Tree roots motorsport – marshalling on the 39th Launceston Trial

Martin Matthews and Colin Satchell approach the restart on Eastcott 1 in their UVA Fugitive

As the Arkley-MG’s recuperation from the Exeter Trial continues, this year I marshalled on the 39^th Launceston Trial held in Lew and Eastcott Woods. I already knew access to the start at the wood yard was challenging for road cars and, with a bumper entry this year, parking would be difficult so I parked just off the road in and set off to walk. Fortunately, Becky Macey gave me a lift and, among the front-wheel drive vans struggling with loaded trailers and a Land Rover helping where it could, she polished up the steep and muddy concrete slabs in her Skoda that made up the entrance to the woods.

Schmokin on the start line - not Mötley Crüe but Richard and Katie Kinver in their Class 8 Ford Special 

It was a good thing I blagged a lift off her for my felloe marshals for the day, Joe Caudle and Andy Prosser, were just setting off. Together with Chris Jory on his Honda XR, we had the most easterly and isolated sections in Eastcott Woods. That meant swimming against the flow of triallers coming up the hill and after a few shennigans we joined Chris who had wriggled through the impasse and gone on ahead.

Ashley Ruby gives Calvin Moores an encouraging pat (I think that's what he's about to do) in the lovely Class 7 MG J2

The weather was brilliant sunshine and the map indicating our two sections for the day was easy to read. They were number 8 and 15 in running order, imaginatively called Eastcott 1 & 2, one in the morning and the other in the arvo. Eastcott 1 featured a simple restart for all classes except the junior and classic bikes. If you failed the restart, you scored six penalty points. Eastcott 2 was a more typical section with numbered canes but also had restarts, a lower one for Class 7 cars and a higher one to challenge Class 8.

If you stop on a hill you fail at the number on the next post. If the centre of your front wheel is beyond a number e.g. 5 then you score a 4 as you are in the 4 section until you pass the number 4 post. If you pass post number 1, you've cleared the section and incurred zero penalty points.

Another favourite of mine is the Subaru-powered Class 7 Singer Chamois of Nick Symons

The bikes came through first and many of the riders were new to the sport. They could obviously ride, though. They just didn’t know where to go or stop. I was particularly impressed by those who didn’t even put a foot down on the restart, however. It was allowed and footing was permitted up to three metres up from the line but for some it was just an opportunity to show off their balance and control skills.

We watched the bikes like hawks for any dabs. Having four of us on both sections worked really well with Chris typically flagging competitors off the restarts and me writing down the points. And what do points mean? Penalties!

So much interesting machinery - Tom Coles' VW Fastback 

The cars and sidecars were easier to observe and so I was able to take more photographs of them as they went through. I’d also brought along my camera which is converted for infra red. In the brilliant sunshine, this made for some interesting images.

Adrian Booth and Darren Wilton in the TR2. I was towed by this car in my MX5 later in the week but that's another story

All the sidecar outfits cleared Eastcott 1 but a surprising number of cars got away from our restart lines on Eastcott 1 only to bog down further up the hill under the trees. The ground was dry on the hairpin where LNCMC officials had cunningly placed the restart lines but further up the track the drifts of leaves hid thick mud from all the rain we’d had over the winter.

This is an unaltered infra red image of Dave Ball in his Class 4 Beetle 

After lunch we penetrated further into the forest and higher up the hill to Eastcott 2 which followed an established track before deviating sharply left to go straight up the slope. We thought the lower restart on Eastcott 2 looked more difficult than the higher one. It was right where the section deviated from the forestry track.

Mark Bowden on his way to clearing Eastcott 2 on his 260cc Montesa Four Ride

By now some of the bike riders were visibly tired but others were clearly either very fit or born into the saddle. It was highly instructive to see the top riders approach the deviation - not turning in too quickly, lining themselves up for the climb and just giving it enough gas to pick up the front without letting the back wheel step out as it crossed the ruts.

Over the tricky bit for Steve Urell and Julie Williams on their 600cc Aprilia Rotax

The bikes didn't have to do any restart but if they foundered at the deviation they got a 6. A few struggled on to a 7 but once passed that point most managed to get beyond the higher restart line and get a clear.

The Class 8s led the cars and it was typically the UVA Fugitives that cleared the section. Class 7s had more of a fight getting beyond the restart but Nick Symons notably had a clear in fine style with his Subaru-powered Singer Chamois.

I drove to the event in my Peugeot 205 but it's quite like this one of James Shallcross

I also admired the climb of Tom Coles in his patinated VW Fastback. I had a Matchbox model of one of those but this one had a 1911cc engine and was effective with a capital F. 

Matt Facey in his sky rise BMW 318 also had a clear. He just needs an ally tank on the front for the full gasser look.

It was a fine day in good company although I wasn't motivated to take my coat off at any point.

As a competitor I have always been struck by how well run this event is. There were 46 bikes entered, 9 outfits and 29 cars with 25 sections including a timed special test, 6 of which were for bikes only. 

3 cylinder Class 8 Liege of Tom Walker and Josh Moss

Afterwards, I asked LNCMC MC Nigel Cowling how many marshals he needed and he told me 30 was the bare minimum to be safe. 

Fortunately they had more than that on the day. 

I can recommend marshalling as a Grand Day Out (although we had to bring our own cheese as the catering van was literally miles away).