A Targa Road Rally is much more accessible than a special stage rally, so is suitable for newcomers and families. The age requirements of each person are:
- The driver needs to be 17 years or older and hold a full driving licence;
- The navigator (front seat passenger) needs to be 12 years or older;
- Back seat passengers can be carried from age 2, they need to be in a car seat if under 12.
- None of the above require a Competition Licence, however all require to become members of the Mull Car Club and Sign-On for the event. Those are requirements of the permit and there are no exceptions.
Skills required
The driver should be able to handle the car well, being able to drive on Mull should be enough, and judge the varying road conditions. The driver should be able to read off his trip meter to inform the navigator about progress on the Regularity sections.
The navigator should be able to direct the driver on the road (from an Ordnance Survey Map) and around the tests (from a sketch provided by the organisers).
The navigator should also be able to read off his stopwatch to check progress on the Regularity Sections, and advise the driver to speed up or slow down. A guide to Regularity Sections is contained on this website. Some regular Targa cars will be fitted with special clocks and additional trip meters but you will do just as well with a stopwatch and the car trip meter.
Navigation
Each crew will be issued with a bespoke Ordnance Survey map prior to the event, and simple navigation instructions (e.g. map references or tulip diagrams) which the crew can use to mark up the route. Luckily on Mull, there are not so many roads to choose from. The organisers will place arrows or marshals on each junction where the cars are to leave or join the public road.
Insurance
Your car needs to be MOT’d and have valid VED and insurance. As car insurance policies normally exclude competing on rallies, the organisers will offer specific insurance which will cover 3rd party liability for the public road sections. You do not have to take this, you can arrange your own rally insurance if you wish and show the policy at signing-on. The MSA insurance covers 3rd party liability for private land.
None of these insurances cover damage to your own car, you should consider whether you wish to have such cover, some crews do but many do not. Specialist motorsport insurance brokers can arrange this cover.
Recovery
Should your car break down or be damaged and immobile on a private road, the organisers’ recovery crew will endeavour to move your car to a safe place within reach of the public road. This may not be immediate.