The 21st running of one of the best events in the Triumph enthusiasts calendar is now due on Friday 3rd October to Sunday 5th October 2008 and we invite entries from Club Triumph members using Triumph motor cars to participate in what has to be an unique event in the motoring world.
The event was first run in 1966 and is unchanged in its objective to drive around Britain, covering nearly 2000 miles visiting 15 pre-arranged control stops staffed by Club Triumph marshals in 48 hours. The start and finish will be the now traditional venue of The Plough public house at Crews Hill near Enfield, in Middlesex.
Since the events 1960s beginnings 689 crews have completed the event using Triumph cars of all descriptions, Herald 948 to 2.5 Pi, Spitfire to TR8.The RBRR is run every two years and each time seems more popular, reflecting the increasing enthusiasm for an event that provides great value and fun. It attempts to prove that motoring in this country can still be pleasant and of course gets Club members out in their cars!
Since 1990 the RBRR has been run on a charitable basis and entrants have collected over £270,000 for various national Charities. For the 20th RBRR we have chosen the Royal National Lifeboat Institute, and we hope to raise in excess of £55,000, exceeding the 2006 total of £52,000 for ‘BLISS’. The RNLI is ideal as it fits in well with the national aspect of the RBRR as it has so many lifeboat stations situated all around the UK. We are hopeful that one of the Lifeboat stations will be used as a control stop on the event. Please do visit the RNLI website at www.rnli.org.uk. to find out more about this organisation which is funded purely through donations.
For this RBRR, we are attempting to make the event Carbon Neutral. We have calculated that each car will produce carbon that costs £10.00 to neutralise and to fund this £5.00/crew will be paid by the Club and £5.00 will be paid from each crew’s total entry. We have signed up with an organisation called ‘Climate Care’ who will use this money wisely for a variety of environmental measures.
For the 21st RBRR the minimum number of entrants will be 15 and the maximum will be 100 after which a reserve list will be operated. The entry fee is £60 per crew member, minimum of two people per car, teams should budget on a cost of £250 - 350 for fuel, oil and the like. Although the principal entrant must be a member of Club Triumph, co-drivers do not need to be, therefore you can ask, blackmail or even press gang family or friends to join in with you! The entry fee covers the breakfasts at John O’Groats and Lands End, snacks at many of the stops, the fully detailed Road Book, the event car stickers, and a finishers plaque and a finishers award. All successful crews will be able to claim a discounted price ticket for the Club’s Annual Dinner during March 2009 at a hotel in Hertfordshire. At the dinner we will present the Charity cheque to the RNLI and finishers awards to successful crews and make some special awards, such as ‘Spirit of the Event’ and ‘Car of the RBRR’.
A week or so before the Run, Club Triumph will be holding Drivers Meetings to preview the event. These will be held at the start venue at ‘The Plough’ Crews Hill for Southern crews and one at Canley Classics premises at Fillongley, near Coventry for all Northern and Midland crews. It is felt essential for at least one representative of each crew to attend a Drivers Meeting. At these meetings we will fully review the event. The RNLI will send along a representative to discuss the Charity with us, and how the collected money will be used. We will also issue the car stickers and the detailed road book that contains the advisory route that will be discussed at length. Advice will be given to assist crews in their preparation and finally a question and answer session will be held. These meetings are a good opportunity for crews to gain a feel for the event, meet other entrants and pick up tips to ensure completion of the RBRR.
As previously mentioned the start is at ‘The Plough’ Crews Hill, the atmosphere and anticipation in the Car Park is surely reason enough to enter the RBRR, it really is a terrific place to be if you like your Triumph cars. The event has a unique feeling of camaraderie and all entrants are made to feel welcome and part of the event. The last minute panic and head scratching wondering why the car will not start as the clock ticks down to the start time of 18.30 make it a fun and possibly a frantic place to be! It’s truly a superb spectacle if you like Triumphs!
