falaise racepoint snfc

[alec guinness]

 

i know this is probably an end of season point but just thought i would ask while the race is fresh in everyones mind,having flown from falaise in the 70s and now since 2004 i would have to say i dont remember too many good races ie times and returns,before someone tells me its 500 mls to central scotland i do appreciate that, but have we had better racing from other 500ml racepoints? opinions and thoughts please. :) :)

[Guest Gareth Rankin]

i know this is probably an end of season point but just thought i would ask while the race is fresh in everyones mind,having flown from falaise in the 70s and now since 2004 i would have to say i dont remember too many good races ie times and returns,before someone tells me its 500 mls to central scotland i do appreciate that, but have we had better racing from other 500ml racepoints? opinions and thoughts please. :) :)

 

Perhaps you are correct John and maybe we should looking to move a little further west and use the line of flight of the Cherbourg peninsular, or maybe it's just the case that once you go to 500 miles they are all hard difficult races especially in today's non helpful climate.

 

 

[Novice]

We all select racepoints at AGMs which is fine but on the day the line of flight weather dictates how the race is going to go.

Falaise on a different day may have given better returns. This comment would apply to any race point.

[Guest IB]

My experience of 500 mile racing is extremely limited, and I have no opinion on Falaise as a racepoint; one thing that does concern me though is 'dogmatic' choice of named racepoints (like this one) at the AGM which in my opinion leaves the management committee with little or no discretion in getting 'a 500 mile race' for members at a price the club can afford, viz going with any other organisation racing the club's chosen distance, and sharing costs.

 

Slightly off-topic but I'd like to ask which Newbury is the SNFC racepoint? I was led to believe it was the one in the west, near Reading? But I've been told this year it's in the east, near London. Which is it?

 

 

[Guest Gareth Rankin]

My experience of 500 mile racing is extremely limited, and I have no opinion on Falaise as a racepoint; one thing that does concern me though is 'dogmatic' choice of named racepoints (like this one) at the AGM which in my opinion leaves the management committee with little or no discretion in getting 'a 500 mile race' for members at a price the club can afford, viz going with any other organisation racing the club's chosen distance, and sharing costs.

 

Slightly off-topic but I'd like to ask which Newbury is the SNFC racepoint? I was led to believe it was the one in the west, near Reading? But I've been told this year it's in the east, near London. Which is it?

 

 

The SNFC use the race course which is 4 miles south of the other lib site which is the one the welsh boys use at the showground to the north of the town. :-/ :-/ :-/ :o

 

 

 

[Guest]

Interesting point you wouldn't think the issue would be the same for us down in Devon; D but I do think it is. The problem come the 500 miler is that generally there is always west in the wind whether sw or w or nw. My experience down here is limited only been flying here since 2006, but all our race points are to the west of the Cherbourg peninsula. Looking at Falaise invariably the birds will head east and depending on how strong the wind is may well come across at Eastbourne or further east.

For me there are two aspects to your suggestion.

a) When they hit mainland do you deliberately liberate to get them coming up the east side of the country. The great advantage of this is that you miss a lot of hawk country, I lived in Yorkshire from 89 - 2004 (started back in 98 then moved and started back again in 2001 and then moved in 2004  :), in that period I doubt I saw a peregrine and never heard of anyone complain, there are pockets with high density of sparrowhawks though. I flew south road down the eastside. Never flew with any success but always got the birds back, which confirmed for me my thoughts that the birds travelling the east of the country did not need to worry about hawks , like those travelling down the west side. The other advantage of the east is that you have some shelter from the wind with the Pennines to the west of the birds. The disadvantage as I see it is that the birds flying to the west of Scotland are nearly always off line and have to dog leg back at some stage, which perhaps explains why the birds in the west are disadvantaged??

