News / Blog

Guernsey Velo Club welcomed visiting MTB riders from Jersey for two Downhill races in two days at two completely different venues.

This led to two enjoyable and very competitive events and ended in the Guernsey team actually winning an Inter Insular... we haven't won many of those against Jersey this year :-(

Day one's race was set within the historic walls of Castle Cornet. This was the second time that the 'Conquer the Castle' Downhill racing has taken place along the narrow, ancient pathways.

The whole thing works really well and attracts a sizable crowd. Let's hope it's now established as an annual event.

Then for day two it was a complete change of scenery with the roadshow moving to the picturesque Petit Bot valley and the narrow pathways with specially built jumps and bends.

Once again the good weather encouraged the supporters out and there was a fantastic atmosphere at the top of the hill. It was also notable how much help was being given by competitors at the end of racing to strip down the track markers. There is a commendable 'spirit' in the Club.

I thoroughly enjoyed photographing the racing and judging by the smiles on competitors faces I think they had a good time too!

I've added two Galleries to my website featuring all the action:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF CONQUER THE CASTLE
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE PETIT BOT DOWNHILL

After a very frustrating day I think we are getting back to normal service :-)

I try to keep this site as easy to navigate and responsive as possible as there is nothing that will lose the interest of visitors quicker than slow viewing.

This is quite a challenge as the number of pictures and galleries continues to grow.

Of course the speed and reliability of the servers that host this website are essential to continued service. And from what I understand about these things (not much in my case) it was the Data Centre which caused the recent drop in service.

But we are back again :-)

So I've continued the Hillclimb updates with a new gallery featuring the Bikes. Take a look here:
VIEW THE LATEST HILLCLIMB BIKE GALLERY

I'm sorry that this website has been completely down for a large part of the day and when the technical issues were identified it eventually re-appeared but in a VERY SLOW form :-(

This was all out of my control and my website administrator has been working hard to return things to 'normal service'.

The whole event is VERY frustrating but Photium... the web admin that I use, have a very, very good record of reliability and are extremely quick to respond to problems. Indeed they come with my full recommendations.

But sometimes these things are out of all our control and patience and understanding is all we can ask for.

I'd be feeling a little bit pleased if the 10,000+ daily views that this website gets had bought the internet down but I can't make that claim to fame!!

Please bear with us while we get things back up to full speed.... thanks.

UPDATE: The website has returned to normal and speedy service. I would like say a big thank-you to the Photium team for keeping me up-to-date with the problems... which were out of their control. These things happen but thankfully are extremely rare!

Andrew :-)

The Inter Island Kart Championship proved to be exciting and entertaining for the large number of spectators who lining the track. They were treated to fantastic close racing on the newly re-surfaced and extended 'Track' at Victoria Avenue.

Tarmac Services had completed the job in time to allow the running of the Inter Island competition on the new layout which proved to offer extra overtaking opportunities. This promises to maintain the interest of drivers... and maybe even tempt a few to return to the sport?

The majority of the days racing was of a high standard showcasing the talent from our two Islands. Only a rather poor incident near the end tarnished what was a well run, exciting and competitive meeting.

Oh, and to top-off the historic day..... Guernsey won the trophy :-)

Afterwards I spoke to many of the local and visiting Jersey drivers and support teams and the overwhelming feeling was that the event was a great success and is a 'grower'. Bring on 2017!

Channel Island Karting is going to be the ultimate winner.
:-)

I've added a gallery featuring the Inter Island Kart Championship...
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE INTER ISLAND KARTING

Well, after yesterdays complaining about the fog, things got a little better for today's second Powerboat race.

This time the sun showed up and suddenly there was far more life in the whole event.

There was still a smaller entry than we had been promised but that is sure to be sorted as I know that several extra boats are having the final touches and tweaks done ready for next months race weekend.

Powerboating certainly seems to interest people enough for them to line the harbour walls to enjoy the spectacle.

