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Due to an incident involving Jos Goodyear at the end of the first Avon Tyres/TTC Group MSA British Hillclimb Championship Top 12 Run Off and the resulting long delay, the meeting ended and Round 20 was cancelled.

All the Channel Island Motorsport family wish him a speedy and full recovery.

So as the action was shorter than planned, so is this Blog :-)

I've just added my pics of the Cars to my Gallery. The bikes will follow:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE JERSEY NATIONAL HILLCLIMB

Two different days... two different places... two different weathers.

What a contrast the Guernsey weekend has offered.

Saturday it was beach-time :-) This meant sun, sand, sea and warmth. There was also plenty of action to capture whilst photographing the Guernsey Surf Club's Junior Series. It's safe to say that a good time was had by everyone.

One sleep later and I was at the track dressed in full wet-weather gear... definitely not as pleasant as the first day of the weekend :-(

In the end I was well 'over-dressed' as the heavy rain that the iPhone app had promised never really arrived. Better safe than sorry I suppose.

The one similarity between the days was the action - of course. Why else would I be there?

The Track, in the rain, is always worth making an effort for as it offers the chance to capture a few 'roosters' - so maybe it would have been better if the heavy rain had actually arrived!

Once again I have enjoyed a fantastic weekend of photography which, by the way, also included Mower Racing and two amazing Bands at the Fermain Tavern. The pics of BLAKALASKA and Falenizza Horsepower will follow.

The first updates are here:
VIEW PICS OF THE SUMMER KART CHAMPIONSHIP
VIEW PICS OF THE SURF CLUB JUNIOR SERIES
VIEW PICS OF THE MOWER RACING

It's Racing... but not as we know it!

Yesterday, Guernsey Kart & Motor Club organised a day of Mower Racing in their field near to the Motocross Track. There wasn't a great entry but those who made the effort and the spectators who lined the track had plenty of smiles on their faces.

Credit must be given to the GK&MC President and the Committee who organised this fun event. The hope was that it would offer a little light relief from the ever so serious business of the Club's other events.

On that level it worked brilliantly. But with the poor support from Club members maybe this will be the first and last Mower Racing event?

Time will tell.

I've added a Gallery featuring the fun...
VIEW PICS OF THE GK&MC MOWER RACING

If I ever get around to making a short-list of my favourite weekends then one event would be sure to feature very near the top.

The Condor Ferries British Sandace Championship is a Motorsport event that would take a high spot on the list and Saturday confirmed to me why.

Now in its tenth year, the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club were rewarded for the decade of hard work that they have put into the Condor Ferries British Sandace Championship by seeing the best quality entry so far.

I understand that several riders chose to compete in the Sandace instead of another prestigious UK event. We were also able to see some of the most promising youngsters riding on the Vazon sands for the first time... and they were awesome. The future of the sport looks very promising.

The Sandace weekend is always very hectic. I'm on the beach for all the racing... that's the fun part... then the work starts :-(

I immediately copied the days shoot unto my laptop computer and then set off to the Wicked Wolf for the evening social.

This year (with the change of venue) I was promised a big screen and projector to display the days work. I visited the pub the day before to check out the system but no-one could show me the set-up... I was concerned that I might have problems on the night. I was right!!

It would take far to long to tell you what went wrong (quicker to say what went right!) In the end my back-up plan of taking a TV along saved the day :-)

I was able to run an un-edited slide-show of the 395 pics that I took of the racing. This is a scary thing for a photographer to do when you haven't had a chance to delete the rubbish or do any form of edit, exposure correction or cropping! To my relief almost all of them looked fantastic.

Sunday morning it was time to make a very quick edit before the Guernsey Press deadline and a further edit for Speedway Star Magazine. Then a full edit of the whole weekends work for my web-site.

So now, with the job done and the Sandace meeting already behind us for another year we must congratulate the GMC&CC for the way they ran the event. It is now a firm favourite with many International riders. They only have to visit Vazon once to catch the 'bug'. Beach racing is so different to their normal race weekends and Guernsey does it brilliantly.

