Thanks Steve .
Yes, the team is gutted that the event did not complete the course but we had no alternative. There as snow on the first stage (Alwen) and there is much youtube video of the top drivers having difficulty. Not all the competitors managed to tackle that stage as it was deemed unsafe.
The other stages south of Bala had a couple of inches of snow on top of ice, and would have become even more polished after a few cars had been run through. As it was, the marshals were having difficulty getting into position (and there were over 400 marshals out on the three stages), whilst the rescue services were also having extreme difficulty so would not have been able to reach an incident safely.
In view of all this the MSA Safety Delegate advised we pull the plug, so it was a team decision that has been well-supported by all the competitors, timekeepers, marshals and safety crews out on the event. We have a duty of care to all involved, and bear in mind that marshals would have been on station for many horus. Unfortunate for the spectators, most of whom are understanding and should be happy to know that the money paid for parking will be going to local organisations.
I'm writing this just before 8pm when I should have been at HQ getting ready for the awards presentation.
Some may remember 1979 when the Cambrian Rally was cancelled due to the Orme being blocked by snow. I was clerk-of-the-course on that one and it's not an easy task to tell everyone it's off.
After all we'd gone through to get the event running this was a sad blow to us all - but we will recover!
