With the initial recces for the event now completed, Iain Tullie and Anthony Preston give a flavour of what is planned in the following recce report, although some details may change slightly as arrangements are finalised.

Day 1 – Friday 28 March

Having successfully completed scrutineering and documentation and enjoyed a spot of lunch at the Majestic Hotel, the first afternoon heads south to the day’s main test venue – a well-known local motorsport venue. Three tests here should suitably warm up cars and crews… Making sure they are ready for the first simple regularity, which soon follows.

A scenic drive along the River Wharfe then brings us to Bolton Abbey on the edge of the Yorkshire Dales National Park, where we stop for mid-afternoon refreshments at the riverside Cavendish Pavilion. More attractive scenery follows as we climb up onto the moors and turn east to the next test at Pateley Bridge. The enjoyable moorland motoring continues on the afternoon’s second regularity, which starts a few miles later.

Just after that, it is straight into a map reading exercise. This idea, debuted in 2023 and repeated last year, gives novice navigators a chance to practice on the maps without time pressures as they make their way via a series of Passage Controls back to Harrogate.

After a busy first afternoon of competition, we will all assemble in the evening for the Welcome Dinner, where we encourage the swapping of advice as well as having the chance to recount any tales of early ‘adventures’!

Day 2 – Saturday 29 March

The second and longest leg of the event, sees us head north and east into the varied scenery of the Yorkshire Moors and Wolds. Leaving Harrogate, we have an easy run out to the first action – a brace of enjoyable airfield tests where cars should be able to stretch their legs along the runways and perimeter roads. These are quickly followed by a regularity along the flanks of the Hambleton Hills before we climb up onto the Moors properly to enjoy some great driving roads to Helmsley.

We take our morning refreshments break here and also return a few hours later for lunch. In between, we have two tests and a regularity section, overseen by the famous White Horse, to shape the morning leaderboard.

Two more tests kick off the afternoon section, before we head south and east to pass the movie makers’ favourite backdrop of Castle Howard en route to the next regularity through the rolling landscapes of the Wolds.

To complete our circumnavigation of York, we use some main roads to speed us back west to a challenging and enjoyable final section close to Bowcliffe Hall, where the Main Time Control will be hosted, by kind permission of the Turner family. A 16:00 finish is scheduled for the first cars to allow the chance for a quick cuppa in the exclusive Drivers’ Club before the short drive back into Harrogate where there will be plenty of opportunity for sharing stories of the day at the bar before dinner.