THE BEST of local surfing talent takes to the waves of the East Coast this weekend as the Barbados Surfing Association's (BSA) Lazy Days/Sprite Nationals surf off at Soup Bowl, Bathsheba.

Up for grabs is a $2 000 purse in the men's open division and $1 000

for the best female

surfer in the island.

This year's competition, said BSA president Andrew Lewis, promises

to be bigger and better than ever before, providing the waves are up

to Soup Bowl standard.

"This year, we are really trying to bring it back

to what it was before and we want to have a nice two-day event," he said.

"I believe we should get really good competition, especially from the surfers who are lured by the prize money, provided we get

a good wave. If the waves are good and with the prize money, it could be the best Nationals,"

he said.

Lewis added that

the BSA was trying to recapture the glory of past National Surfing Championships with

this year's competition.

"Years ago, Nationals used to be a big event. It used to be a big thing to be crowned national champion," he said.

Last year's champion Stefan Corbin will be back in the water to defend his title against the likes

of Lewis St John and Jordan Heaselgrave

who is just back from

a fifth-place finish in a competition in Venezuela.

Also looking to regain her form is last year's winner Ametza Nicholls who injured her back earlier this year. She

is up against the Chelseas - Chelsea Roett and Chelsea Tuach - the

two most improved

female surfers.

The best top four open surfers will compete for $800 first place prize; $600 second place purse and $400 and $200 third and fourth-place prizes respectively.

In the women, the top four finishers will receive $400, $300, $200

and $100 respectively.

Lewis hopes the increase in prize money would be an incentive

to all local surfers, especially those who do not normally compete

on the local circuit.

He added the competition could see as many as 48 local male surfers and 16 females taking to the water

in the two-day event.

The event, which

is in its 27th year, has seen champions like Peter Hill, Alan Burke, Mark Holder, Edmund Holder, Jason Stanley, Joe Gamble, Simon Coles, Anderson Mayers and Wendell Anderson

taking the top prize.

Registration closes at 7:30 a.m. on Saturday and competition is expected in the Men's Open, Under-18 Boys', Under-16 Boys', the Ladies' Open, Under-18 Girls', body-board,

Longboard, Masters

and Under 12.

The Barbados Surfing Association and Lazy Days surf shop present the 2008 Lazy Days National Championships.

The Barbados Surfing Association and Lazy Days surf shop present the 2008 Lazy Days National Championships.

25 years in the making, come see our national surfers compete for the title of National Champion for 2008.

Divisions contested will be the highly competitive Open Men & Women divisions with total cash purses of $2000 Bds. for the men and $1000 Bds. in the woman's category.
Other categories will be the Under 18 Boys & Girls, Under 16 Boys, Combined Under 12 and not forgetting the more experienced Masters and Longboarding divisions. Rounding off all the divisions will be a highly anticipated Open Bodyboarding Division.

Come support our surfers and the BSA as we celebrate our 25th year of existence.This event is geared to be one of the best as projected 2-3 meter swells are expected to bless the shores of Soup Bowl. Pablo Donte's Bar & Grill will be on site serving up cold drinks and yummy eats while our resident DJ will entertain you with the latest and the greatest.

Bring your family and friends for a weekend of sun and surf and come support of our local surfers as they showcase their talents for the right to be called National Champion.

BROOKER AND EDWARDS DEFEAT THE ELEMENTS Anna-Lee Alleyne finally wins Champion Navigator title

BROOKER AND EDWARDS DEFEAT THE ELEMENTS
Anna-Lee Alleyne finally wins Champion Navigator title

