THE Skibbereen ‘100 Isles’ Navigation Trial provided Leap navigator Amy Gallwey with her maiden event victory.
Driven by Rosscarbery’s Brian O’Mahony (Subaru), they completed the 85-mile event incurring just a solitary penalty point. Drinagh navigator Denis O’Donovan and his Mallow driver Derek Butler (Subaru) also finished with one penalty, however the O’Mahony/Gallwey partnership were awarded victory on a tie-break due to their novice status as opposed to Butler/O’Donovan’s expert status. Consolation for the latter was the continuation of their lead in both the Motorsport Ireland and Munster Navigation Trial Championships.
On a perfect night, O’Mahony/Gallwey incurred their time loss on the ITC (Intermediate Time Control) section near Killinga; Butler/O’Donovan incurred their only penalty at TP22 at Ballyroe.
Afterwards, a thrilled Amy Gallwey said: ‘It was unexpected but I’m delighted. It’s been a long time coming, I have been doing night navs for ten years and to finally get that win is great. We knew we were doing well, we just weren’t sure about the ITC, there was a lot of looping around in a complicated network. On the next event, I will move to the semi-expert class.’
The Monaghan crew of Shane Dalton/Ryan Treanor (Subaru) finished third with four penalties to remain Butler/O’Donovan’s main national rivals. Elsewhere, Ovens driver Owen Murphy and Ballincollig’s Ken Carmody (Subaru) finished fifth overall, just one penalty ahead of Leap’s James and Ciaran French (Subaru), who won the beginners’ category. Former navigation champion driver ‘Bones’ O’Connor and Donoughmore’s Patrick O’Leary (Subaru) finished eighth with victory in the novice category going to Inchigeela navigator Eamonn Creedon and driver Kieran Lynch (Toyota Starlet).
