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The Condor Ferries International SandAce ACU British Championships took place at Vazon Bay, Guernsey on 24 June 2017.

For 2017 the event had been awarded a new International status which is a fitting reward to the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club and all the officials who put in so much work during the year to make it happen.

There is a particular pressure on the team of officials when their race track will disappear under the ocean as the tide comes in! The whole operation is now very slick with all the essential elements in place. The only thing that the team couldn't control was the weather which lacked the sun that would have really completed a perfect event.

Luckily the rain didn't appear until the finals and by that time the large crowd were captivated by the high standard of racing and most of them stayed on to see the climax of the 2017 championships.

Once again the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club organized a fantastic event that ran smoothly and efficiently.

Well done to all those who made it happen... see you again next year!

Click on this link to view galleries featuring pics of the atmosphere and racing at the 2017 SandAce Championships on Vazon Bay, Guernsey.
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2017 SANDACE CHAMPIONSHIP

Maybe this is an incorrect quote by I think it probably sums up my weekend quite well...

'Only Mad Dogs & Guernseymen go out in the midday sun'

That's exactly where you would have found me for the two scorching weekend days. Saturday was spent photographing the Reservoir Speed Event. Then Sunday there was the Powerboat racing to photograph.

Both events required standing under the relentless sun... I'm looking for a bit of sympathy here but I doubt I'm going to get any :-)

Actually I'm not complaining about having to stand outside in the heat. In fact far from it, as today I've been mostly stuck in the office completing the edit and paperwork that plays too big a part in a professional photographers life :-(

It was worth the effort though as I'm now nearing the completion of that work. This is a sure sign that the weather will break - just as I want to get out in the garden!

My main updates today have been to add three new galleries featuring the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club Reservoir Speed Event, Cars, Bikes and Karts.

You can view the pics by clicking on this link:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE 2017 RESERVOIR SPEED EVENT

The weekend has been a proper scorcher.... almost too hot to work!

But that's OK for me as I don't count what I do as work. It's usually just fun!

And there has been plenty of fun, sun, sea, motorsport, music... and more sun for me over the weekend.

June is shaping up to be the normal non-stop month for me as the diary is pretty full :-)

So there's no time to be too chatty in this Blog so I'll get straight to the point. I've just added a new Gallery of pictures featuring one of the weekend's assignments - and it ticked the fun, sun, sea and motorsport boxes. That's nearly the full set!

You can view a new gallery of Powerboat Racing pics by following the link.

This features Race 4 of the Guernsey Powerboat Association's Stanley Gibbons sponsored Race Series over the North Beach Outer course.
CLICK TO VIEW THE SCORCHING POWERBOAT RACING PICS

Yesterday I spent the afternoon on the beach... and it felt just like summer!

I was tempted to go rock-pooling but as I was on Vazon bay there was a shortage of pools... but lots of SAND.

That was just right for what I was photographing. SAND racing :-)

The beach was actually unusually firm, dry and flat for Round 5 of the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club Championship. When those conditions were combined with a day that actually felt like summer we were sure to have an enjoyable afternoon.

Let's hope that we can repeat the very same sunny weather for the British Sand Ace Championships at the end of the month. I've got my finger's and lenses crossed to make sure!

Earlier in the day, my mornings photoshoot had re-enforced why it felt like a summer's day as I'd been assigned to cover a cricket match at the College Field. How very 'British summertime', eh!

The only thing missing was a cool gin and tonic. But later, I made do with a few pints of Real Ale... sorted!

Cricket pics will follow.

The Sand Racing pics are now online here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF ROUND 5 OF THE SAND RACING CHAMPIONSHIP

The Guernsey Autocross Club's 2017 Fun Meeting on Chouet Beach was well supported by a sizable team of drivers from Jersey.

The visitors really seem to have caught the Banger racing bug as they even arrived with their own cars!

Needless to say none of them were worth taking home after the racing and they were removed from the beach on the back of a skip lorry ;-)

The extra Jersey cars meant that the entry was as big as I can remember and the action really was none-stop! Spectators enjoyed a full program of racing... and the viewing, as always, was FREE!

Banger racing lived up to its reputation as one of the cheapest forms of Motorsport - and certainly the best fun per pound!

I've added a gallery of Autocross Fun Meeting pics... and it's as big as the field of cars!

Follow this link to view the gallery:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE 2017 AUTOCROSS FUN MEETING

As this website smashes through 17 MILLION VIEWS I maintain the effort to keep the updates coming.

CLICK HERE TO READ MY 17 MILLION VIEWS BLOG

The variety of work that makes up an average week of photography keeps everything interesting for me... and I'm pleased to say a few of you too, judging by the amount of picture views made every day on this website :-)

As an example of some of the variety of photoshoots there have been three new galleries added today. They feature Round three of the GK&MC Summer Kart Championship.