With the Joe Brooker's Building Ltd/SDRR Hydraulic & Industrial Spares Inc Toyota Hilux caked in mud after a long day battling the elements, Damian Brooker and Derek Edwards emerged victorious in Sunday's (November 9) Nassco November Safari, final round of the Barbados Rally Club's (BRC) 2008 Mud Dogs Safari Championship.
Their victory - appropriately achieved in one of the event sponsor's products - came on a day which presented tough challenges for all, with many sections of the route difficult to negotiate, or even impassable, a fitting end to the first season of the re-branded Mud Dogs Championship. Their victory earned them fourth place in the year-end standings and they will also collect the trophies as highest-placed Novices, Damian snatching the Driver's title from brother Dominic, who had been ahead before the weekend.
Second place was sufficient to secure the overall Driver and Navigator titles for Leslie and Anna-Lee Alleyne in their Bridgestone Tires/AutoZone Inc Mitsubishi Pajero iO; it is husband Leslie's second - he also won in 2006 - while Anna-Lee earns her place in Club history, as the first female winner of the Sextant Challenge Trophy, a well-deserved accolade after her hat-trick of second places between 2004 and 2006 on sunday.
But it was not all plain sailing for the Alleynes; level on points with Barry Gale and Neil Barnard - Champion Driver and Navigator in 2005 - in the Gale's Hatcheries Mitsubishi L200 after the Championship's first two events in March and June, the Alleynes edged ahead after the September Safari, but could not afford a poor result.
Dealing with some mechanical problems, they were seventh at the lunch break, with Gale and Barnard fourth . . . the six-point difference between the two brought them level once again, so the title would be settled on the last route of the season's final event; route 1 winners were Colin Goodman and Robin Hinds (Suzuki Samurai), ahead of Paul Marshall/Ricky Holder (Mitsubishi L200) and Darrin White/Robert Warren (Flyin' Fish Nissan Frontier).
While the first two crews would falter on route 2, White and Warren ended the day third - their best result of the year - and also third in the year-end standings. The Alleynes won route 2, to guarantee them the 2008 titles, with Gale and Barnard third - they ended the day fourth and the season second, just 10 points behind.
In his position as chairman of the BRC's Navigational sub-committee, Leslie Alleyne said: "I would like to congratulate all the competitors, especially the winners, for their remarkable achievements on Sunday. The event was very difficult, both from a driver's and a navigator's perspective.
"At some point all competitors were forced to cut route in an effort to stay within the rally schedule, and this meant we needed to employ strategies to which many of us were unaccustomed. To obtain a good result you first needed to devise a good strategy and, at the end of the day, the crew which was able to cut the least amount of route while staying within the rally schedule was going to be the crew to beat.
"I am also pleased to say, from the sponsor's perspective, that Toyota was well-represented and, of course, claimed victory - had it not been for some of the eight Toyota crews entered, many of us might still be out there now!"
And it is a good job that they're not, as the Mud Dogs are now turning their attention to this coming Saturday (November 15) and the first of what Alleyne hopes will become an annual Mud Dogs Social. Alleyne says: "We will celebrate the achievements of the year and say thanks to our sponsors, also the marshals for their support throughout the year. We'll be showing some video footage of the year's action, there's a DJ, free drinks and free food, including china box pig, soup and many other finger foods that have been kindly donated by our members. A number of invitations have been delivered to our special guests, but non-ticket holders will be able to pay at the door where the admission is $20.00 per person."

BRC Mud Dogs Safari Championship, round 4
November 9 - Nassco November Safari
Results - overall
1st Damian Brooker/Derek Edwards (Joe Brooker's Building Ltd/SDRR Hydraulic & Industrial Spares Inc Toyota Hilux), 4636 penalties
2nd Leslie Alleyne/Anna-Lee Alleyne (Bridgestone Tyres Mitsubishi Pajero iO), 4708pens
3rd Darrin White/Robert Warren (Flyin' Fish Nissan Frontier), 5022pens
4th Barry Gale/Neil Barnard (Gale's Hatcheries Mitsubishi L200), 5152pens
5th Paul Marshall/Ricky Holder (Mitsubishi L200), 5666pens
6th Colin Goodman/Robin Hinds (Suzuki Samurai), 6156pens
7th Ryan Corbin/Dustin Edwards (Corbin's Catering Services Ltd/Sweet Temptations Toyota Hilux), 6216pens
8th Audley Croney/Geoffrey Goddard (JCB/Simpson Motors Suzuki Samurai), 6338pens
9th Edson Arthur/Renata Roett (Rezults Auto Shop Toyota Hilux), 6428pens
10th Kirk King/Tricia King (K & N Equipment Suzuki Samurai), 6528pens
etc
Pro class
1st Alleyne/Alleyne
2nd White/Warren
3rd Gale/Barnard
etc
Novice class
1st Brooker/Edwards
2nd Arthur/Roett
3rd King/King
etc
Route 1
1st Goodman/Hinds, 2206pens
2nd Marshall/Holder, 2392pens
3rd White/Warren, 2464pens
etc
Route 2
1st Alleyne/Alleyne, 1548pens
2nd Brooker/Edwards, 1576pens
3rd Gale/Barnard 2484pens
etc

