[honeybee]

Dear all, the venue for the rally this year is the NSCI (National Sports Centre of India) indoor stadium near Copper Chimney / Nehru Planetarium.

Also because of the new venue, the pairings and dummy run will be held from 7:30am to 11:00am.

Please note the changes to the venue and timings and be on time.

[GTO]

Sorry guys, something unavoidable has come up on Sunday morning. Won't be able to drive in the rally this year.

[yatrik]

Car No. 89 for tomorrow !

[honeybee]

Me number 5! At least I start with a respectable number, if not end with one!

[honeybee]

Finally it's over. We came in 34th, better than last year. We could have actually vied for the top ten, but we reached the venue late at the start and so had penalties right from the beginning.

The route was not as good as last year's, with some instructions around GPO a bit dubious after we cleared the time check, and the very last leg from the Haji Ali signal again not entirely accurate.

The dug up roads caused a last minute change to the instructions in the last leg, where we were asked to go straight from Jaslok towards Haji Ali signal instead of turning left. Also a shooting (film) near the Mint in the Ballard Pier area and the cri ket matches being played in the lanes made it difficult to get a good bearing.

I finally resorted to the GPS and Google Maps to see where we were headed.

There was fog in Dombivli in the morning: thick fog which dropped visibility to a few feet and at times to zero. It ckntinued till Shil Phata and then on the visibility was better. My navigator decided to take the train from Kalyan.

I reached Elphinstone bridge at around 725, and the navigator and his friend arrived at 750. So the anxiety started even before the rally.

Didn't meet our usual TBHP crowd, I think nobody else took part. It was thoroughly enjoyable as always, though, and a welcome experience from the monotonous life.

[Automaton]

One of the worst performances for me. Started 78th and came 82nd
But all in all, in spite of the route errors, especially around Ballard Estate and then at Mahalaxmi, and a comedy of errors on my part at Hanging Gardens and around Babulnath, where I failed to spot two check points, it was a great day spent driving around the city.

[yatrik]

The route this time was really tricky ! on an average a turn every 300 m, and all the checkpoints were in some discreet corner, the best being the Opera House one, (ie the last one).

It was a bit confusing at the start when they said turn right under the flyover, I thought must be going towards Pedder Road, but Rehaan, right behind me in car no. 90 told me to go towards Napeansea Road, and he was right. I lost the route when and couldnt find Fort Laundry and reached CST, at the signal, asked a fellow car if there was a check point near that, and he told me there was, so took a u-turn and asked around for the laundry and got the check point as well !

Completed the whole thing after getting a bit lost, but cleared all check points. And finished 5th !

[honeybee]

Great going. I have often found my Nano's tripmeter is a bit off, and after a km or so the readings from the tulips never match the trip meter.
It was better in the santro with the analog trip meter, and should be better in the Accord with two trip meters. Next year maybe.

[bhp]

I was car no 4. Finished at the 10th spot.

Reached late and had to leave early, missed out meeting fellow bhpians.

It was my second experience and what a fun rally this edition was. Super duper confusing, i just didnt know what i was doing and where i had to head. Came across a couple of checkpoints by mistake. I had lost the route within 10 mins into the rally but somehow just managed to complete it and unexpectedly at the 10th rank when i was thinking atleast to be at to be at 70th and beyond.

A big thumbs up to the organizers and participants for such a good show.
Looking forward for the next one already.

[ACM]

Was the first to draw a chit. Drew 98. Came 14th this year previous attempts were better at 4th and 7th. Route was a tad confusing is parts. Lost a lot it time and gained penalties before the first time check point TC2. Rest of the route was much better for me.

[Rehaan]

Originally Posted by honeybee

Didn't meet our usual TBHP crowd, I think nobody else took part. It was thoroughly enjoyable as always, though, and a welcome experience from the monotonous life.

Ah honeybee, we don't meet yet again

I was looking for you and the #5 car but didn't spot it!

Originally Posted by yatrik

all the checkpoints were in some discreet corner, the best being the Opera House one, (ie the last one).

Where?!? How did i miss this!

Originally Posted by yatrik

It was a bit confusing at the start when they said turn right under the flyover, I thought must be going towards Pedder Road

They really should have issued a correction for that one, since the same error was in the earlier day's trial run! Coming down from Altamount road and saying "take a right turn under the bridge" almost definitely points to Peddar road.

Originally Posted by yatrik

and finished 5th !

cya
R

[honeybee]

Originally Posted by Rehaan

Ah honeybee, we don't meet yet again

I was looking for you and the #5 car but didn't spot it!

Well, we reached late for the start, and so you might not have seen it. After the rally, however I had parked the car in the basement just to the left. If you had walked in you would have seen on your lrft in the first row, behind another sedan.

Sure looks like we are 'missing' each other