Then there are pics of Jo Reeve's fortieth birthday gig at the Golden Lion which saw Gay Army make a rare live appearance.

There's also a gallery of cricket pics that I captured during the Loveridge Cup half-time at KGV. See the previous Blog for those pics.

All this still doesn't mean that I'm up to date with the weeks work yet... but I'm definitely three steps closer!

These links will take you to the new uploads:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW ROUND 3 OF THE SUMMER KART SERIES
CLICK HERE TO VIEW GAY ARMY PLAYING AT THE GOLDEN LION
CLICK HERE TO VIEW CRICKET AT KGV

This is just a quickie to keep you up-to-date with another couple of new galleries featuring some of the Bank Holiday weekend action.

My previous Blog offers a bit more information regarding the weekends work.

The latest two updates feature the Loveridge Cup U18's Final football game a KGV - Sylvans vs Rangers.

Then there's another update featuring the fourth round of the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club 2017 Sandracing Championship at Vazon Bay.

I've still got a load of updates to make... keep tuned into this Blog page for more details....

These are the latest galleries:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE LOVERIDGE CUP FINAL
CLICK TO VIEW ROUND 4 OF THE SANDRACING CHAMPIONSHIP

There's a theme here.

We start off with all the anticipation ahead of a busy Bank Holiday weekend.

It's always going to be none-stop action as many sporting and music events seem to get organized to take advantage of an extra day of leisure... if you're not a photographer that is!

Even though the holiday weekend means an overload of work for me I still look forward to them.

The bit that isn't so appealing is that by some freak of nature the holiday weekend seems to get more than its fair share of bad weather and rain!

So I guess I should have known that the waterproof kit would get an outing at least once... and it did. In fact the rain was so torrential on Sunday that the Powerboat racing had to be stopped because the visibility was so bad the safety crews couldn't see the racers!

In the end there was plenty other action to fill three full days so I was happy. It is only now that the editing has to be completed that I'm less enthused.

But I've been covering Bank Holidays for long enough to know the score and the only way to get through to the end is to stick at it. The end will come into view in a couple of days.

It is more straight forward for you. All you need to do is pop along here to this News page every now and then and I'll post a link to my new pics for you to view at your leisure. That's what Bank Holidays are all about :-)

So far the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club's Hillclimb pics are online. View them here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE BANK HOLIDAY HILLCLIMB PICS

I’m chuffed to say that this website continues to gain a following. My thanks and a high five (a hug if you’re a lady) to anyone who pops along here for an occasional browse through the picture galleries.

The time I spend taking pics is mostly exciting and enjoyable…. and it definitely beats having a ‘proper job’!

Now whilst the pleasure I get from working full-time as a photographer should be enough to keep me happy there is an additional side to making me smile – that is this website and the amount of interest shown in my work.

The total number of picture viewings of the galleries has just passed another MILLION MILESTONE. The total now exceeds 17 MILLION VIEWS!

It seems that the annual average has now settled at FOUR MILLION VIEWS A YEAR!

This got me interested in calculating what that number means on a daily, hourly and minute basis. The result is quite surprising!

So I started with the 4 MILLION annual views.

A simple division gives you 11,000 views a day – every day of the year!

I then looked at the Google Analysis which shows most viewings are between 7am and 1am…. that’s eighteen hours out of the twenty-four day.

So another division…. 11,000 views divided by the 18 hours gives you 600 views an hour every day of the year!

Next divide the hourly views by 60 minutes and you arrive at 10 views a minute.

Finally another quick calculation and you can work out that (on average throughout the year) a picture is viewed every six seconds. WOW!

So there we have it, my Maths teachers at the Grammar School always said that I would be surprised how useful ‘learning sums’ could be later in life. In this case it has helped tickle my ego and encourage me to keep taking the pics…. At least while the interest remains ;-)

Thanks again for all your support.

If you want to read a few of my previous ‘MILLION MARK’ Blogs just click on this link:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PREVIOUS MILLION MARK BLOGS

It was a case of dodging the showers at a recent photoshoot I did for BMW, Jacksons Garage and the Guernsey Press.

The special event was an open day featuring a wide range of the latest BMW motorbikes which were on display and also available for test rides.

Brian Martel had been asked to test ride and report on the BMW R nineT Scrambler. I needed to capture pics to support his article.

Whilst I'm guessing that the damp conditions were what this bike is designed to cope with it was still a shame to get a new bike wet and splashed with spray.

After the shoot, this meant more work for both the photographer and garage technicians to get the bike looking at its best again.