BRC Mud Dogs Safari Championship
Provisional final positions
Navigators
1st Anna-Lee Alleyne (Bridgestone Tires/AutoZone Inc Mitsubishi Pajero iO), 236 points
2nd Neil Barnard (Mitsubishi L200), 226pts
3rd Robert Warren (Flyin' Fish Nissan Frontier), 206pts
Novice Champion
(4th o/a) Derek Edwards (Joe Brooker's Building Ltd Toyota Hilux), 180pts
etc
Drivers
1st Leslie Alleyne (Bridgestone Tires/AutoZone Inc Mitsubishi Pajero iO), 236 points
2nd Barry Gale (Mitsubishi L200), 226pts
3rd Darrin White (Flyin' Fish Nissan Frontier), 206pts
Novice Champion
(4th o/a) Damian Brooker (Joe Brooker's Building Ltd Toyota Hilux), 180pts
etc

For further information:
e-mail robin@bradfax.com
web site www.rallynut.com

CHAMPIONSHIP DECIDER ON SUNDAY Season ends for Mud Dogs on Nassco November Safari

CHAMPIONSHIP DECIDER ON SUNDAY
Season ends for Mud Dogs on Nassco November Safari

Following last weekend's final round of the Barbados Rally Club's (BRC) Rallysport Championship, this weekend it is the turn of the off-roaders. Sunday's (November 9) Nassco November Safari is the last chance for crews contesting the 2008 BRC Mud Dogs Safari Championship to score points, and all the leading contenders are on the entry list published today.
There is all to play for, and a suitably challenging end to the season is in prospect, with a route set by two of the island's most experienced navigational competitors, Phillip McConney and Derek Gill; each has won the BRC's June Safari twice, Gill as both navigator and driver, while Gill was also Champion Driver in 2004.
Chairman of the BRC Navigational sub-committee Leslie Alleyne notes: "Rory Gray and Brian Fernandes also assisted in setting the event, in an effort to gain experience and also to provide feedback to the route setters from a novice-type perspective, while the route will be re-checked by Kenny Croney.
"Once again, we would like to thank all who assisted in the setting of this event for their time and effort, also Roger Hill for his sponsorship and support. I'm sure that the Nassco November Safari will be very competitive, yet enjoyable, and a fitting end to what has been a great year."
Alleyne, who was Champion Driver in 2006, and wife Anna-Lee lead the respective Driver and Navigator standings in their Bridgestone Tires/AutoZone Inc Mitsubishi Pajero iO, having claimed two victories in the first three rounds. Their total of 178 points gives them a slender advantage of six points over Barry Gale and Neil Barnard - Champion Driver and Navigator in 2005 - in the Gale's Hatcheries Mitsubishi L200.
Two crews are tied in third place - Sean Dowding and Kirk Watkins (Axis Inc Toyota Hilux) have 148 points, as do Darrin White and Robert Warren (Flyin' Fish Nissan Frontier) - while fifth-placed Dominic Brooker and Stephen Dear are the highest-placed novice crew in the SDRR Hydraulic & Industrial Spares Inc/Next Generation Electrical Inc/Joe Brooker's Building Ltd Toyota Hilux; they have 134 points.
Sunday's event will start from Six Roads, St Philip, at 8.00am and finish at Kendal Plantation, St John, where a driver challenge will conclude the competition at around 4.00pm; the lunchtime stopover will also be at Kendal.