It must also be the best incentive to photographers to invest in a long lens or two... the telephotos were out in force. It makes an alternative from taking pics of birds, eh :-)

I've added a gallery featuring pics of Race-2. I think you'll agree that a bit of sun helps the colours 'zing' :-)

Follow this link to view the galleris:
VIEW PICS OF RACE-2 OF THE POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP

The Guernsey Powerboat Association Stanley Gibbons Race Series kicked off with a slightly disappointing first race today.

There were a couple of factors in this.

Firstly.... and nothing much could be done about this, it was foggy... where was the sun to make the sea blue and the boats sparkle and shine? Maybe tomorrows second race in the series will be treated to a brighter day?

Perhaps it's only the photographers who even care about the dull light anyway?

The other factor which surely was more under the control of man was the small turn-out of boats. This years championship had been heralded as 'bigger and better' with next years World Championships in our local waters generating more interest from competitors.

But, on the first day, it seems that many boats and their owners weren't even ready to get out on the water. I find it strange that when there are only about twelve races on the calendar and after making a huge commitment in time and money over the winter months that there were so many no-shows!

I know that some absentees were down to unexpected reliability issues or the late delivery of parts but we must hope that the promise of a 'best ever' race championship gets going next month in the second weekend of the championship.

I managed to capture a few pictures of the racing. Take a look at the gallery here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE STANLEY GIBBONS 2016 POWERBOAT CHAMPIONSHIP

If you like a bit of noise and action (and FUN) when you visit the beach then a highlight of your year must be the Annual Autocross Fun Meeting at Chouet.

2016 was a vintage year for the Bangers with a monster entry including a good contingent visitng from Jersey. It was also quite nice for Guernsey to win at least one Annual Inter-Insular sports event this year! Well done to the winning Guernsey Banger team :-)

However, for once, the racers didn't take to the sands with the one intention of beating all-comers.

No. On this one day it seems that the 'red-haze' is left in the tool box and everyone decides that fun is the new top step of the podium :-)

So with more 'smilies' than is healthy I announce that the Autocross Fun Meeting pics are now online.....

:-) :-) ;-)
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE BANGER FUN MEETING PICS :-)

On May 22nd 2016 The Bill Green Memorial Rally saw perhaps the biggest gathering of motorbikes ever seen in Guernsey.

The ride-out start at Vazon and proceeded around Guernsey's northern coastline on route to La Vallette.

Every make of bike - old and new - seemed to be represented on the ride-out and the event was a tribute to the popularity of Bill and motorcycle riding in general.

Bill's widow sounded a horn to announce the start and Roy de Jersey was given the honour of leading the ride-out on Bill's old AJS.

I've added a small gallery featuring the start of the procession:
VIEW PICS OF THE BILL GREEN MEMORIAL RALLY

After one of my busiest ever 'togging weekends I've taken the first few steps along the long road to completion of the picture edits:-)

Over the weekend I've photographed:

the opening of the new Kart Track
the impressive British SandAce Championship
the intense Full Boar Cage Fighting Lock-In at Beau Sejour
the Bill Green Memorial ride-out,
the massive Autocross Club Banger racing fun meeting
+ a couple of other smaller jobs....

The SandAce Championship gallery is already finished and online... see the previous post.

Now I'm working through the twelve bouts of Lock-In fights.

This sport is one of the most challenging to photograph as the action is so fast (and close!). The lighting is rarely perfect and of course you have to contend with shooting through the mesh of the cage. However when you successfully capture the height of the action it is very rewarding.

I've just added the first galleries featuring the main bouts from the Full Boar Cage & Stage Lock-In... the others are on the way.

Take a look here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FIRST LOCK-IN GALLERIES

There was just one single thing missing from the 2016 Condor Ferries SandAce ACU British Championships on Vazon beach last Saturday... the sun!

However once the racing started no-one even noticed the damp. There was far too much excitement and entertainment to be seen on the Vazon Bay sands to think about the discomfort!

The line-up of competitors was an International affair with quality and experience running down through the entry.

