over 50 class) recorded the best performance on the ‘B’ route dropping just nineteen marks, section seven accounted for almost half of those. The Clubman class proved to be a much closer affair, it was Scott Milton who won the battle by seven marks from, in second, Colin Brodie with Phil Chase just three more behind in third – top effort by all three riders. Joe Taylor should be very happy with his total this afternoon, completing the four laps of eight sections for a miserly six marks to make it two wins from two trials in the Novice class, jointly recording the lowest score of the day. Returning rider Paul West finished on twenty-two for the second place, despite a break of several years – excellent effort by both competitors. Lone Twin shock rider; Nick Symes equalled Joe’s score on the ‘C’ route, Nick was on course to finish on one - until an uncharacteristic mistake on section eight (last lap) where he missed a flag to incur a maximum five point penalty! John Townsend seemed to enjoy his trial chalking up maximum points in the British Bike class. Likewise Joe Moore (Adult Beginner) has to be pleased with his total of just fourteen.

Just two Youth finishers today headed up by Alfie Haydon in the Youth Intermediate’s. The Youth Inter riders have to tackle a 50/50 mix of the ‘C’ and ‘B’ routes. Alfie’s task became even more difficult after he managed to snap his rear brake lever clean off, leaving him with only the front brake working – despite that setback he ended the trial with a very respectable total of forty. Dan Locke had a brilliant ride (Youth Novice) cleaning four out of the eight sections dropping just eleven on the other four – superb effort by both young riders. Geoff Taylor was the pick of the bunch in the Sportsman class (C route) to finish with a fine total of just nine dropped marks. The full results can be found here in the results section.

The Club next meet on Sunday 10th February. Please keep an eye on the Club website where all the details will be published once finalised.

Entries for the forthcoming 2019 Wight Two Day Trial (April 27th & 28th) are progressing. There is a strict limit on entries so if you are planning to come over please get your paperwork sent in sooner rather than later in order to avoid disappointment. All the details (Reg’s, Entry Form and Confirmed rider list) are available from this website, in the FORMS section, just to the right of the Club logo.

The Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club kick started the 2019 Winter Trials Championships with the New Year Shield, at Sweetwater Brook, Calbourne courtesy of Mr Trevor Strickland. The Club would like to thank Trevor for allowing us the use of this superb venue. Very many thanks also to Nick Symes (course setter) Viki Taylor (Club Photographer) and to all eight Observers – brilliant team effort.

The usual four laps of eight sections awaited the riders at the relatively mild and overcast Sweetwater course. Unlike many venues where the sections can become slightly easier as the day goes on, the ground here often deteriorates - and today was no exception! It was great to see the Islands top riders out in force in the Elite class; Chris Stay, George Gosden and Josh Stephens provided all of us with some excellent spectating. Both Chris and George completed the trial with clean sheets – Chris pretty much doing the majority of the trial on his back wheel!

Meanwhile, Expert rider; James Stay had to overcome a rear brake problem, which almost forced him to retire from the trial, however he managed to get the problem sorted to start his 2019 campaign off with the maximum ten Championship points. The Intermediate class was won by Ben Read finishing on forty-four, three ahead of Andy Steele in second with a top performance from Harvey Grieve in third – just two more marks behind. Ben Brodie and Rob Baker finished in fourth and fifth respectively after their move up into the more difficult class – excellent effort by all five riders. Scott Milton was back to winning ways securing the Clubman class by just two marks from the ever improving Scout Gregory in second. Colin Brodie finished not too far behind in an impressive third place following his move up from the Novices.

Joe Taylor proved to be the only Novice rider in action today but he did well to get through the tricky sections and start his year with top marks. Course Setter; Nick Symes was also out on his own in the Twin Shock’s. Nick finished dropping thirty marks – an unusually big total for him - but he did admit that he thought the sections would ride a bit easier than they actually did. Young Alfie Haydon is another rider to have moved up in class, this time, to Youth Intermediate. Youth Inters ride a mixture of the C and B routes and today’s B route was probably more difficult than expected – Alfie coped very well on five of the eight sections and his riding will improve further following his efforts today, which earned him his ten Championship points. The Youth Novice class was headed up with a determined effort from Dan Locke. Josh Morris was not far behind in second, despite being so early in the season, I’m almost certain these two riders will be in a very close battle for the 2019 title.

