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BCN Challenge 2016


RLWP

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Oh my! Bumblehole....

 

Richard

We did that in August last year. It's unnerving going slower and slower until you come to a complete stop in the centre of the channel. We didn't think the 45 mins it took us last time justified the points on offer!

 

Very pleased with our result this year. Was initially aiming for top 20 so very pleased to finish 7th despite the Walsall hold up.

 

Also got to do both Titford pools, although got stuck in the small pool and picked up rope exiting main pool. We certainly made up time coming back down Titford though with average 3 mins per lock and 2.5 mins on one lock!

 

Tom

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We did that in August last year. It's unnerving going slower and slower until you come to a complete stop in the centre of the channel. We didn't think the 45 mins it took us last time justified the points on offer!

 

Very pleased with our result this year. Was initially aiming for top 20 so very pleased to finish 7th despite the Walsall hold up.

 

Also got to do both Titford pools, although got stuck in the small pool and picked up rope exiting main pool. We certainly made up time coming back down Titford though with average 3 mins per lock and 2.5 mins on one lock!

 

Tom

 

I should have delayed working on your engine - you beat us!

 

Richard

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John and Nicki on foot beat Red Wharf <snort>

Well at least we won the 50' 9" butIveneveractuallymeasuredit class!

 

tongue.png

 

Yes, well done to team Inland Alligators. Didn't they get the best decorated award too?

 

And another well done and thank you to all involved in this fun event.

 

Oh yes, while we're at it, who were you calling 'cake face' the other day, Sir Jasper, hmmmmmmmmm?

It will be flung flans at fifty feet if you don't withdraw that remark!

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Well at least we won the 50' 9" butIveneveractuallymeasuredit class!

 

tongue.png

 

Yes, well done to team Inland Alligators. Didn't they get the best decorated award too?

 

And another well done and thank you to all involved in this fun event.

 

Oh yes, while we're at it, who were you calling 'cake face' the other day, Sir Jasper, hmmmmmmmmm?

It will be flung flans at fifty feet if you don't withdraw that remark!

That's where they got all the points from!!!

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Talking of decorated boats, what was the one with the gondoliers poles on the tug deck and the crew in blue and white striped jerseys and straw boaters?

 

I thought they looked great!

 

Yes, I suggested we adopt that as crew livery for next year. My crew were very rude

 

Richard

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What about the Hawaii 5-0 boats with very repetitive soundtrack?

You mean the Withymoor Island crew on Cecilia? I was staggered that they finished as high as they did having followed them up the Walsall arm and watched them wind and head back out all in an extremely leisurely fashion. I thought they were just having a party rather than seriously having a crack at the points. I also recall they arrived at Hawne sometime after the official 1400 finish so wouldn't have got the bonus points for that either. Seems that long boats with multiple crew is an advantage.

 

JP

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Really? I offer you Carpe Vinum - third

 

Richard

I suspect they can cruise at 4mph on most if not all parts of the BCN and can negate the additional 20% that boats >50' get points wise for each mile. On the northern reaches we were 2.5mph. Even in Netherton Tunnel I only do 3mph and that's calculated over three trips all of 34 minutes and winding it on an extra turn seemingly doesn't make me go any faster.

 

Maybe that's just my boat but I don't think the fact that the shorter boats can wind and turn more easily than a longer boat fully compensates for the points differential between them. Nonetheless I think to get in excess of 300 points was a great achievement and to win with a boat as big as Royalty class and a butty was a remarkable achievement.

 

JP

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Really? I offer you Carpe Vinum - third

 

Richard

 

Been super busy so only just had chance to have a look and we are very happy with third place.

Don't think I could have fit more in if I had tried, I did drop 20 points by missing a photo opportunity and also missing some of the treasure hunt questions.

However don't think we could have fit much more in, I managed to do Titford large and small in the early hours and we did the full 24 hours straight through arriving at 7am,and a grand total of 83 locks I had a few beers early on but then fell asleep on the front in the sun and got a bit of a sunburn, after that we decided to get the boat back and headed out late afternoon and managing to get back to Lady Lane late Sunday night.

Next year, yep count me in just hope I can find a crew who is willing to be tortured and do 24 straight through, I may even come bearing Pate again next year.

Overall great experience and I think I have now done all of the BCN and love it all.

Nice to see a few familiar faces and some new ones, next year ill try to come join in the partaking of beer a bit more.

Thanks all for making the tub welcome again.

Darren

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Your tiny boat with a six foot whale on board was a delight

 

Well done Darren

 

Richard

I never got a pic but when going up to chasewater we roped it up and towed it, got some shocked looks as we passed, we just couldn't wait to hand it over it just didn't fit anywhere lol

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Maybe I need to get a crew for Scorpio and Leo next year and take a GU pair round. That way I can either hold up everyone else by getting stuck in a few locks or rack up lots of points by doing more of the flat bits.

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My thinking is that the prime boat sizes for scoring high are: very small grp boats for speed, 50' narrowboats for the length bonus & working pairs for the butty bonus. Of course my poor showing was entirely down to being 55' and not 50'.

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My thinking is that the prime boat sizes for scoring high are: very small grp boats for speed, 50' narrowboats for the length bonus & working pairs for the butty bonus. Of course my poor showing was entirely down to being 55' and not 50'.

At least you beat us Dave!

 

And congratulations to everyone who took part. I am still in awe of the skills shown by those manoeuvring pairs into and out of the basin.

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My thinking is that the prime boat sizes for scoring high are: very small grp boats for speed, 50' narrowboats for the length bonus & working pairs for the butty bonus. Of course my poor showing was entirely down to being 55' and not 50'.

Ours is 50', my excuse is I am gullible!

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My thinking is that the prime boat sizes for scoring high are: very small grp boats for speed, 50' narrowboats for the length bonus & working pairs for the butty bonus. Of course my poor showing was entirely down to being 55' and not 50'.

 

Broadly I agree but having experience of GU ex-working boats, hire boats and my own boat on the BCN I think draught is a bigger factor than length and that makes the winning performance all the more impressive.

 

I would also have to offer that the boats who started on the fringes of the nether reaches - like Ocker Hill - probably made a good call. I also suspect those that completed the 24 hours earlier did themselves a favour. In hindsight we probably spent too long on low bonus factor sections before getting to the difficult bits.

 

I have already got a couple of options planned for next year notwithstanding that I don't know the scoring. I am not going to go all out to maximize the score cos at the end of the day that's not the primary purpose.

 

JP

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