NAVY NEWS, JULY 2010


47


Royals too strong for Navy U25s


THE RN U25 cricket team opened the season at Burnaby Road, against a very strong Royal Marines side, writes Lt Cdr David Cooke RNCC. After winning the toss, the Corps – fielding five current RN representative players – had no hesitation in batting. Although two recognised RM batsmen fell cheaply to under 25 newcomers, scores of 90 from L/Cpl A Haw (42 Cdo), 59 from Cpl A Pollard (Cdo Logs) and an undefeated 45 from Cpl J Crasham (RM Poole) assisted the Corps to a most respectable score of 296-9 off 50 overs. Some of the young Navy players spoiled their figures with too many wides – the 4th highest score at 33. Pick of the U25’s bowlers


were AB D Thurgood (Montrose) 4-65 off ten overs, (ETME) E Tempro (Bulwark) 2-46 off ten and ETME S Louis (Edinburgh) 2-49.


The batting response from the U25 team was generally poor. However, new boy (AB) Ian Buss (Collingwood) opened the batting with Mid Karl Hewitt (RAF Cranwell) and looked a good prospect. Hewitt fell early, triggering a ripple of wickets to a variety of RM bowlers, Tempro (28) helped the cause, but only Buss appeared comfortable, eventually carrying his bat throughout the innings for a well-deserved 72 not out. Some of the RM bowlers also had difficulties with wides, conceding 37 in all; second highest score to Buss in an overall score of 194 all out. n IF 50 overs are just too many to endure as a spectactor, well, good news because 2010 heralds a new dawn for RN cricket with the introduction of the Inter-Service Twenty20 competition at Lord’s on Tuesday July 27.


After the successful Army-RN matches at the Home of Cricket over the past two seasons, the MCC have very kindly invited all three Services to Lord’s for this year’s annual contest. RN cricket sponsors Kiwi are also the main sponsors of the event, where it is anticipated a large and enthusiastic crowd will enjoy what promises to be an exciting spectacle. All three teams will play each other on the day; as the RN are this year’s ‘home team’, they will play their second match as the last fixture of the day which should be a fitting finale. Gates open at 9am for a 10am start to the first match and the event is open to the public. Tickets are available on the gate or in advance on 0203 405 1880 or e-mail info@ ist20.com. MCC members will be able to use their existing concessions.


Further information can be obtained from Lt Cdr Cooke on 02392 723741 or e-mail rnso4@ fleetfost.mod.uk.


RM cream of the ice


h Continued from page 48


Navy Inter-Services title. Despite the Army scoring first, the RAF would once again come back and dominate a physical game littered with penalties for a 7-2 win and their second Inter-Services title in a row. Overall, the tournament was a significant success for the Naval Service, coming home with silverware for the fourth year running.


The expansion of its entry to four teams also showed that the sport continues to grow as it attracts new players through grass roots sports events. Further details about RN ice hockey can by found on DII, on the web at www.rniha.org.uk and via the team’s Facebook page.


Coach trip to Kuwait


FUN. Sun. Football. What’s not to like? Sailors from HMS St Albans headed


to Kuwait’s centre of excellence when it comes to the beautiful game. The Premier Football Academy of


Kuwait – affiliated to Everton FC – offers a ‘football for all’ programme for three to 18 year-olds. The organisation’s director of football Mike Finn and administrator, ‘Baker’ Al-Nazer invited the frigate’s RNFA- qualified coaches to deliver a two-hour coaching session for a group of 25 youngsters aged between 12 and 16. Lt Cdr ‘Terry’ Gibson, WO1 ‘Ginge’


Keay and CPO ‘George’ Park (the latter’s pictured right by LA(Phot) Steve Johncock) were hugely impressed by the standard of football. Young footballing protégés of various


Reel success for coarse fishermen


nationalities had benefited from the ‘Everton Way’ coaching programme. Skills demonstrated and practised by the children ranged from long and short- range shooting, goalkeeper training and organised defending. No session would be complete without the obligatory small-sided game at the end, divided between the two distinct age groups. With the final whistle blown and after an intensive training session, the RN coaches rewarded the players with the only kit to be seen in during a World Cup year: England strips donated by the RNFA.


