The Blind Navigators' Trail

This event will again take place in and around George/Mossel Bay area on the 7th of August 2005.

As in the previous year, the local Hams have been asked to provide communication, and they are currently busy with the organizing thereof.

Background.
The event is definitely a "friendly" event organized for the benefit of the blind navigators, but it is still a competition and obviously they would all like to win.

To ensure that they all play the same game (and keep the court cases down to a minimum....!) some strict rules will apply and some are highlighted in order to put readers in the picture.
(1) Competitors must obey all traffic rules and drive carefully, and all participants must sign indemnities.

(2) At the start control competitors will receive a route schedule in BRAILLE and sighted persons will receive a normal WRITTEN route schedule, giving times, direction and speeds. Drivers may not write down any part of the schedule - the idea is to receive the information from the blind navigator next to you. Any driver found contravening this rule will be disqualified.

(3) The event runs according to RALLY TIME, which means that each car will depart from the start control with his clock set to zero hours, zero minutes and zero seconds. All watches are PRE-SET to the correct rally time for each car, with a gap of two minutes between cars.

(4) Normal procedures will apply at all control points with time checks etc.

(5) Then follows a couple of finer rules regarding penalty points, getting lost, reporting to radio marshalls if in trouble, not to use cellular phones etc.etc, and finally - be kind to your navigator. Demonstrate how the seatbelt works and where to find things like door handles and window winders. Tell them about sudden turns or bumpy sections and explain as much as you can about where you are and what you are doing. Always keep in mind that you are the blind navigator's eyes in this event.

Well that in short is what the rally is all about, and by comparing the figures of last year's event with this year's we are certainly in for another big blind navigators trail.

The event is sponsored by the EDEN MOTORSPORT CLUB of George, who is a member of the South African Motorsport Association (MSA), and the numerous sponsors of George, we would like to thank the organizer, Les Johnstone, for the privilege as Radio Hams to participate in this event, and render our services as communicators to the blind people of South Africa.

Courtesy of The South African Radio League

Other recent stories..

Other News Stories

• Get our news headlines for your website - click here
• Submit your news story - click here