But it was an 18-year-old from Bristol who took the 500cc Solo title ahead of all the rest. The three times world youth grasstrack Champion Zach Wajtknecht showed that he can also master the difficult conditions offered by a very wet beach. Zach now has another major title to his name.

The 1000cc Sidecars were also a big reason the crowd stuck-it-out in the miserable weather as the riders didn't seem to slow their speed even though there was enough surface water to create aqua-planing. The effect of all this water being lifted into huge plumes behind the racers made for a spectacular sight.

The worthy winners in this class were father and son team, Rod and Billy Winterburn, who won all four heats before going on to be crowned British SandAce 1000cc Sidecar Champions.

Once again the SandAce Championship was a highlight of the Guernsey and Channel Island Motorsport year.

I'm already looking forward to (a dry one) next year ;-)

Full coverage of the SandAce is now featured in a huge gallery:
CLICK TO VIEW ALL THE 2016 SANDACE GALLERIES

May I introduce the fighters for tomorrow's Full Boar Motorcycle Club Lock-in Guernsey, Round-5.

This Cage & Stage event has established itself firmly on the Channel Island sports scene. Now in its fifth year I've enjoyed photographing each round of this intense, fast moving, hard hitting sport.

There is a real challenge to capturing the peak action whilst battling against low light, a mesh cage and extreme speed and action - all whilst perched looking down into the cage at the top of a narrow metal ladder that shakes with every hard hit, gripping tight with one leg wrapped around it to avoid being dislodged.... and I love it!

The first Gallery introduces you to the fighters... well nearly all of them - a couple had to get into the sauna to try to make the fight weight!

As of tonight there are just a few tickets available to enjoy this fantastic evening of action. This year things are bigger and better then ever with all the cage action broadcast live onto big screens above the cage.

Make sure you search out one of the final tickets...

The weigh-in pics are here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE LOCK-IN GUERNSEY - ROUND 5 FIGHTERS

The experience was somewhat more pleasant for this months Velo Club Downhill MTB race, Round-3.

Last time it was raining and the track was reduced to a slippery roller-coaster of a ride. I found it almost impossible to find a spot to shoot from where I felt stable enough to make panning shots.

This occasion the competitors, and 'togs, were enjoying near perfect conditions. For a start it was bright and sunny, also the coarse was just damp enough to offer good grip.

I only had a short time to capture the first run before moving on to another job but whilst it was all downhill for the MTB riders I'd say things (conditions) were definitely on the up for this photographer :-)

Fingers are crossed that the next Round will offer more of the same, please.
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF ROUND-3 OF THE MTB MOUNTAIN BIKES RACE

Le Mont Saint climbed the proverbial mountain to win the Orangefield Division One Basketball League at Beau Sejour in a close game against XTFL.

Before the game started there were a few permutations for the outcome of the league. But the bottom line was that if Le Mont Saint could secure a win against XTFL they would win the league and remove all the pressure from the equation.

If they failed in this then the league win would be out of their hands and the result would be decided by a following game.

Maybe this tension was the reason Le Mont Saint fell behind from the start. Le Mont Saint didn't play to their form until the final quarter when they finally appeared at the party and slowly managed to work themselves into the lead.

As a spectator... or should I say photographer, it was a great game to watch. A closely fought game will always thrill more than a walk-over. The Le Mont Saint supporters left drained but satisfied :-)

I've added a few pics to a new gallery:
VIEW PICS OF LE MONT SAINT v XTFL

Guernsey celebrated and remembered it's Liberation from occupation for the 71st time on May 9th 2016.

Our National Holiday included formal ceremony, a cavalcade, lots of live music and entertainment for all ages. Islanders were out in force despite the wet start to the day.

I was assigned to cover some of the varied events and my pictures are included in a new Gallery.

I think the best fun was being had by the residents of St Andrews together with 'all-comers' who had heard about the traditional activity of Soapbox racing.... there was also beer on offer ;-)

This year the hill outside The Last Post had been turned into a temporary Soapbox racing track. No man or boy could resist the temptation to race!

There was a good entry of homemade racing machinery (minus an engine) and the ages of the drivers must have spanned seventy-one years! Clearly you are never too old to have fun!