Open season for Chris


A COLD overcast day dawned at Lake Bala in North Wales as around 150 entrants put their bodies on the line in the quest for glory at the annual Inter-Services open water swimming championships which are held over one and three and the blue riband five-


kilometre event. Wet suits are not allowed, the


water temperature was stated as being 16˚C (compared with the 14˚C air temperature) but most competitors would be prepared to say it was nearer a very chilly 12˚C in the cold fresh waters of the lake, writes Lt Cdr Alan Walker. At 10am, 32 brave souls entered


the water. With their white swim hats numbered and the same numbers indelibly written on both shoulders, seven sailors and marines, two RAF personnel, a handful of civilians and a lot of soldiers took off at a brisk pace on the first 2½-kilometre lap of a two lap race around the widest part of the lake which was policed by power boats and a number of canoes and kayaks. Habitual swimmers generally possess mean, lean bodies and it was the really slim-built people who succumbed first to the numbing effect of the cold. First home in the five-kilometre


was Royal Marine Cpl Chris Bumby (who won all three events in 2009).


Hot on his heels was a civilian female – one of GB’s best Open Water swimmers just 22 seconds behind – followed by another civvy in third place around five minutes later.


was Chief Tech Simon ‘Woolly’ Wooldridge, a veteran of Bala of some 20 years, on 1h 19m 04s. Fifth place was taken by the RN’s Lt Steve Berry,


veteran; the author remembers Apprentice Berry’s first swim in 1987, this being not far off his 24th year of entry in succession. As the second Navy swimmer home Steve’s time of 1h 20m 23s would add to Chris Bumby’s 1h 14m 10s towards the overall Inter Service’s trophy. Next in was the RAF’s Alison Pippin in 1h 26m 25s, so the Air Force also had two swimmers home.


flurry. Royal Marines invariably


display a modest outer exterior but are hard as nails on the inside and just will not be beaten come what may.


Cpl Bumby (pictured proudly


showing off his Corps swimming cap) typifies all that is best of the ethos of the RM as he emerged as winner for a second year in succession in this the top race of the three at Bala this year.


In eighth, Lt Cdr Ali Witt (back from Canada two days earlier), then ninth AB(D) Chris Collins (just back from Afghanistan) and the top ten was rounded of by Maj Andy Mason (RM Poole). The first female sailor to finish


She was followed by a naval another The next Serviceman home


The next event was the three- kilometre race with 36 competitors. A dozen had to retire because they exceeded the 1h 35m time limit for completion. Chris Bumby took the title again (47m 25s), but most of the RN swimmers were relative- newcomers and great white hopes for the future, such as 25-year -old AB(Sea) Martin Longbottom (DRSU Portsmouth) who came in a very-creditable fifth place in 56m 22.33s. (He was also the third Serviceman home.) Not far behind in 12th Service place/ third RN place was AET David Jackson (HMS Sultan) swimming breaststroke – always reckoned to be more difficult to maintain when the water is really cold. In the single-kilometre race


was POMA Mhairi Muri, one of the RN’s top pool swimmers who had allowed herself to be talked out of her wetsuit. Her colleague Musn Caitlin O’Malley – always the toughest of competitors – had had to give in after one brave 2½-kilometre lap. With six swimmers finishing in


the first 11 the Navy had won the event outright.


there was a staggering 85 entrants who took to the water in the third and final race of the day; all but two would finish. Not content with having swum eight kilometres already – and winning both races – Chris Bumby racked up his third phenomenal win in 15m 16.91s. Major Andy Mason RM was a minute and a half behind his young colleague while Cpl Billy Sewell (RM Poole), swimming in his first Bala race after losing his left leg in Afghanistan three years ago, came 35th overall (third RN swimmer home). Billy had been invited into the


Army’s Battle Back organisation via the good offices of Army Swimming’s open water maestro Lt Col Rob Healey.


Go on be a smarty, train in Spain with Marty


“FANCY a week in Lanzarote, Royal?”


“Roger, doing what exactly?” “Triathlon.” “Gen?! Errrr” I’d almost forgotten that I had e-mailed the Royal Navy Triathlon Association a couple of months back asking about some triathlon training as I was new to triathlon – I had no idea it was going to be in Lanzarote though, writes Mne Marty Denning (pictured right after one exhausting session).


