What are you going to do now that the National Table Top series has entered its close season? Can you really wait until September for the 1998/9 Championship to begin before you can wield your navigation skills again? No? Then there is a new Internet based competition that may be just the thing to while away those lazy summer days.

Event Format

The Summer Internet Championship is a leisurely contest, which will keep your table-topping hand in from April to August. Starting from April 11th, and running for 20 weeks, a new table-top Routecard (RC) will appear on the Internet. Your objective will be to solve these RCs, and e-mail your answers during the following week.

Each RC will have 10 questions and you will score one point for each correct answer. You can do as many RCs as you want to, and your best 12 scores will count towards your end of season total. That way, you can afford to have 8 weeks holiday during the summer and still do enough RCs to stand a chance of winning the Championship! You don’t have to do 12 RCs to qualify in the overall standings, but of course you’ll stand a better chance if you do.

To keep the cost down all RCs will be based upon a single OS 1:50000 map. There will be no entry fee, all you need to do is register and start doing the RCs.

If you don’t have access to the Internet, I can post a copy of the RCs to you and will accept answers by post. However, if you want to compete this way, all I ask is that you send me stamped, self-addressed envelopes for despatch of the RCs. If you know someone with Internet access, why not ask him or her to print the RC for you, and also e-mail your answers. Each of these operations will take no more than a minute or so, and will be a lot more convenient for you than relying on snail-mail.

RCs will be available at the Internet address of http://www.selven.co.uk/tt/tt-rc##.htm by 09:00 each Publication day, where ## is the number of the RC. The posted versions will be despatched on the previous day (so they should arrive on the following morning assuming you have supplied 1st class stamps).

Answers must be sent to the e-mail address *** by 23:59 on the Answers day. Posted answers must arrive by the next day.

The full set of Championship Rules can be found at Championship Rules.

Prizes

At the time of writing, I am still trying to obtain sponsorship for this Championship. As a minimum there will be a perpetual trophy plus replica for the winner, and trophies for second and third overall positions.

Map

All the route cards will be based upon OS Map 1:50000 number 193 edition B. This is the same map that was used for the Pathfinder in this year's National Championship. In order to support the sponsors of the National Table Top Rally Championship we recommend that you obtain your map from:

Rally Navigation Services, 50 Breck Road, Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, FY6 7AQ. Tel: 01253 894844

Route Cards

Route cards will be published, and answers will need to be provided, according to the following schedule.

Results

Results for each RC and updated Championship Positions will normally be available within one week after the return closing date.

Registration

Before you tackle your first route card, just send an e-mail to *** quoting your full name, postal address and e-mail address with Summer Register as the subject line.

This is the first time such a competition has been run, so I do hope you will be able to give it your full support. Register now – it will be cheapest and most relaxed Table-Top you’ve ever taken part in!