Simon Newnham was the pick of the bunch in the Sportsman Class, competing on the B route, he finished with a total of twenty-nine, finishing well clear of any of the other B route riders. It was really good to see Stewart Freeman back on his bike following a prolonged absence, hopefully, in time, he will be fully fit again and back to his usual competitive self. Geoff Taylor joined a rather exclusive group of riders after ending up in the brook beneath his bike, completely soaked but not hurt, to find out first hand that the water here is not that sweet after all!

The Club next meet on Sunday 27th January for the Medina Cup. The venue is still to be confirmed. Please keep an eye on the Club website, events, for all the details nearer the time. Just a reminder to all Club members to book their places at the forthcoming Awards, Dinner and Dance night, Saturday February 16th – again all the details are here on the website. Places for the 2019 Wight Two Day Trial will soon be filling up – please send your entries in sooner rather than later - or risk being left disappointed!

The Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club held its annual Boxing Day trial at Shorwell Chalk Pit courtesy of Mr Ralph Cook. We would like to thank Ralph for inviting us back to what is a superb venue. Very many thanks also to Geoff Taylor and Mark Coombes for giving up some of their Christmas break to set the sections, to all eight Observers and to Viki Taylor for her excellent camera skills.

The traditional Boxing day trial is not part of the Championship but there are awards for the best Father & Son pairing, The best Novice and the best Expert riders. Prizes are also given out to the best fancy dressed rider. Very many congratulations to this year’s Father & Son winners Ross and Alfie Haydon. They completed the trial with a combined score of just ten marks. Jon & Ben Read finished one mark ahead of Stewart & Will West for second with a combined total of thirty-three. James Stay won the Boxing Day Expert Award, for the second consecutive year and Colin Brodie took the Boxing Day Novice Award. A presentation was made to Geoff Taylor, judged to have been the best fancy dressed rider with his interpretation of Mrs Christmas - which certainly caused many smiles and laughter, superb effort.

Elite rider; Chris Stay negotiated the four laps of eight sections with predictable ease to end the trial with a clean sheet. Chris is busy preparing for his 2019 British Expert Solo Trials Championship campaign. The first round will be held by Hookwoods Trials Club, Surrey, on Saturday 23rd March and we wish him every success, in what could be a fantastic year for him and the team behind him. Meanwhile Brother, James Stay won the Expert class in a very close contest from Will West - just a single mark separating these two. Craig Talbot finished in third place. Ross Haydon put in a very confident performance in the Intermediate class finishing the day with a total of four. This effort is elevated as he was taking part on a Twin Shock Fantic but still finishing well clear of those riding the later Mono Shock machines. Ben Read took the second spot with Josh Stephens (also on a Twin Shock) in third.

Scout Gregory continues to impress in the Clubman class, this his second successive class win. Scout ended the day on twenty-nine, four ahead of Simon Watmough with Phil Chase in third. Colin Brodie emphatically won the Novice class for a miserly loss of only two marks with Steve Chase in second. It was great to see Stewart West back out riding with the Club. Despite a prolonged absence he absolutely smashed the Twin Shock class with an amazing total of just two marks. Jon Read was nine more behind in second. Shaun Harris took on some of the Expert sections preparing for his move up from the Inters for 2019. Riding the Sportsmans class he finished on sixty-four. Scott Milton however was the pick of the bunch in the Sportsman’s, ending the day with a total of one, the second lowest score of the day. Three Youth riders took part, headed up by Harvey Grieve in the Youth Experts. Harvey produced a confident performance with a score of forty-two. Alfie Haydon (Youth Novice) only dropped marks on sections one and eight to finish with another excellent score of six. The fast improving Josh Morris settled for second place today but he remains a serious contender for the 2019 title – top effort by all three young riders.

