Where are we going in 2016?

Late in 2015, Clerk of the Course Andy Jardine, outgoing Clerk Iain Campbell, and Deputy Clerk Iain Urquhart, had a deep conversation over the 2016 route … ok, it involved a curry house and a few bottles of wine, but here it is for you.

You will see there are a few alterations — most significantly at Gribun Rocks — but in essence the 2016 route builds on the stages which were planned for the event last October.
Due to the tragic circumstances which caused the 2015 event to be stopped early, we never got to run two-thirds of the planned route. This year’s rally will see us deliver what we promised in 2015, but with a couple of changes.

The first change is the reversal of SS5 Glen Aros/Calgary Bay. It has always been a bit tight to get the end of the competing field down SS2 Loch Tuath before we have to send the Safety Cars up that road for SS5. To release some of the pressure on this, SS5 will go up the Glen, round Calgary and finish at Torloisk before coming down Loch Tuath non-competitvely.

Second are the changes to the stages around the Gribun Rocks. Taking safety — which has always been our primary consideration — into account, this stage has been shortened in both directions. There are more details of these changes below.

The Mishnish Lochs stages will start and finish, as last year, closer to Tobermory, meaning the Glengorm crossroads are used competitively. This also means we can continue to look to grow the RallyFan area around this site for all fans and families.

The 21.89 miles of The Long One will start the third leg on Saturday night, while the Glen Aros/Achnadrish final stage will mean the event finishes almost in the centre of the island’s capital, Tobermory.
Once again, in its 47th running, the Beatson’s Building Supplies Mull Rally will provide a real challenge to competitors on the best roads, amongst the best supporters, on a unique rally-welcoming island.

Gribun Rocks

The three special stages that take in the section known as ‘The Rocks’, along the Gribun section of the island, have all been shortened in 2016.

These are SS4 Knock 1, SS8 Knock 2 and SS16 Ben More. SS4 & SS8 will now both start at the exit of ‘The Rocks’ section as competitors head north. SS16 will stop just before they enter this section.

The decision was made following a visit to the island, in October 2015, by the MSA as part of their investigation into the fatal accident on the Loch Kinloch stage. This part of the Gribun group of stages follows the outlines of the cliffs, has a small retaining wall and then a drop into the Atlantic Ocean. It will come as no surprise to you that the ocean is significantly deep at this point.

There has been an instance, on another event, of a car going off into deep water where the co-driver survived but the driver didn’t manage to get out of the car.

We may have rallied over this section of the island for 46 years, but when you take all emotion out of it, if a car went off here on one of the night sections there is a very definite risk we would be unable to come to the rescue of the crew in time. Everyone knows it is a very, very fast section of the whole route.

We are grateful for the support of the MSA in assisting us with this decision, and their subsequent visit to the island to view the other special stages.

And while we also accept that in some quarters the decision over the Gribun Rocks may prove unpopular, we strongly believe it is the right decision for the future of the event.

Full details can be found on the Route page.

Skoda monsters in build

Motorsport News printed that Calum Duffy has DEN Motorsport building a special Skoda Fabia S2500 Millington for him for Mull. Now that sounds like an exciting prospect to have screaming up Glen Aros.

What we didn’t appreciate was that this isn’t the only Skoda monster being built for Mull. John Marshall, of Beatson’s Building Supplies fame, also has a Skoda Fabia S2500 Millington under construction with DEN.

The chassis of the Skoda is well known, with many international victories behind it. The power from these two screamers will be quite something but the technical challenge in getting it all to work must be causing some scratching of heads. Not only do you need to fit a larger engine, that has to speak without an Irish accent to the Czech wiring and the steering columns have to swap from left to right as well.

But having said that, won’t they be fantastic to see and HEAR in October?

A Route for 2016?

Clerk of the Course, Andy Jardine has sent his route to Police Scotland for comment as well as Argyll & Bute Council. Both parties are working through their consultation processes before giving final approval for the 47th running of the Mull Rally.

The MSA are also sending over two representatives in May to carry out a full assessment of the route. As the only closed public road on ‘mainland’ UK, Mull is very much a focal event with the proposed legislation for closed public roads still with the Department of Transport in Whitehall.