Things can only get bigger and better.
VIEW PICS OF THE 2015 CONDOR FERRIES BRITISH SANDACE CHAMPIONSHIP

I have a feeling that my mate and fellow photographer Mike Brehaut might have pulled off the ultimate hack of my web-site!

It seems a bit of an extreme and painful thing to go through but wow, what a result!

I'm talking about the crash that Mike had right in front of me at the Reservoir Speed Event... the perfect spot for me to get a few pics :-)

Of course I was eager to add the action to my web-site and the interest has been quite amazing. The stats show that his gallery of crash pics has had over 4,000 views since yesterday. That number amounts to 24% of todays total views.

So what do you reckon?

My mate Mike seems to be gaining new fans by using my web-site to get noticed! He's a clever guy :-)

Am I getting paranoid? What do you think?

:-)

By the way, I've now added the rest of my pics from the Speed Event including Cars, Karts & Bikes:
VIEW ALL THE RESERVOIR SPEED EVENT PICS

Mike Brehaut will always keep you entertained. He is great fun to meet for a natter over cups of strong coffee... never less than two cups! He's also very polite and always acknowledges his audience with a wave... see pic No.4 of the sequence ;-)

When fellow professional photographer and mate, Mike Brehaut (CREATIVE PHOTOGRAPHY ), took up the sport of Karting I joked with him that he was to make sure that if he crashed he must do it in front of me and I would guarantee to get the shot!

Well, as you see, we both kept our part of the deal :-)

Whats more, I'm relieved that I managed to nail the focus for the whole sequence of pics... my cred as a pro lives on till the next time ;-)

In fact, as I know Mike loves attention, I've given him his very own Gallery :-)

As I'm living onsite at the Chaos Festival this weekend this quick edit was done in my studio van (beer in hand) as peeps are chasing me to see the pics... the rest will follow.

I've just noticed that the viewings on my web-site are at: 9,472,666... could this be an omen Mike Brehaut?

Or is that 999, call me an ambulance?

Click here to view the whole sequence:
VIEW THE SEQUENCE OF MIKE BREHAUT'S CRASH

The next time I step onto a beach it will be for motorsport mayhem of the very best kind :-)

The Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club will be running their tenth British Sand Ace Championship meeting on the sands of Vazon Bay. I'm proud to say that I have photographed every single one.

The fact that I have been privileged to get so close to the action (and have the pics to prove it) I am certain that this National Championship only gets better and better... year after year.

I've checked out the names on the entry list and the tenth running of the Sand Ace is lined up to be the best yet. I urge you to make a diary date on July 4th at 1.30pm to find yourself a space on the sea wall to enjoy the motorsport spectacle of 500cc 'Sliders' and 1000cc Right-Hand Sidecar outfits battling for the prestigious Trophies.

I was down on the beach for the last 'Club' meeting before the 'Big One'. Pics are now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF THE LATEST SANDRACING MEETING

Sometimes you can't help but be proud of our little Island and its inhabitants.

This weekend has been one of those occasions.

I have been chasing my own camera bodies around for the last two days whilst covering several big events. The mornings work wasn't that exciting or different but each afternoon it has been RYA National Offshore Powerboat time :-) And just to add variety, on Saturday evening I captured some pics at the Castle Cornet 'Rave'!

But to get back to my original comment. The Guernsey Powerboat Association were given the opportunity to run two races in the RYA National Offshore 3A & V24 Championship. This chance had already been earned by the high standard of organisation the GPA puts in place.

However, there was always going to be a chance of missing the mark this time around as there is so much that has to run smoothly behind the scenes. There is a mountain of paperwork that needs accurate completion and then every other fine detail from safety, marshalling, permissions and trophies has to be sorted before-hand.