St Peter Port offered a whole day of live music and entertainment finishing with a firework display on the castle breakwater.

All this amounted to a full, long and tiring day. Islanders enjoyed their freedom surrounded by a friendly holiday atmosphere bound together by our love of the island of Guernsey.

A few pics can be viewed here:
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF LIBERATION DAY 2016

On the eve of Guernsey's celebration of our Liberation Day I was down on the sands of Chouet beach capturing the Autocross action.

Whilst waiting between races I considered how different things would have been if the British... with a little help from our allies! had not won the war.

Guernsey, with our fellow Channel Islands, were the only British soil that the Natzi's managed to take control of. The legacy that remains is to be seen all around our coastline in the form of the concrete bunkers.

But what I reflected on was the freedom that was returned to Guernseymen when the Allied forces liberated the Island allowing the slow return to the 'normality' of day-to-day life.

Part of that 'life' included the simple pleasure of once again having unrestricted access to our beautiful sandy beaches that play such a large part in all our lives. They are exposed twice a day as an area for play, contemplation, sunbathing, fishing and all sorts of fun.

Autocross racing comes under the 'fun' category!

So the day before our Liberation Day there were quite a few flags to be seen as Guernseymen and Guernsey ladies enjoyed the freedom of the sands whilst taking part in a long established Guernsey Motorsport... Autocross Banger Racing.

Thankfully today we are at peace in Europe and friends with Germany. We even think that that can make pretty good cars! And there's nothing a Guernseyman enjoys more than revving and racing a car along our open sands.... it's good to be free.

I've added my pics of the Liberation eve Autocross meeting to a new gallery here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE EVE OF LIBERATION DAY AUTOCROSS PICS

With just two weeks to go before the Sand Racing highlight of 2016 we were treated to near perfect conditions on Vazon beach yesterday.

The Condor Ferries SandAce - ACU British Championships has established itself at a National and International level and is one of the jewels in the Guernsey and Channel Island Motorsport crown.

Whatever the weather we are given on 21st of May on the broad sands of Vazon beach we can be sure that the racing action will be of the highest quality.

However I think you will agree with me that spending time on any beach is enhanced by warmth and sunshine. Yesterday ticked all the boxes. I have my fingers and lenses crossed for the 'big one'... make sure you join me too!

The pics from Round-3 are now online if you want to check-out what makes beach racing so good....
CLICK TO VIEW PICS OF THE SANDRACING_ROUND-3

It wasn't only the racers who had new kit to play with on Bank Holiday Monday at Le Val des Terres.... read on :-)

I also had a few things to tune up and learn about. I was trying to explore the improved performance on offer too!

As a Nikon Professional Services (NPS) registered photographer I have a chance to 'jump the queue' and get delivery of new bodies and lenses from the first delivery made :-)

In this case the smillie face = a very happy chappie!

So, after a couple of special deliveries, I was off to the first Hillclimb I'd shot with the latest combination of a Nikon D5, a Nikon D500 and the 200-500 zoom lens.

I can only say that I was very impressed!

Whilst it appears that the sensor technology isn't improving that much with each update - in fact maybe taking a step back in some parameters - there is a sense of 'maturity' in the design and handling of these two new bodies. For example the addition of a dedicated ISO button... a tiny change but ever so useful. :-) That deserves another smillie!

The headline new feature that Nikon has developed has to be the new Autofocus system that is used on both the D5 and D500. Whilst I'm still learning how to make the best of it I think it shows a real step forward.

One other thing that I hadn't expected was the difference there is between shooting a full-frame D5 and the 'cropped' sensor on the D500. I hadn't used an APS-C format camera since the D300 which I sold several years ago. The focus point coverage on the 'C' sensor is almost edge to edge... very useful.

But perhaps the most surprising thing I noticed when editing the shoot was how much easier and more 'forgiving' the cropped sensor is when it comes to your shooting technique. Full frame exposes poor technique much quicker.... is that why we pro's like it so much. We like to make things difficult for ourselves, don't we!