If you liberate at Falaise the birds can head and will head ne if there is w in the wind and even if there isn't , is there a possibility that when they hit the coast they will see mainline England  with less water to clear if they fly up the French coast they can cross more safely via Kent? It is perhaps an incentive to not cross when they hit the coast? Whereas if you liberate to the west of the Cherbourg Peninsula, say St Malo, Lambelle the birds have a different incentive. They are on the coast and to the east of them is the Peninsula to the North the Channel Islands, both give 'refuge' prior to hitting across the Channel and by the time the birds hit Cherbourg I would suggest the leading convoy will strike straight out, where they land of course will depend on the wind in the Channel but on a moderate day in NFC racing we believe our birds come in around Poole and then dog leg to us, if stronger they can be 150 miles east of us (which is nearly all additional mileage for Devon & Cornwall). However , if the Scottish birds come in around Poole, it provides those birds that are travelling to the west of Scotland to break and travel on line up the west of the country. Would you want that, I think you may have heavier losses because of hawks and the birds will maybe more tired because the wind will be stronger on the western side of the Pennines .

 

If you wanted slightly more mileage you could do St Nazzaire which is also further west, it will probably give you generally about 100 miles further than Falaise.

Now I’ve just written this off the top of my head and I do not prophes that it is sound, especially with my dyslexic logic, however it may give you food for thought and help stimulate the discussion?

[Guest stb]

alan think you are spot on on this one mate.

[Guest Gareth Rankin]

very good analysis Albear

[Delboy]

 

Perhaps you are correct John and maybe we should looking to move a little further west and use the line of flight of the Cherbourg peninsular, or maybe it's just the case that once you go to 500 miles they are all hard difficult races especially in today's non helpful climate.

 

 

100 % correct. We must either stay on the west side of peninsula or alternatively race from Belgium.

[hotrod]

just a quick point to all if any of you remember the race from clermont in eastern france just before the split ,it was the best overseas race for a long long time ,then what happens ? they drop it as a racepoint as it doesnt suit some (overfly). jmo

[JADE]

have to agree that there do not seem to have been any "good " races from falaise since snfc went back there. by good i mean returns in general. from what i have heard there are still several fanciers (and top national fliers included) who have never seen a feather from last week. yet when you study the result some members have several birds timed in particular in the south section. with west in the wind you would expect the east to dominate the race yet the 19 section a prizes are won by 20.02 (29th open). i.e in less than 2% of the total entry there are 10% of the section a birds and in my opinion its not just down to the shorter distance. another observation, if the birds came up the east side why did they not tumble in like the lillers birds appear to have done on sunday morning. i believe most of the birds which returned have come up the west of the country. where the rest have gone i dread to think

[andy]

 

Perhaps you are correct John and maybe we should looking to move a little further west and use the line of flight of the Cherbourg peninsular, or maybe it's just the case that once you go to 500 miles they are all hard difficult races especially in today's non helpful climate.

 

 

Gareth, Got to disagree on this one. The majority of the Scottish pigeons are flying an EASTERLY ROUTE EVERY WEEK and the french races should be on the line of flight, which would take the Falaise race to the likes of Clermont, although the Solway guys who fly the west coast each week would probably not agree with me, as you just have to look at the Alencon and Falaise race where they filled there clocks. My view is that the majority of birds which were East/Central pigeons tried to get on their line of flight and couldn't because of the weather. They were not with the Solway pigeons at the time as the result proves. Remember Solway didn't have a big entry at these 2 races but they did dominate.

[andy]

 

100 % correct. We must either stay on the west side of peninsula or alternatively race from Belgium.

 

Quite happy with Ypres Derek but why not Reims for the Kings cup 556 miles to me, although Alencon is still fine by me.

[Chris Little]

Andy, you are right mate, I disagree on this one Happy Birthday though

 

Federations shouldn't dictate which route the Scottish nationals fly from.

 

Personally I am for the west racepoints, I am still hurting from a bad Reims race 3 years ago when most of the convoy got lost in Holland  /Germany / China, the perils of the east racepoints and west winds is all too evident :-/

 

As for Falaise..... I love Falaise

[andy]

Andy, you are right mate, I disagree on this one Happy Birthday though

 

Federations shouldn't dictate which route the Scottish nationals fly from.

 

Personally I am for the west racepoints, I am still hurting from a bad Reims race 3 years ago when most of the convoy got lost in Holland  /Germany / China, the perils of the east racepoints and west winds is all too evident :-/

 

As for Falaise..... I love Falaise

I new you would disagree Chris, but thats allowed. I'm still hurting from a bad Alencon race this year.