The great thing is that now the last podium presentation has been made we can already say that the GPA and Guernsey has done us proud... what a fantastic event that showcased everything about Guernsey at its best. Thank you GPA. Thank you Guernsey sunshine ;-)

Final thanks must go to Stanley Gibbons Investment for their sponsorship of the GPA. Without that support nothing would happen.

I got to see the bustle in Race Control after each race as I worked with John Moore from the leading magazine 'Raceboat International'. John was in Guernsey as the magazine is going to give extensive coverage of the racing... helped along by my pictures. John was also making immediate updates to the
RACEBOAT INTERNATIONAL WEBSITE
and Facebook pages. Make sure you check them out.

I've already added a few pics of the two races to my Galleries... more will follow:
VIEW PICS OF THE RYA 3A AND V24 NATIONAL OFFSHORE POWERBOAT RACE-1
VIEW PICS OF THE RYA 3A AND V24 NATIONAL OFFSHORE POWERBOAT RACE-2

EDIT: What is the first rule of reporting... GET YOUR FACTS RIGHT!!

So I failed there then :-(

Paul isn't racing at the Sand Ace meeting this year... he'll be in Tayac, France for the World Longtrack Championship!

But he did have a good time in Guernsey and he was VERY fast:-)

.....Last Saturday saw one of the UK's top 500cc Slider riders make a visit to the Vazon sands.

Last Saturday saw one of the UK's top 500cc Slider riders make a visit to the Vazon sands.

Paul Cooper was over to familiarise himself with the beach conditions before the prestigious British Sand Ace Championship on July 4th.

The National Sand Ace Championship is about to hold its 10th event on the white Vazon beach and this year the quality of field - both Sliders and Sidecars - is the best ever!

This is testament to the fantastic job the organising committee of the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club do in bringing all the details together to make everything run smoothly.

I'll be covering the event again... that makes it my tenth time also!

I've just added a few pics of the warm-up race to my Galleries and from the way Paul Cooper was 'at home' on the beach I think he is likely to be one of the top runners in the Sand Ace. Make sure you make a diary date for the 4th July... the action will be amazing!
VIEW PICS OF THE JUNE 6th SAND RACING

It was a case of 'Six of the Best' at the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club's Bank Holiday Hillclimb with six new records set.

I spent time on nearly every bend during the day watching (and photographing) the action... and there was no shortage of that!

The racers were treated to five timed runs which is a credit to the organisation of the event and the efficient way the few 'offs' were dealt with.

The high standard of the racing was incredible to watch from the various positions I worked from with the fastest drivers producing performances that I reckon to be near 'superhuman' and very near the absolute physical limit of what man and machine can achieve?

If you noted the question mark at the end of the last sentence you will see that I wonder when that limit will be reached.

However I imagine that over the years many people have pondered the same question only to see that, remarkably, a competitor finds another tenth or two to make a new mark in the record book.

It was Glyn Ridley who cracked a major mark for all racers on the 'Terres... cracking the 30 seconds time. He now holds a permanent place in the records as the first Karter to crack 30s. The day only got better for the Ridley's when Glyn's son Daniel went on to lower his fathers old Class record in the 250 Singles.

So, as if to prove my point about records, today's fastest man in a Kart up the Guernsey hill lost one of his other records on the very day he achieved this amazing feat!

I wonder how long he will hold on to his new one?
SIX OF THE BEST... VIEW PICS OF THE HILLCLIMB

I've been photographing the Autocross 'Banger' racing down on Chouet beach for quite a few years now but last weekend's Fun Meeting was a bit more personal.

My father, as he approaches ninety years of age, has recently given up driving himself around. I hope I am still 'on the road' at a similar age... time will tell.

Having made that decision, we were left with a fairly worn-out Hyundai Getz in Seaside Blue to dispose of.

Maybe it was the name of its colour that triggered the idea that the Getz deserved one last swan-song before going to the crusher. So the car was offered to the Guernsey Autocross Club to be used in any way they chose.