BRC Mud Dogs Safari Championship, round 4
November 9 - Nassco November Safari
Pro Class
1 Sean Dowding/Kirk Watkins (Axis Inc Toyota Hilux)
3 Ian Worrell/Wayne Manning (CITGO/Black Bess Quarry Land Rover Series III)
4 Sean Mottley/Kreigg Yearwood (Suzuki Vitara)
5 Paul Marshall/Ricky Holder (Mitsubishi L200)
7 Nicolas Lorde/Warwick Eastmond (Niccolls & Edghill Construction Ltd Suzuki Grand Vitara)
9 Barry Gale/Neil Barnard (Gale's Hatcheries Mitsubishi L200)
10 Darrin White/Robert Warren (Flyin' Fish Nissan Frontier)
11 Chris Armstrong/Wayne Clarke (Suzuki Samurai)
13 Colin Goodman/Robin Hinds (Suzuki Samurai)
14 Sean Gibbs/Timothy Wells (Black Bess Quarry/Boardwalk Realty Toyota Hilux)
16 Greg Cozier/Antonia Da Silva (Toyota Hilux)
17 Michael Ward/Willie Hinds (Niccolls & Edghill Construction Ltd/EZ Sign Stop Suzuki Samurai)
20 Christopher Beckley/Warren Gollop (Essco Mitsubishi Pajero)
22 Biddy Barber/Brett Barber (Biddy's Visitor Information Centre/Aqua Pur/JE Security Daihatsu Feroza)
23 Audley Croney/Geoffrey Goddard (JCB/Simpson Motors Suzuki Samurai)
24 John Sealy/Lisa Roett (Land Rover Defender)
25 Ryan Corbin/Dustin Edwards (Corbin's Catering Services Ltd/Sweet Temptations Toyota Hilux)
27 Leslie Alleyne/Anna-Lee Alleyne (Bridgestone Tyres Mitsubishi Pajero iO)

Novice Class
2 Dave Gibson/Greg Gibson (Suzuki Samurai)
6 Edson Arthur/Renata Roett (Rezults Auto Shop Toyota Hilux)
8 Kerry Renee/Winston Drakes (Suzuki Samurai)
12 Anthony King/Dave Sealy (Maxxis Tyres/Dynamic Limousine/Lee's Tyre Shop Toyota Hilux)
15 Dean Springer/Rebecca Corbin (Coastal Construction/Eastern Vet Clinic Suzuki Sidekick)
18 Damian Brooker/Derek Edwards (Joe Brooker's Building Ltd/SDRR Hydraulic & Industrial Spares Inc Toyota Hilux)
19 Ben Norris/Rhett Watson (Ace Engineering Land Rover Tomcat)
21 Dominic Brooker/Stephen Dear (SDRR Hydraulic & Industrial Spares Inc/Next Generation Electrical Inc/Joe Brooker's Building Ltd Toyota Hilux)
26 Kirk King/Tricia King (K & N Equipment Suzuki Samurai)
28 Jason Elliott/tba (Ellco Rentals Land Rover Defender)

For further information:
e-mail robin@bradfax.com
web site www.rallynut.com

SKEETE WINS VIRGIN ATLANTIC RALLYSPORT TITLE

SKEETE WINS VIRGIN ATLANTIC RALLYSPORT TITLE
Bourne loses claim to crown at final hurdle

The Barbados Rally Club's (BRC) Virgin Atlantic RallySport Championship finished in dramatic style at the weekend, as competitors grasped their last chance to score points. With three Group titles and the overall Championship still up for grabs, contenders drove the BRC Winter Rally in committed fashion, spectators enjoying some heart-stopping high-speed action on the loose.
Roger Skeete emerged victorious on a day when nearly every crew suffered some mechanical challenge, not least Paul Bourne, who saw his advantage disappear when a high-speed trip into the canes damaged his power steering system, the time taken for the repair putting him out of the overall running.
This new event on the calendar attracted 26 crews, tackling four stages in Searles on Saturday evening, four in Guinea on Sunday morning, followed by four in the reverse direction at Searles. While dust posed visibility problems on Saturday - start intervals were extended to two minutes - Sunday morning's run presented occasional stretches of mud to vary the challenge.
With regular co-driver Stuart Maloney racing in Guyana, Bourne's co-driver in the Banks/Texaco/B-Mobile/Pirelli/