I'll expand on what I mean by the 'less forgiving full-frame' in a review when I will compare my Nikon D5 to the Nikon D500. Check back later if you are interested. A Blog will be added as soon as I've worked on a wider variety of shoots including more low-light gigs.

For now though, you can check-out the complete Hillclimb gallery of pics here:
CLICK TO VIEW THE LATEST HILLCLIMB PICS

Round-2 of the Guernsey Kart & Motor Club's Summer Kart Championship was held today. We were actually treated to weather that could pass as summer too... very nice.

However it wasn't the weather that was significant about this particular race meeting. It was the fact that the circuit, in its current layout and surface, was being used for last time before its re-development.

There is a sense of anticipation, excitement and hope in the pits that the racing will be improved by the changes. Time will answer that question.

On thing is certain though. That is that the record book will be re-written. It is going to be interesting to see which names are first on the new record list.

I'm looking forward to trying a few new angles to take my pics. Let's hope that both the racers and the 'togs are satisfied by the changes!

The last pics of the old Track are now online here:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW THE FINAL KARTING PICS

Last Wednesday I photographed the 2016 Guernsey General Elections at St Sampson's Douzaine for the Guernsey Press.

I've photographed the Elections before and always enjoy being a part of what is a long, tiring and stressful day for all the candidates... and the media!

The whole local media 'circus' was on site to give complete coverage of the St Sampson District's General Election results and I think the small foyer of the St Sampson's Douzaine was the 'coziest' venue of any of the districts.

When the Returning Officer of the Day, Tom Oliver, climbed a few steps to speak to the amassed Candidates, family, friends, officials and supporters it was approaching 1pm.

The media had spent the previous five hours waiting in the Fontaine Inn, drinking Coke and tweeting whilst multi-tasking watching the earlier declarations on two televisions with live radio feeds running in the background on mobile phones! We didn't want to miss a thing!

When it came, the St Sampsons declaration saw an end of Deputy Kevin Stewart's short political career. Lyndon Trott topped the poll and there were two newcomers, Jennifer Merrett and Carl Meerveld.

After finishing the photography, which is not unlike sport/action photography as the whole thing happens very quickly, the job was only half-done as the editing, tagging and submissions had to be made at the Press headquarters to allow for an early print of the newspaper for Thursday.

I eventually dragged myself into bed at 3.30am having had a thoroughly interesting night at the centre of an epic, emotional event.

I can't wait for the next time... in 2020!
CLICK HERE TO VIEW A FEW OF MY ELECTION PICS

My weekend included a trio of sporting events.

First up was the latest round of the 2016 Sand Racing championship. The racing on Vazon beach is already building up towards this years Sand Ace meeting which promises to be bigger and better than ever. Make a diary date for 21st of May... this one is not to be missed!

Then Saturday night was spent ring-side at St Pierre Park Hotel photographing the Dinner Boxing. Both these galleries are already online.

The latest update is for the Autocross Club Banger Championship.

This meeting was something of an historic one with Ozzy Ozanne making an all-time record when he one his 26th Championship!

This is a remarkable achievement. It could be interpreted, when you see how dominate he has been for so many years, that he has had things easy with little competition.

However, this is far from the truth. Ozzy has faced stiff, experienced and talented challengers over all the years and has proven that he has all that it takes to be a great champion.

He undoubtedly has driving skills but you need the complete package to put together such a long run of wins. These include selecting the best wheels, preparing and maintaining a reliable car - to finish first, first you've got to finish. Then Ozzy also knows how to do just enough to win - saving his car to return another day.

We can reckon that this record could last forever. It will certainly need someone special to break it! Whoever fancies taking a crack at it had better not be too old as even if they were to win every championship from now on it would take them thirteen and a half years to beat Ozzy!!

That's if Ozzy doesn't have any more wins in him.... or maybe he's now run out of space for all those trophies?

I've added pics of the racing to a new gallery:
CLICK HERE TO VIEW PICS OF THE HISTORIC AUTOCROSS RACE