The Club next meet for the New Year Shield trial on Sunday 6th January at Sweetwater Brook, Calbourne. The usual start time of 12 noon applies, signing on from 11am. Entries are now being accepted for the popular Wight Two Day Trial, 27th & 28th April – entries are limited to a strict 150, to save disappointment please get your paperwork in early. All the details can be found in the ‘Forms’ section of this website.

Finally we would like to wish everyone associated with the Club all the very best for 2019.

The table details every rider that took part in the 2018 Winter Series. Please be sure to read the notes at the top of the first page.

Very many congratulations to all the class winners.

The Isle of Wight Motorcycle Club staged the final round of the 2018 Winter Series Trials Championship on Sunday December 9th at Haslett Sand Pit, Shorwell, courtesy of Mr Glen Draper. The Club would like to thank Glen for welcoming us back to what is a top all weather venue. Many thanks also to Calvin Wright who managed to set six interesting and tight sections (excellent job considering the recent changes at the venue), the Observers and Gill Locke for her camera skills. Very many congratulations to Shaun Harris and Dan Flux for winning their respective Championships – good effort guys.

The Winter Series Championship is made up of thirteen trials. To qualify for an award Adult riders must complete a minimum of eight trials, with twelve rounds to count (in the same class). Youth riders are exempt from the eight trial rule but can only qualify for an award in the class that they completed the most trials in.

James Stay found things rather lonely - being the only Expert rider in action this afternoon – despite the lack of competition he posted an excellent score dropping a miserly seventeen marks. James’s score was the lowest of any rider taking on the tight and twisty Haslett sections. Shaun Harris kept his head to seal the Intermediate title from Alan Gosden. Harris began today with a slender five point lead but ended the season with a nine point cushion following a solid second place today. Mark Coombes took the win completing the trial with the second lowest total of the day, on just twenty-one. Andy Scott-Jackson secured a fine third place. There was a similar scenario in the Novice Championship, this time involving Dan Flux and Rob Baker. Rob was trailing Dan by five marks and he put in a spirited performance to finish second today, one place in front of Dan. However the two point gain fell short of what was required to take the title. These two, friendly rivals, have been very evenly matched all year but Dan just had the edge in the end. Simon Watmough finished in first place today with an impressive total of twenty-seven – excellent riding by all three riders.

Scout Gregory just pipped Ben Brodie, by four marks, to take the win in the Clubman’s – top effort by both riders. Geoff Taylor was the only Sportsman rider competing today. Geoff finished with a total of forty-seven which represented a below average score for the day. John Townsend definitely deserves a mention, John is the Clubs oldest rider competing on the oldest bike! John struggled at times to get the BSA round the twisty sections but never the less persevered to earn maximum points in the British Bike class. Another lone rider; Gary Jones, this time in the Adult Beginner class, finished the trial on forty-eight, again earning the maximum ten points. Unfortunately Gary just missed out on the 2018 Adult Beginner title, falling just one short of the minimum eight trial rule. The Club would like to welcome young Alfie Gaskin to the world of trials riding. Alfie (Youth Beginner) was taking part in his first ever trial – he completed one lap before retiring from the trial to make use of the rest of the time as a practice session. We look forward to seeing him back out very soon. Meanwhile the other Alfie (Haydon) continued to dominate in the Youth Novice class with an outstanding effort. He completed the day for a loss of thirty-six, beating all but one of the Adults on the ‘C’ route. Only two marks separated Josh Morris and Dan Locke who finished in second and third respectively.

The Club next meet for the annual Boxing Day Father & Son Cup, December 26th. The usual venue, Shorwell Chalk Pit, courtesy of Ralph Cook. Geoff Taylor and Mark Coombes will be setting the sections. For those new to the Club the trial is just for fun and is open to all members – not just Father & Son/Daughter pairings. Prizes will be given to the best fancy dressed rider. Please note the earlier than usual start time of 11 am, signing on from 10 am. Finally on behalf of the Committee I would like to wish the Landowners, Members, Friends and Associates a very happy Christmas and all the very best for 2019.