I’m pleased to be able to tell you that our proposed combine met with no opposition and has now been affiliated to the Southern Region. This will give Solent Federation members the opportunity to race formally with the Dorset, Southampton and Sussex NR federations and provide results (down to 100th place), prize cards (first 20) and trophies to the lucky winners !

I have attached a copy of the Combine rules and ask that you make your members aware by providing them with a copy. We used the Solent fed rules as a template to work on and adapted to the combine so much of it may be familiar to you and your members. One important point to note is that there is no restriction on the number of birds clocked by an individual to count in the combine result.

As there is no prize money to be won we would be most grateful if you could ask amongst your members to see if anyone would like to donate or sponsor a prize/s, open to all members of the combine, for the any of the 3 races Hexham, Kelso and Perth. To start the ball rolling Dave Mitchell has kindly offered a single bird nomination prize of £50 on each of the three races and I am sponsoring a £50 prize, or trophy to the value of, for the best average velocity of a single bird clocked in over the three races.

Finished loading at 22:30. Arrived at 24:00 watered birds. Call Tony at 07:00 weather on site not good, overcast with a strong sw wind. we both decided to hold on as the weather is improving. Topped up waters. Call Tony at 10:00 all good onsite and the route home.

Liberated at 10:15 into a strong sw wind all cleared well

Having made his enquiries with regard to the weather situation this weekend, your race controller has advised that there is very little possibility that it will suitable to liberate our birds either Saturday or Sunday.

I have spoken to the executive committee and, taking in to consideration the need to advise the RPRA and also the booking requirements for the  Stratford lib site, rather than cancel the race altogether we will basket on Sunday for a race on Monday, basketing times as usual.

Kind regards

Lee

We finished loading at 22:00 , arrived on site at 23:45 watered birds. Tony phoned at 07:15 line of flight is good, on site clear blue skies but a cold light  nw wind. We both decided to go as soon as possible. Checked other feds on site, we both decided to go at 08:00.

Liberated birds at 08:00  into a very light north-west wind.

Birds cleared very well

Thanks for all the people helped Friday night busy night.

Finish loading at 21:30 Arrived at Stratford upon Avon at 23:00 watered birds.

Phone Tony at 06:30 Blue skies and Sunshine on site line of flight was good. We both decided to go at 07:30.

Liberated birds at 07:30 into a moderate south wind Birds cleared well but splitting up into two batches. Both heading for home. Hope you have a good race.

Finished loading at 21:30 arrived on site at 24:00 watered birds.

Saturday phone Tony at 7:30 good line of flight. He was just waiting for confirmation from other federations there liberations times. On-site we had full cloud cover, but improving all the time. Topped up waters. Tony phoned at 08:30 we both decided to go for 10:00. On site we had broken clouds blue skies with sun

Liberated at 10:00 into sw wind all cleared in one batch.

Hope you have a good race

Finished loading at 22:00 arrived at Worksop at 01:30 watered birds. Tony phoned at 06:30 line of flight is good, on site full sun with some ground mist but clearing. We both decided to go for 08:30. Topped up waters.

Liberated at 08:30 no wind with full sun, cleared in one batch heading for home.

Hope you all have a good race

18/05/24 – Worksop 2 convoyers report

Finished loading at 21:45 arrived at 02:00 watered birds. Tony phoned at 06:30 line of flight is good on-site we had no wind and mist. Said to Tony that I would call him when the weather gets better. Topped up waters. Call at 07:30 to say a fed has just liberated and they cleared very well. We both decided to go for 08:00.

Liberated at 08:00 blue skies no wind,cleared very well into two batches but close together, heading for home.

Hope you all have a good race

Finished loading at 21:00 arrived at Grantham at 01:00 watered birds. Phoned Tony at 06:30 said that we have got full cloud cover with a ne wind. Line of flight was good. I said I would call Tony when the weather improves, Tony said the doesn’t look like it was going to improve much before 12:00. Topped up waters. Called Tony at 11:45 and said that would get ready, as the weather was coming and going, other federations have liberated near us. In my view that we wasn’t going to get any sun, but the skies was getting brighter. Visibility was very good And the wind was north. We could see a bright sky coming in from the north so we decided to go, when the bright sky was over us.

Liberated at 12:45 into a light north wind

Birds clear well.

On the route home still no sun, some broken clouds, the wind had dropped to no wind. Visibility was excellent.

Hope you have a good race

Finished loading at 22:30. We arrived at the truck stop at Rotherham at 02:00 watered birds. Friday arrived at Hexham at 12:30 let birds rest for about an hour, then fed/watered  birds. Tony  called at 17:00 to say that it’s looking ok for tomorrow. Topped up waters.