That brings us to last weekend's Fun Meeting and the Inter-Insular championship... Guernsey v Jersey.

When I walked around the pits looking for the old car I needed to take a clue from the colour because once all the trimmings have been removed I find many modern cars seem to loose their identity.

But, of course, I soon found it and I met the driver who would be giving it one last burn-out... or maybe its first ever burn-out?!!

I then waited eagerly, camera at the ready, to capture the Getz's last hurrah... and it went out in style, even managing a jump off the ramp which I think was the fatal blow :-(

So it only enjoyed a short time on track but what a way to send an old lady to the crusher. I now have a few pics to show my father and they are sure to bring a smile to his face :-)

I've added a picture gallery for the Fun Meeting. Why not take a look how many times you can spot the Seaside Blue Hyundai Getz? Answers on a Postcard please.
VIEW PICS OF THE FINAL BURN-OUT OF THE HYUNDAI GETZ

The Stanley Gibbons Investment sponsored Guernsey Powerboat Association's Offshore Powerboat Championship is already attracting large crowds to see the action.

Encouraged by the bright evening there were hundreds of people lining the St Peter Port harbour wall to support Race-2 of the Championship. This was great to see as so much time (and money) is committed by the Association, helpers and of course the racers to bring Powerboat racing back to local waters.

The second race of the weekend was missing a few boats due to damage caused in Race-1 but there was still plenty of action to see at close quarters from the QE2 marina wall.

With more boats lined up for future races I fancy that Powerboating is now firmly re-established on the Guernsey scene :-)

I've added a few pics of Race-2 to a new picture gallery:
VIEW PICS OF RACE-2 OFF THE GPA OFFSHORE POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP

On your marks, get set...GO

The Guernsey Powerboat Association's promise that this season will be its best looks like it was a good one.

The 2015 Offshore Championship started with a busy Race-1. I think there were around seventeen starters (with more promised in later races), but of course there were a few who dropped out. This is to be expected as Offshore racing is a brutal business on boats and crews. There's no need to tell that to the crew who's boat sank :-(

I've seen a few pics online that show some serious troughs and moments for some racers. Somehow we managed to find the flatter seas. But these spots allowed the racers to wind up the speed... and fly!

So we have seen the potential for this years Championship... and it's good!

Bring on Race-2 tomorrow.

Pics of Race-1 are now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF THE GPA OFFSHORE RACE-1

I missed adding a Blog on the day it actually happened but tradition has it that I try and mark each time the viewing counter for this web-site breaks through another MILLION recorded views.

The NINE MILLION figure was smassshed a couple of days ago when I was stacked with the Bank Holiday work. Hence the late Blog.

So here we have the latest landmark and it seems to confirm that when the TEN MILLION mark is passed that will herald a new 'twelve month' best of THREE MILLION views in one year! Nice.

You may have noticed that I quite like the word 'MILLION' as I have used it (in Internet swearing CAPITALS) so many times already in this Blog!

Thanks a MILLION (just one more for luck!) for the continued interest in my work and I hope you find the time to visit again soon.

Here is a link to some of the previous MILLION marking Blogs:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PREVIOUS MILLION MARKING BLOGS

What a shame about the Guernsey Spring weather.

I suppose we all think that once April is out of the way that the Summer has arrived. Of course that is really just a bit of wishful thinking. Last weekend seems to confirm that they aren't just 'April Showers'.

So all the events I attended were affected to some extent by damp conditions. In the case of the Hillclimb I guess we were lucky that it was well into the afternoon before the heavens opened by which time the competitors all had what was going to be their best time of the day.

This inevitably resulted in so many 'no-shows' coming to the start-line that racing finished early.

From my part I was relieved that the effort of carrying my umbrella around all day paid off as I avoided getting too wet. I still had more than enough shots in-the-can and those endeavours are now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF THE RAIN AFFECTED GMC&CC HILLCLIMB

It was another busy weekend of Motorsport in Guernsey.