New-Tech Subaru Impreza WRC S9 was karting ace Orry Hunte; fastest on stage one, three-tenths up of Skeete, they looked set for a good run.
But Skeete, co-driven in the Michelin/FB Batteries Subaru Impreza WRC S9 by Robert Simmons, had other ideas; he fought back, fastest on stage two, only for Bourne to retaliate on the two remaining stages, leading by a little over one second overnight.
Although he admits to losing out on night stages, Roger Hill was only nine seconds adrift of the leading pair, holding third place with Graham Gittens in the Mobil 1/Nassco/MotorMac Toyota Corolla WRC; fourth were Neil Armstrong/Barry Ward, despite a driveshaft failure on the Shell/Hankook Tyres/Gunk/Odyssey Batteries Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI, with Trevor Manning and Derek Edwards (Shell V-Power/Simpson Motors/Garbage Master Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII) fifth.
Light overnight rain served to dampen down the dust, but also to maintain those mud patches that already existed. Bourne rocketed through the first Guinea stage 1.7secs faster than Skeete, but disaster struck second time through - having misjudged his approach speed, he slid off a right-hander into the canes at high speed. While he was able to rejoin - and be faster than on his first run - the off-track excursion left a legacy.
Bourne explained: "I don't know why I misjudged the corner, but I did. I went down through the gears, selected second - I realised how far into the cane we were going, and needed the drive to get back out." The impact craked the power steering fluid cooler; as Bourne returned to service, he felt the steering stiffen up. Bourne's crew did not have the right part to bypass the cooler, so checked with Skeete and Hill, neither of whom could help, only for one of Skeete's crew to find a perfect replacement in a wood-chipper left in Bourne's yard by a contractor. Bourne then suffered his own 'Felipe Massa moment', elation at finding the part quickly replaced by the realisation that the repair had taken him over the time limit allowed for service and out of the overall running.
While he had lost his chance to add the outright Virgin Atlantic title to the BRC Rally Championship he has already won, he continued to swap fastest times with Skeete, claiming Group second, enough to win the Modified 8-WRC title by seven points from Skeete. Hill finished second overall at the weekend, with Armstrong an impressive third.
Skeete's victory earned him the overall Virgin Atlantic RallySport Championship, based on the best five results from each of the Rally and Sprint Championships; Hill's second place on the BRC Winter Rally also moved him ahead of former points-leader Bourne - Skeete ended the year with 111 points, with Hill 107 and Bourne 105.
The two other Groups left to settle were SuperModified 11 and SM9. In the former, Nick Gill (Castrol Syntec/Lysol/Listerine/Vita Malt/Hennessy/McEnearney Quality Inc Mazda 3) enjoyed a five-point lead over Jonathan Still (Hitachi Power Tools/Ocean Spray/Philips Lighting/Crane & Equipments/Castrol Oils BMW M3), with all to play for . . . 15 points for a Group win, plus three route bonus points, meant the result could go either way.
Gill and Sue Rogers were ahead on Friday night, the stages suiting the front-drive Mazda, but a lead of less than 12 seconds could easily be lost; not entirely comfortable with the handling of his M3, Still and co-driver Heath Hazell finally decided the rear shock aborbers were the problem, as the car was bottoming out. The change of shocks came too late; while Still was fastest on route three, it was the morning stages which would have suited the M3, so Gill won the Group by nine points.
In SM9, Josh Read and Mark Jordan (Automotive Art Toyota Starlet) led overnight, but another gearbox drama meant Sunday would be a struggle. Challenger James Betts (Makita/All Terrain Plus/Star Products/Champion Auto Wrecker/Kendal Sporting/Quik Start Auto Opel Corsa) was faster on all but one of Sunday's stages, but he wasn't having an easy time of it, either, an electrical problem meaning the battery needed recharging between each stage.
Betts won the Group at the weekend, but Read clinched the Group title by 10 points, finishing third behind Neil Corbin and Adam Alleyne (Nassco Ltd/Jason Jones/Auto Solutions Toyota Starlet), another crew to have overcome mechanical problems.

