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Rally News - March 7, 2010 CANCELLED - 2010 Tour of Mull Rally On Saturday morning 6th March, at 9.00 am, 2300 Club circulated the following message to all interested parties: At a meeting on 4th March, Committee members of the 2300 Club decided unanimously that the Tour of Mull will not take place in October 2010. The decision will not be re-considered. Enthusiasm in the Club has been hugely reduced by the serious and potentially life-threatening problems that were encountered before, during and after the 2009 event. There exist unresolved safety issues that expose both competitors and organisers; the competitors to risks beyond the natural hazards of Mull, and the organisers to possible litigation, which seems to be the way of the world these days in the face of the most innocent of intentions. Furthermore, the organisers have grown weary of the increasing number of negative and critical comments about their running of the event. Recent publicity has elicited huge support for the Rally, and that support is acknowledged and the Committee is very grateful for it. Sadly, it has at the same time given voice to our detractors and those who think they know better how to run the Tour of Mull. Each member of the Committee is an unpaid volunteer, pursuing a hobby at huge cost in both time and money. The organisers make, and have always made, a massive effort to put on the very best event of which they are capable. They are proud of the fact that The Tour of Mull is very highly regarded as a motorsport and social event. There have always been problems and criticisms of one sort or another. Now the Committee’s overwhelming feeling is that the growing difficulties and increasingly bitter, often personal, confrontations have eclipsed the pleasure gained from running the Rally. Tunnock’s, who have sponsored the Rally since 2005, fully support the Committee’s decision. As well as providing financial backing for the rally, each year they have provided the Island’s school children with items useful for their safety and comfort in addition to packs of their famous Caramel Wafers. We will be reviewing our options for 2011 over the coming months. We will continue to present and fund the John Easson Award. Neil Molyneux, Rally Chairman, 5th March 2010 Jaggy's View I was both surprised and not at all surprised when I heard the news. There was a bit of a downer in the ranks after last year's event. Publicly there were two reasons, the cancellation of two stages when an accident happened on the joint part of both, and then afterwards the matter of cattle on a stage later that night. Less publicly, the whole issue of organising a closed public road rally is becoming more difficult each year, not easier. The business of complying with the strict legislation demanded by the Act of Parliament is fraught with technicalities and the sheer workload required to comply with MSA regulations is becoming ever harder to bear. Then there is the mammoth task of the organisation of the event itself and ensuring there are sufficient officials and marshals on the island for the duration. And all this takes place some 300 miles north of where the club is based in Lancashire. I was privileged to sit alongside that committee on the Thursday night before last year's event to hear each and every one of 50 or more volunteers reeling off their duties and state of preparation to ensure the smooth and safe running of the 2009 event. My own part in this herculean task is very minor, all I do is record and distribute the drivel and gossip which I manage to gather each year. But for every one of those club members who sit on that committee and carry out their thankless task each year, my heart goes out to them now. They have accomplished so much over past years and given so much pleasure to so many people, it's hard to believe that matters have come to this low ebb, but I must say it is understandable. Indeed it is surprising that they have managed an incredible 40 years worth of blood, sweat and gears, damn few others would have lasted the pace so well or so long! I take my bunnet off to each and every one of them, and the untold legions of helpers who have made this event, 'the best rally in the world'. And I take heart from the message that a decision has not yet been taken with regard to next year's event. It is now up to us, the genuine rally fans and the people of Mull to perdsuade 2300 Club not to give up on us. We need them more than they need us. **** |