My cleaning 'tool' was the Lightroom 'spot healer'. I didn't go for a complete touch-up as I quite liked the slightly 'grungy' look. I am sure, however, that my cleaning work was easier than the rags and polish required back in the garage!

You can view a small gallery of pics here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A FEW PICS OF THE JACKSONS BMW OPEN DAY

Whilst I'm sure many locals would have enjoyed two days leisure on Guernsey's beaches last weekend I was on the golden sands for work :-(

I'm not looking for any sympathy though. Far from it. I get to spend my 'work' time outside doing what I enjoy. I think I'm the lucky one here!

I also spent quite a bit of time walking around L'Ancresse golf course with my cameras slung around my neck trying to catch up with crucial moments of play in the Piccadilly Trophy and the Junior Hampshire Greenjackets Golf competitions. Again, what's so bad about doing that as my way to earn a crust (pay for the real ale)!

The beach work was capturing the action on the sands of Vazon Bay (Sand Racing) and the Autocross Banger racing on Chouet beach.

I've now added a couple of Galleries featuring the Motorsport action:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST AUTOCROSS ACTION
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST SAND RACING ACTION

The headline to this Blog is hard to say for a photographer!

Especially one of my era who grew up with rolls of film that offered little scope for any manipulation.

Another thing that sets me up as an 'old generation' 'tog is that I really don't 'get' videoing at all. I know that all my recently purchased cameras have a setting and buttons to start a video recording but I've never explored what they can do.

You'll now understand that I'm proper 'old school'. Maybe this means I'm missing out on all that fun... the endless editing, the massive files.... and just how do you sell the finished video after all that effort when, if you put it online, it is essentially given away?

Of course all of the previous comment could be complete rubbish... I did say that I have no idea about video!

However, even I can see that sometimes the 'good old fashioned' photograph cannot explain what is happening as well as a moving picture could do.

Perhaps the picture at the top of this Blog is an example. In this 'frozen' form you could be forgiven for thinking that it was captured moments before a terrible accident when the Marshall is run over by the Sand Racing car.

But you'd be wrong. I'm sure that any racers are able to interpret the picture correctly. It is clear from the angle the car is leaning into the corner and the spray being thrown up that the driver is making a huge controlled slide. The Marshall in the picture is also an experienced beach racer so he clearly felt comfortable so close to the action.

Now, having explained all of that, I reluctantly have to concede that a video of the same action wouldn't have needed any explanation at all!

But is that what we want when looking at dramatic moments of action?

When a photographer is lucky to catch a special moment in a photograph there remains something for the viewer of that picture to interpret in what they see before them. So this still leaves me thinking that a carefully timed and captured 'still' picture is the finest form of recording action sport. I welcome your own comments on this subject.

You can see from my comment that this 'stills photographer' is not likely to be pressing his 'Record' button anytime soon!

A full gallery of pics taken at the last Sand Racing meeting is now online:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST SAND RACING PICS

The official drought in Guernsey was ended over the Bank Holiday weekend.

Some of you might say good. Others will disagree.

However, thankfully, we are not yet able to control the weather - although I'm sure Donald Trump would enjoy wealding that amount of power!

In the end, for us mere mortals, we have to accept what we are given and just get on with things.

For me 'things' on a Bank Holiday usually means some sort of Motorsport event to photograph. So on Monday I found myself standing in the drought breaking rain on Le Val des Terres hill capturing some spectacular Hillclimb action through foggy lenses and rain splattered spectacles trying to tell myself this was fun!

Thankfully the misery of rain running down my back is soon forgotten whilst completing the edit of my pics. Once again it was worth the discomfort as the wet track produced some dramaatic shots.

I've now uploaded a gallery featuring some of my pics. Enjoy taking a look from the comfort of your screen.
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE DROUGHT BREAKING HILLCLIMB

The Guernsey Kart & Motor Club ran very close to breaking the Trade Description Act last Sunday when they called the latest Round of their Karting Championship a 'SUMMER RACE'.

Competitors were greeted by a very wet Track and the rain continued for nearly the whole of Round-2 of the Kart Summer Championship!

The rain did ease for short periods but the racing went on regardless.

I have learnt that it is at times like this that I have to 'man up', put on the waterproofs - both on me and my cameras - and keep shooting pics. The reason for the perseverance is that the wet track offers a new opportunity to capture a unique dynamic in my pictures.

That's really all I need to say on the subject as in this case I think pictures explain better that a thousand words....
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF A VERY WET KARTING EVENT

The first Mower Racing event of 2017 saw a grid made up of a mix of tweaked and modified chassis. Many were re-fitted with powerful motorbike engines. Suspensions and dampers had been replaced, tyre choices had been evaluated.

It seems that a racer will always try to find a way to go faster... and seeing the results of the winters work proved that they were successful.
Some of the mowers were seriously fast. Shockingly fast!