The event has 3 stages, these being London to John O’Groats, John O’Groats to Lands End and Lands End to London. The start is at 18.30 and heads north on the A1 up to the first stop at Blythe services just south of Doncaster. A cup of tea and then onto the next stop near Hadrians Wall and then its into Scotland. We visit Edinburgh Airport at about 3.00am on the Saturday morning and crews can take the opportunity to use the facilities in the main terminal building. By now the initial euphoria felt by the crews at the start will have worn off and weariness will start to creep up. After the Airport stop its onto John O’Groats via Inverness and Wick for a well earned breakfast and a wash and brush up at this very Northern tip of the UK mainland. Now come possibly the best driving roads of the event as crews cross the top of Scotland via Thurso, visiting a lifeboat station and then take B873/A836 south down to Altanharra on this marvellous single track road that offers challenges to the drivers and stunning views. The next stop is at the Conon Bridge Hotel which is north west of Inverness, by now it will be early afternoon and a brief but welcome cuppa and some sandwiches are on offer for the crews. From there on the route skirts Loch Ness, crosses Telford’s Caledonian Canal and heads onto Fort William. The next part is a visual highlight is enjoyed as crews pass through the inspiring mountain ranges of Glen Coe. Its then onwards to Stirling to Morrisons Garage, a traditional RBRR stop that used to be an old Standard Triumph dealership, at this point it will be early Saturday evening and the event is half completed. Mild panic can ensue as crews realise that they are still in Scotland and they have got to get down to Lands End for breakfast and finish the event! The crews then drop back into England for the section on the A74(M), M6, a brief stop at Lancaster Services and then onto Chirk near Oswestry for the next stop. Another great nights driving is now enjoyed in Wales in the middle of the night through to early Sunday morning to get to the next control at Bristol via the Forest of Dean and the Severn Bridge. If the crews thought the Saturday morning sections were tough, the Sunday morning can be very fatiguing and it can be a struggle to get to Land’s End, the section through Bodmin Moor being particularly tiring. After a nice breakfast at Lands End enjoyed whilst overlooking the Atlantic ocean it’s a trip over Dartmoor into Dorset to enjoy an early afternoon break enjoying teas and home made cake near Blandford Forum, before attempting to get back to Enfield for the finish.
So all that driving means nearly 2000 miles in 48 hours, to be successful an average speed of 40mph must be maintained throughout the weekend, a difficult task for modern cars let alone cars 40 years old! At present Nigel Abdullah our route designer is poring over maps to ensure that the Road Book is accurate and as clear as possible. The route is designed to encompass all types of British roads and be completed by the smaller engine Triumph cars such as the Herald and Toledo. We do not encourage driving at illegal speeds or driving whilst tired, the control stops are only opened at specific times to therefore regulate the speeds of the cars.
The RBRR is all about participation and the thrill of driving your Triumph car, the condition of the car is irrelevant, they range from immaculate cars to robust daily drivers, all types are welcome. You will meet lots of Triumph enthusiasts who love to use their car, forge some enduring friendships and of course you will join a group of Triumph owners who have taken part in the longest running Triumph event! Possibly the best aspect of the RBRR is the chance to drive many roads that one would not normally drive, along one or two of the roads you will not see another car apart from a Triumph! The RBRR is an addictive event and once completed owners tend to start to think ahead to the next one and what should be done over the next 2 years to improve the car! The delight that shows on the faces of the successful crews at the finish really makes the event special, its amazing to note that most crews suddenly seem full of beans even though they have not slept in a proper bed for possibly 60 hours! It really is a bit special to be using a trusted old car for a continual 48 hours and to be able to say at the end that one completed the Club Triumph Round Britain Reliability Run!
Should you require more information please contact Tim Bancroft 07966 289 782, or by e-mail: timbancroft61@hotmail.com. He will be pleased to discuss the event and answer any questions. To enter the RBRR please complete the entry form that is printed within the Club’s magazine ‘Club Torque’ or on this website and send with your entry fee to Jason Chinn at the address at the base of the form. Please visit the Club’s website, www.club.triumph.org.uk where further information, the list of entered cars and a very active discussion forum can be viewed.
The Club Triumph Round Britain Reliability Run, a great driving event, a great way to see the United Kingdom, a great social event and of course, GREAT FUN!
Club Triumph…. The Club that does.