Despite being new to the club


everyone was very welcoming but unfortunately everyone was in good shape. I’d been hoping to find loads of fat matelots and not a load of people that look like they haven’t had a day off phys in years. Never mind...


In Club La Santa it was a different story and things couldn’t have been better: great weather, great company and a great location. The hotel was something else: a sportsman’s paradise with


everything all in one place: 50m outdoor pool, leisure pool, lagoon for watersports, 400m track, tennis courts, squash courts,


football


pitches, the lot. Upon arrival it was straight to bed ready for an early start with a five-mile run.


The training programme was put together by Cpl Gaz Gerrard, – an age group world champion, multiple-times winner of the Inter-Services triathlon race and a trained Level 2 British Triathlon coach. That consisted of phys three times a day apart from the few days where we would only train twice.


Quality, constructive training


that would get the team ready for the Inter-Services race (and foster some team-building) was the key but from a novice perspective it did seem that quantity was important too, albeit in a slightly daunting way. I quickly learned that recovery


was as important as the training – eating, hydrating and resting were needed if I was to keep up with the programme and the facilities helped enable me to do this. Not only did I learn a huge amount about triathlon and training, the week also offered some unique experiences such as running with the legend that is Dr Ron Hill. He invited the club to join him on his morning five-mile run. For a man in his 70s it was an inspiration to us all. For me the week was absolutely Sure, it was a steep


brilliant.


learning curve but I couldn’t have asked for a better environment and group to be with to be introduced to the sport.


The amount I picked up over the


week would have taken me months to learn and it was fantastic to be able to do so in such a great location.


More details at www.rnrmtri. co.uk


TONG Norton Mere – private syndicate water near Telford – was the venue chosen by the RAF for this year’s Inter- Services coarse angling championships, writes WO1 Hughie Welsh, team manager. Due to service reasons the Maver Royal Navy team were only able to practise for two days in beautiful weather whilst the RAF and Army managed to fish on the Sunday. Before the match there was not a lot of information on the venue but the RAF seemed to believe this was a roach-type venue – and this also seemed to be the Army’s way ahead. Maver Royal Navy joint team captains CPO Nick Jones (HMS Tireless) and Sgt Ads Palmer (CTCRM) thought otherwise and decided to target the bream using feeder tactics.


Having had the best of the practice days by far, the Senior Service decided it was all-or- nothing on match day.


A cooler day made for a good match. From the start the Maver Royal Navy match team took charge, winning seven out of 12 sections, with four section runner-ups.


Overall Maver Royal Navy won the match convincingly with 30pts, RAF 26 and the Army 16.


Yeovilton) was the individual winner with a brilliant 83lb 4oz. AET John Gaylard (RNAS


Yeovilton) was individual runner-up with a superb 65lb 12oz.


In total, we had four out of the six top weights.


Other section winners were Mne Dan Pither (42 Cdo), CPO Jones, CPO Whisky Walker (HMS Neptune), CPO Tim Broughton (RNAS Yeovilton) and Sgt Palmer. A great team effort by all


CPO Keith Massheder (RNAS


resulted in the trophy returning to RNRMAA for the second time in three years having only won it on three occasions in the previous 33 years.


Sean’s time


has come h Continued from page 48 and four fellow riders headed to the National Ten-Mile TT Champs hosted by Stratford CC near Salford Priors in the Midlands. The course proved to be reasonable with a slight drag but the weather was very hot, making it hard for all concerned. The overall winner was the multiple British time trial champion Dr Michael Hutchinson, who completed the ten miles in 18m 37s, recording an average speed of just over 32 mph.


day by his high standards and finished 27th in the ultra- competitive field. Most worthy of note was Lt Cdr Lee Sanderson (HMS Raleigh), who recorded a personal best time of 21m 21s to finish 66th.


were: Garry Drew on 21m 27s (27.972mph average) was posted 72nd place, followed by Steve Kelly 21m 48s (27.523mph) in 98th and the final RN competitor Andrew Phipps in 142nd place on 22m 48s (26.316mph)


Jumpers take fifth


RN Show Jumping and Eventing Team came away with an excellent fifth place in the military class at the Royal Windsor Horse Show. The team comprised Rear Admiral Simon Charlier, Lt Cdr Suzanne Clark and Lt Elizabeth Oldfield.


The other Navy results CPO Childs had a mediocre


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57