Cost of channel racing

[Andy]

I’ve been looking at the cost of channel racing for if I wanted to try again in the future. If I was a member of the BICC, BBC & CSCFC as I was last year my subscription would be £120 for the 3 clubs. Add to this the RPRA membership of £15 plus £2 insurance = £137
Then there is the cost of the veterinary visit, £60.
Giving a total of £197 before sending a pigeon.
Next season there is a total of 16 races available for the 3 national clubs including 5 international races. Most are joint ventures between the different clubs so birds could be duplicated.
So this gives an average of £12.31/race. Obviously if you weren’t to enter all the races the average per race would be higher.
The birdage fee for the shortest race, Guernsey, is £3.75/bird. Then £4.00 up to £7.00 for the French nationals and up to £10.50 for the internationals. Although the cost of duplicating probably won’t be the full amount there will still be extra charges.
So if I was to send to the 10 national races and exclude the internationals and send say 6 birds to each race I reckon the cost for me to send say 6 birds per race would be:
£137 subscription divided by 10 = £13.70/race
£60 vet divided by 10 = £6/race
An average of say £7/bird/race allowing for duplications of 6 birds = £42/race
= £61.70/race.

This to me isn’t a price worth even considering paying just to fly the channel. The cost would be even greater of course if sending more birds or wanting to fly more than 400 miles so having to enter the internationals.

On top of all this would be the time and travel expenses to get them to the marking stations. For the internationals it would be a whole day.

[Murray]

That is an eye opener, Andy. The costs mount up quickly. I agree, it isn't justifiable.
Now you are switching to widowhood for next season the inland racing will give you plenty of action and enjoyment.

[Buster121]

Not worth it at all Andy, you are doing the right thing with club racing in my opinion

[Trev]

That's why I decided to resign from the BBC and BICC last year and not go ahead with Vet visit. When I saw how many Nationals there were (which would be the only ones I could realistically get to marking for) and what distances they were it have me about 4 races all of which were shorter than I can fly in our Federation, it just wasn't worth it. There are actually more National races available this year but it still wouldn't be worth the cost.
Unfortunately as it stands this type of racing will only be viable for the elite and the rich.

[Andy]

That's why I decided to resign from the BBC and BICC last year and not go ahead with Vet visit. When I saw how many Nationals there were (which would be the only ones I could realistically get to marking for) and what distances they were it have me about 4 races all of which were shorter than I can fly in our Federation, it just wasn't worth it. There are actually more National races available this year but it still wouldn't be worth the cost.
Unfortunately as it stands this type of racing will only be viable for the elite and the rich.

Unfortunately over here there is no real enthusiasm for North road. They haven’t really given it a chance. They just moan after a couple of bad races North. So if wanting to race any distance the only option is to fly in the nationals. Racing over here, especially in the combine, is dictated by a few big national flyers. Several members have joined these clubs but I think that a couple of bad races and once they realise the costs involved things could change.

[Devo1956]

Its all about location with these other flying clubs, working out time and cost to drive to the marking stations all adds up. stick to your local club, and the money you save goes towards upgrades in the loft.
I just feel more time can be spent with your birds.

[Trev]

That's why I decided to resign from the BBC and BICC last year and not go ahead with Vet visit. When I saw how many Nationals there were (which would be the only ones I could realistically get to marking for) and what distances they were it have me about 4 races all of which were shorter than I can fly in our Federation, it just wasn't worth it. There are actually more National races available this year but it still wouldn't be worth the cost.
Unfortunately as it stands this type of racing will only be viable for the elite and the rich.

Unfortunately over here there is no real enthusiasm for North road. They haven’t really given it a chance. They just moan after a couple of bad races North. So if wanting to race any distance the only option is to fly in the nationals. Racing over here, especially in the combine, is dictated by a few big national flyers. Several members have joined these clubs but I think that a couple of bad races and once they realise the costs involved things could change.

We've got a few members down here like that too Andy who stopped sending after losing a few and I remember the same thing happening back in the 80s when Worthing turned North. The funny thing is that most of the members who continued to send to most races had less losses than we were getting along the coast from shorter distances The racing has certainly been more interesting and fairer with a greater spread of members hitting the top spot.

[Trev]

Its all about location with these other flying clubs, working out time and cost to drive to the marking stations all adds up. stick to your local club, and the money you save goes towards upgrades in the loft.
I just feel more time can be spent with your birds.

I agree mate, I think a lot of fanciers spread themselves far too thin trying to enter too many races.
Horndean was our nearest marking station with the BICC which was also an evening marking which was ideal, it's now about 20miles further in Southampton and daytime marking which is more awkward for me. That's just the Nationals, if I want real distance races I'd need to send to the internationals, for those the only marking station is at Sunbury which is the best part of 60miles from me and again day time marking which is no good.
The only thing is with these races is that for those coming from further away you probably find one or two members bring other members birds, like we used to in the NRCC back in the 90s Andy.

[Andy]

That's why I decided to resign from the BBC and BICC last year and not go ahead with Vet visit. When I saw how many Nationals there were (which would be the only ones I could realistically get to marking for) and what distances they were it have me about 4 races all of which were shorter than I can fly in our Federation, it just wasn't worth it. There are actually more National races available this year but it still wouldn't be worth the cost.
Unfortunately as it stands this type of racing will only be viable for the elite and the rich.

Unfortunately over here there is no real enthusiasm for North road. They haven’t really given it a chance. They just moan after a couple of bad races North. So if wanting to race any distance the only option is to fly in the nationals. Racing over here, especially in the combine, is dictated by a few big national flyers. Several members have joined these clubs but I think that a couple of bad races and once they realise the costs involved things could change.

We've got a few members down here like that too Andy who stopped sending after losing a few and I remember the same thing happening back in the 80s when Worthing turned North. The funny thing is that most of the members who continued to send to most races had less losses than we were getting along the coast from shorter distances The racing has certainly been more interesting and fairer with a greater spread of members hitting the top spot.

Yes Trev. That’s why the Wigmore club was formed by members of the Worthing club that just wanted the corridor racing. For others of our members who don’t know we had the sea, English Channel, one side and the South Downs on the other. There was a corridor of around 2 miles between the two. The birds would come through in there droves through this corridor and it was just a case of pulling them out.

[Trev]

Unfortunately over here there is no real enthusiasm for North road. They haven’t really given it a chance. They just moan after a couple of bad races North. So if wanting to race any distance the only option is to fly in the nationals. Racing over here, especially in the combine, is dictated by a few big national flyers. Several members have joined these clubs but I think that a couple of bad races and once they realise the costs involved things could change.

We've got a few members down here like that too Andy who stopped sending after losing a few and I remember the same thing happening back in the 80s when Worthing turned North. The funny thing is that most of the members who continued to send to most races had less losses than we were getting along the coast from shorter distances The racing has certainly been more interesting and fairer with a greater spread of members hitting the top spot.

Yes Trev. That’s why the Wigmore club was formed by members of the Worthing club that just wanted the corridor racing. For others of our members who don’t know we had the sea, English Channel, one side and the South Downs on the other. There was a corridor of around 2 miles between the two. The birds would come through in there droves through this corridor and it was just a case of pulling them out.

Yes Andy I remember
It was quite a sight though as kids watching on race days from the bedroom window wasn't it Andy Waiting to see those batches coming through and watching to see who they dropped for, back then there must have been about a dozen lofts just around where we were so it really was a race to see who could get their bird into the clock quickest. I still think some of the beauty and skill of the sport has been lost due to electronic clocking !!!