 

[Guest]

For me easterly race points from France would definitely be my preferred option every time.As for Reims its my favorite race point being 559 miles to me.But as to racing out of the west from France i don't fancy it and would not go as long as i had the option of racing from the east.

[Chris Little]

I new you would disagree Chris, but thats allowed. I'm still hurting from a bad Alencon race this year.

 

Hope they show up soon Andy

[Chris Little]

For me easterly race points from France would definitely be my preferred option every time.As for Reims its my favorite race point being 559 miles to me.But as to racing out of the west from France i don't fancy it and would not go as long as i had the option of racing from the east.

 

Can I ask why you don't like the westerly French racepoints Vince, I am keen to find out your reasons mate.

 

Why we gave up Rennes and Nantes I will never know, in a way we have lost a little touch of magic in taking away these famous racepoints, ask anyone in your community about pigeon racing from France.... they will all mention Rennes... fact.

 

All the excuses about the lib site being unsuitable.... just move the friggin transporter to another site in the close proximity

 

1st Open Alencon / La Ferte Bernard / Reims / Messac  doesn't feel as strong as 1st Open Rennes ;)

[Guest stb]

 

Can I ask why you don't like the westerly French racepoints Vince, I am keen to find out your reasons mate.

 

Why we gave up Rennes and Nantes I will never know, in a way we have lost a little touch of magic in taking away these famous racepoints, ask anyone in your community about pigeon racing from France.... they will all mention Rennes... fact.

 

All the excuses about the lib site being unsuitable.... just move the friggin transporter to another site in the close proximity

 

1st Open Alencon / La Ferte Bernard / Reims / Messac  doesn't feel as strong as 1st Open Rennes ;)

rennes thats what dreams are made of, a legend

 

 

[cemetary]

Was speaking to an old fancier through the week and he mentioned Rennes, when i told him we dont fly that race any more he said what, one of the best race points over the water, he couldnt believe it when i told him where the birds go from now. And he is an old hand in the doo game.  

[Guest]

 

Can I ask why you don't like the westerly French racepoints Vince, I am keen to find out your reasons mate.

 

Why we gave up Rennes and Nantes I will never know, in a way we have lost a little touch of magic in taking away these famous racepoints, ask anyone in your community about pigeon racing from France.... they will all mention Rennes... fact.

 

All the excuses about the lib site being unsuitable.... just move the friggin transporter to another site in the close proximity

 

1st Open Alencon / La Ferte Bernard / Reims / Messac  doesn't feel as strong as 1st Open Rennes ;)

 

I have only every raced out of easterly race points from France,this has been my 5th season as a fancier.So on that basis i have had 4 seasons racing from france with excellent returns and good racing.So why change and with so many poor races out of the west,should we not forget about about famous race points it is all about successful race points.So why are you in favour of Westley race points Chriss.

[alec guinness]

I new you would disagree Chris, but thats allowed. I'm still hurting from a bad Alencon race this year.

 

dont think you should be too hard on yourself andy still 2 birds on the result,although with your good doo missing maybe takes the shine off it. :-/ :-/ :)

[Delboy]

If we were to want the fairest racing, then it would have to be out of Belgium. We ve had 3 races from Belgium and everyone has been a success, with the top honours being spread right across the country.

[alec guinness]

If we were to want the fairest racing, then it would have to be out of Belgium. We ve had 3 races from Belgium and everyone has been a success, with the top honours being spread right across the country.

 

good point derek,the doos certainly like it!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ;)some very good geographical points being made and certainly food for thought.

[Chris Little]

 

I have only every raced out of easterly race points from France,this has been my 5th season as a fancier.So on that basis i have had 4 seasons racing from france with excellent returns and good racing.So why change and with so many poor races out of the west,should we not forget about about famous race points it is all about successful race points.So why are you in favour of Westley race points Chriss.

 

I am a traditionalist Vince Since we have been racing from some easterly racepoints I cant say they are any better than the west ones in terms of returns, type of race etc, yes the7re has been one or two super races but not many.

 

I remember one Rennes night in the mid 90's, all our birds were home before we finished the tinnies n barbie