BRC Winter Rally - November 1/2
2008 BRC Rally Championship, round six
Overall results
1st Roger Skeete/Robert Simmons (M8-WRC Michelin/FB Batteries Subaru Impreza WRC S9), 23m 51.77s
2nd Roger Hill/Graham Gittens (M8-WRC Mobil 1/Nassco/MotorMac Toyota Corolla WRC), 24m 14.68s
3rd Neil Armstrong/Barry Ward (M8-A Shell/Hankook Tyres/Gunk/Odyssey Batteries Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VI), 24m 45.51s
4th Trevor Manning/Derek Edwards (M8-WRC Shell V-Power/Simpson Motors/Garbage Master Mitsubishi Lancer Evo VIII), 25m 02.06s
5th Geoff Noel/Kreigg Yearwood (P4 Globe Finance/Ezone/DeWalt/Automotive Art/Sunbeach Mitsubishi Lancer Evo IX), 25m 36.64s
6th Sean Gill/Michael Cummins (SM10 Simpson Motors/Automotive Art/Shell V-Power/Yokohama Suzuki Swift), 25m 49.21s
7th Sean Dowding/Jason Cozier (M8-WRC Subaru Impreza WRX STi), 25m 53.11s
8th Nick Gill/Sue Rogers (SM11 Castrol Syntec/Lysol/Listerine/Vita Malt/Hennessy/McEnearney Quality Inc Mazda 3), 26m 34.27s
9th Mark Hamilton/Clive Howell (SM10 McEnearney Quality Inc/Consolidated Finance/Automotive Art/Dunlop Ford Escort MkII), 26m 38.32s
10th Jonathan Still/Heath Hazell (SM11 Hitachi Power Tools/Ocean Spray/Philips Lighting/Crane & Equipments/Castrol Oils BMW M3), 27m 00.24s
etc
Group results
Modified 8-WRC 1st Skeete/Simmons; 2nd Paul Bourne/Orry Hunte (Banks/Texaco/B-Mobile/Pirelli/New-Tech Subaru Impreza WRC S9), 23m 54.94s; 3rd Hill/Gittens; etc
Modified 8-A 1st Armstrong/Ward
Production 4 1st Noel/Yearwood; 2nd Michael Worme/Brian Gibson (Cot Media Group/Details Car Valet Subaru Impreza WRX STi), 27m 11.78s
SuperModified 11 1st Gill/Rogers; Still/Heath; 3rd Jason Clermont/Mario Clermont (Linda's Disco BMW M3), 34m 27.86s
SM10 1st Gill/Cummins; 2nd Hamilton/Howell
SM9 1st James Betts/Jeremy Gonsalves (Makita/All Terrain Plus/Star Products/Champion Auto Wrecker/Kendal Sporting/Quik Start Auto Opel Corsa), 27m 34.28s; 2nd Neil Corbin/Adam Alleyne (Nassco Ltd/Jason Jones/Auto Solutions Toyota Starlet), 27m 58.16s; 3rd Josh Read/Mark Jordan (Automotive Art Toyota Starlet), 27m 59.13s; etc
Modified 7 1st Adrian Linton/Alecia Linton (Ravensden/Crane and Equipment/Garbage Gobbler/Morris Straker Construction/Subzero Vauxhall Astra GSi), 27m 57.45s; 2nd Freddie Gale/Kyle Proverbs (Gale's Hatcheries/Nassco/Trident White/VP Racing Toyota Corolla RunX), 29m 00.20s; 3rd John Corbin/Owen Proverbs (Corbins Garage/Klark-Odio Toyota Corolla), 30m 43.57s
M6 1st Edward Corbin/Rodney Clarke (Rezults Autoshop/Klark-Odio/Corbins Garage Daihatsu Charmant), 28m 23.50s
P2 1st Neil Barnard/Lindsay Farmer (Simpson Motors/Automotive Art/Shell V-Power/Yokohama Suzuki Ignis Sport), 29m 15.04s

For further information, robin@bradfax.com