We will be ready to announce the route towards the end of May. No matter what the permutations, we will be looking at 150 competitive miles, over three legs over the weekend of 14th – 16th October.

EMOTIONAL FAREWELL FROM MULL, AND CALUM DUFFY

Around 1000 islanders and rally crew gathered for today’s emotional ‘Celebration Walk’ in Tobermory. Below is the poem written and read today at the end of the Walk by eight-times Mull Rally winner, Calum Duffy.

We thank Calum for allowing us to print his poem and believe you, like us, will feel this is a fitting closure to the weekend:

We are gathered here in simple disbelief,
united we stand to share this grief.
Taken from this world in the blink of an eye,
doing what he loved but no time to say good bye.

A gentle giant, fun loving and kind
these traits in a man are hard to find.
He loved this island and now calls it home,
he loved rallying and he would never moan.
A fierce competitor but would always help you out
and it would be fair to say he liked the odd stout!

Our sport is full of risks and we all know them,
this is where the adrenaline begins to stem.
Every competitor here and away is heart broken
for the loss of one of their own men.
None of us expect to be touched by this thing,
but when it comes close, its reality it does bring.

So many people give up so much to create a rally.
Us competitors have massive thanks to you all personally.
Our community is strong and together in times of scrutiny
and as one, we celebrate, we commiserate, we have unity.
As one we are here to show our support
for Andy’s family and Sarah; you’re not alone at this port!

We are here to say thank you for this event.
We wish John MacCrone a speedy recovery.
But mostly we are here to say good bye.
Take care big fella, the angels have you now … good bye.

Calum Duffy 11/10/15

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MULL AND RALLY COMMUNITY UNITED IN SUPPORT OF FATAL ACCIDENT CREW

Twenty-hour hours after Scottish rallying suffered another black day, the close-knit community of Mull united to support the family and friends of the crew involved in the tragedy.

Co-driver Andrew Mort died when the Subaru Impreza he was competing in, driven by close friend John MacCrone, crashed on the second of Saturday’s scheduled 13 stages of the Mull Rally. Both driver and co-driver lived in Dervaig on the island.

The duo, who started the second Leg of the rally in third place after a series of impressive drives through the opening five stages on Friday night, were poised to challenge overnight leader Calum Duffy.

MacCrone, the 26-year-old who won the Mull Rally in 2013 and who was airlifted to the hospital in Glasgow with injuries, is acknowledged as being one of Scotland’s brightest young rally stars.

Immediately following the tragic incident, the organisers of the event and Police Scotland confirmed the event had been abandoned.

Today, as family members confirmed MacCrone’s injuries appear not as bad as had previously been, a ‘Celebration Walk’ went ahead at the request of Andrew Mort’s partner, Sarah Everitt.

Led by a lone, silent piper, and followed immediately by three rally cars, around 1000 islanders and rally crew members walked in silence through the main street of Tobermory.

The emotional gathering then stopped outside rally HQ in the picturesque coastal town, where the brightly painted multi-coloured facades of the homes were in compete contrast to the sombre mood of the islanders.

Then, instead of the normally boisterous, champagne-spraying podium ceremony, eight-times Mull Rally winner Calum Duffy — who himself lives in Dervaig and is a cousin of MacCrone — read an emotional poem he had written reflecting on the weekend.

The gathering ended with the lone piper playing a haunting lament.
Afterwards, Iain Campbell, Clerk of the Course for the annual event, which this year marked the 46th running of the event, which takes place on closed-off public roads, spoke of the sadness which shrouded the island.

“The tragic events of yesterday have left an indelible mark on everyone associated with Mull and the sport we all love, rallying,” he said.

“Naturally we, the organisers of the event, are deeply saddened by the tragic incident and send our condolences to the family and friends of Andrew, and offer our best wishes to John for a full recovery.

“The statement of support today by the people of Mull and the wider rally family — not just from Scotland but from across the rest of the UK who formed part of the 150-crew entry — emphasises the strength there is in our sport.”

The event organisers and relevant authorities are continuing to work closely with Police Scotland to establish precisely what happened in Saturday’s accident.

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