Mower racing is heading to the top of my 'best fun in Motorsport' list :-)

I only had a short time available to take my Mower pics - the Snooker Inter-Insular was the next job on my list. Sadly it didn't get my adrenaline pumping in quite the same way as the Mower Racing :-(

My pics are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE MOWER RACING PICS

A Bank Holiday Monday usually means Motorsport :-)

So why break the habit!

The first GMC&CC Hillclimb of 2017 was held at Le Val des Terres on Monday.

I was on the hill taking pics (between doing a bit of gardening and deadheading the daffodils)!

What am I on about I hear you say?

Well I've learnt to be fussy about the scene in front of me (before taking a single picture). Experience has shown me that spending five minutes tidying up the area that I will use as a setting for my subject can save me hours of cloning out litter, stray branches, leaves... etc, etc.

I've even been known to carry a pair of pruning shears in my kit. Yes I really am that fussy!

I often have the piss taken out of me (excuse the language) when people see me fiddling with a few blades of grass that are in the wrong place.

But last weekend the humour hit a new height... and I love it. Adrian 'Attenborough' Gabriel was sitting at his mid-hill commentators post when he saw me preparing for the next run of competitors up the hill.

I was unaware that he had started to video me as I concentrated on setting up the scene. It turns out that Guernsey's version of the famous wildlife observer is also a talented narrator as he added a fitting commentary to his work which (I'm embarrassed to say) is spot on!!

Check out Adrian Gabriel's video... there's a link on my Facebook page.
It certainly made me laugh - a lot! I hope it has the same effect on you :-)
https://www.facebook.com/andrewlep

Meanwhile, I've now finished updating my picture galleries of the days Hillclimbing - complete with deadheaded daffs :-)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LATEST (TIDY) HILLCLIMB PICS

The broad sands of Vazon bay are the home to the long-running Sand Racing organized by the Guernsey Motor Cycle and Car Club.

There is no doubt that the annual highlight of this form of motorsport is the National Sand Ace meeting. That prestigious event attracts a high class field of Solo riders and Sidecar outfits from the UK, Europe and beyond.

It is a shame that the Sand Ace racing is just once a year... it is so spectacular to watch!

But that doesn't mean that the local competitors can't have a bit of fun whilst waiting for the Sand Ace to come along again.

So that's why I was down on the Vazon sands on Saturday - it was the first of the local championship series.

There was a good turnout of cars. The Junior Bike Class was the biggest that I can remember and the MX Class was well supported. All these produced good racing.

The small number of Solo Bike Sliders and Sidecar outfits was a disappointment. Hopefully the numbers will improve over the next few meetings.

Overall it was good to be back.... and we have the Sand Ace meeting to look forward to in June :-)
CLICK TO VIEW THE FIRST SAND RACING MEETING OF 2017

Spring has sprung, the winter rest is well and truly over and the sports events are coming thick and fast.

With a busy Easter weekend on the horizon I've made sure the picture galleries have been updated with last weekends shoots.

These include my coverage of another of the Velo Club's MTB XC series. Then there are pics of Round 1 of the GK&MC Summer Karting Championship followed by Banger racing pics from Chouet beach.

Never a dull moment around here, eh!!

Find the new pics here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST MTB XC PICS

CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST KARTING PICS

CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST AUTOCROSS PICS

Yesterday the first tarmac Motorsport event of the year was held by the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club at Vazon coast road.

There was a really good entry that featured everything from exotic Lambo's and McLarens to family saloons... with the children's safety seat removed!

The usual suspects on two wheels were there with FTD firmly in their sight.

When it was clear that we were going to enjoy a dry... even sunny meeting the hopes were high that a few records would tumble.

In the end it might have been the strength of the wind that robbed a few hundredths here and there proving that long-standing records require absolutely everything to be perfect to beat.

In the end most of the racers went home with a smile. They had given their chosen ride a blow-out ahead of the next tarmac event... a hillclimb at Le Val des Terres. See you there.

I've added a full gallery of pics. Follow this link to view them:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE FIRST 2017 SPRINT

A day at the races.... Guernsey style.

In this case that meant that sun and sand were included in the deal ;-)

Of course it goes without saying that noise and speed are always part of any Motorsport Championship!

Today it was the Guernsey Autocross Club's Banger racers who provided the entertainment... and they didn't disappoint us.

The beach seemed in pretty good condition for racing and the meeting was very well organized as always with barely a break between races... apart from the times the Ambulance crew took to the sand to check that the occupants of a 'roll-over' were unhurt.

Happily, everyone returned home in one piece. That's more than could be said about some of the cars!

My pictures are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE LATEST AUTOCROSS PICS