There was something for every-one... Sandracing, Karting, Autocross and a Hillclimb to complete the mix. There was even a 'Tri-Fest' event for visiting and local Triumph bike owners!

It's a great shame that the weather wasn't on best behaviour as all the events had to endure some spring showers but, of course, racers and bikers are a hardy bunch and I think a great time was had by all.

The 'Summer' Kart championship got under way with a very eventful race meeting during which the Clerk and other officials (including the Ambulance and Paramedics) were kept pretty busy. However they all did a fantastic job and there was plenty of action for the spectators!

I just wouldn't like to face all that paper-work!

I've added a gallery featuring some of the racing:
VIEW PICS OF THE SUMMER KART CHAMPIONSHIP

It's not shaping up to be a particularly pleasant weekend, unfortunately.

Yesterday was windy with occasional showers and the showers have been hanging around all day today.

This is a real spoiler for several events planned including the 'Trifest' gathering of Triumph bike owners. I met many of them at the Vin D'Honneur held for them at Castle Cornet after the many riders who have travelled from the UK and Europe arrived on Friday.

It is a great shame that their bike rally was spoilt by the rain today. I also suffered whilst photographing the Sandracing at Vazon.

But life and work goes on and I have uploaded the resulting pics from today's racing. I'm keeping fingers crossed that Sunday's and Bank Holiday Monday's events have better weather :-)

First pics from this busy weekend are now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF ROUND-2 OF THE SANDRACING CHAMPIONSHIP

The Guernsey Kart & Motor Club concluded its Winter Kart Championship at The Track last Sunday.

It might have been labelled as a 'Winter' Championship but that didn't prevent plenty of hot action on the track with a great spectacle of close racing. The winter never sees as many drivers competing - some seem to hibernate through the colder months - but the slightly small entry hasn't stopped the spectators turning out knowing that the competition will provide good entertainment.

I've enjoyed photographing this seasons action and, of course, will be back for the Summer Champs! See you soon.

I've added a Gallery of pictures featuring the race 4 action:
VIEW PICS OF THE WINTER KART CHAMPS - RACE 4

Saturday saw the first Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club Sand Racing meeting of 2015... and the signs are that it could be a good season :-)

The main event of the year will be the well established Sand Ace meeting later in the summer but it was clear from this first local meeting of the year that racing is going to be close. The Saloons Class produced some really good racing with signs that the Championship will be close, fingers crossed!

Then we had the spectacle of three side-car outfits on the beach with the promise of maybe one or two more to come. These are certain to pull in the crowds along the sea wall at Vazon. Lets hope the guys can keep their bikes reliable so we see some close racing.

So things are well set-up for a memorable season... see you at the next meeting.

Pics are now on-line:
VIEW PICS OF THE FIRST SAND RACING MEETING OF 2015

Now that is what I call a top weekend... or at least I will when my aching bones feel better ;-)

I think I should have gone into a training regime before the non-stop shooting this Bank Holiday. I always forget how tiring it is to carry so much heavy kit hung around my neck! No wonder so many Sports photographers walk with a stoop... I'm well on the way myself :-(

But the pain is nothing that a hot shower can't fix... and I now have the reward of some great action shots.

The latest Gallery update is for the Guernsey Motor Cycle & Car Club's Bank Holiday Hillclimb.

This event was interrupted by a major oil spill along a length of track stretching from the start-line all the way into the tunnel. I think there was an immediate fear that the whole day could be lost as this happened during the early practice runs, but after the competitors pulled together with every broom on the hill a safe clearance was made and the fun could start again. Well done everyone.

So, with good racing weather (and for taking pics) I managed to capture plenty of action and I've had a restful day sitting on my behind editing the results.

There has already been over 40,000 views of my weekends work so I'm well chuffed. Thanks for all the interest!

Hillclimb pics are now online:
VIEW PICS OF THE GMC&CC BANK HOLIDAY HILLCLIMB