Navigating on Road Sections
The Roadbook will define the route between Stages using diagrams of road junctions and the distances between them. Note that not all junctions may be shown in the roadbook – at junctions that are not shown, you should continue straight on. Top Tip: Although it is possible to follow the route using just the roadbook and tripmeter, it is advisable to also follow your route on a map. This will prevent a minor problem – such as missing a junction, the tripmeter breaking down etc. – becoming a major disaster. Mark the whole rally route on 1:50000 maps before you start. But do not rely solely on the map as the roadbook may include additional information such as Control locations.

Stage Start Routine
• Have ready the correct set of pacenotes for stage
• Turn off Radio and Mobile Phones as they may interfere with the intercom during the stage.
• Check both helmets are fastened properly
• Check both seat belts are fastened properly and are tight
• Set trip meter to zero
• Set stopwatch to zero
• Check the fire extinguisher is armed
• Tell the driver a little about the stage, particularly the first section
• Repeat the Marshal’s countdown
• Start the stopwatch

Top Tip: write "Extinguisher" in your roadbook just after the first control, in case you forgot to arm your fire extinguisher before the start of the event.


On Stage - Reading the Map
Some events are "blind". You are not given any opportunity to practice or recce the stage and you will not be given any information about the stage apart from what is in the roadbook. You are however allowed to use 1:25000 maps (or 1:50000, but these are much less accurate).Most co-driver or road rally navigators use a 'Poti' the best one available today is the Roamerlite B (click here to have a look).

Top Tip: Mark the Stages on the map using a single orange line drawn down the actual road. Do not use the road-rally technique of drawing a line alongside the road. Providing you are careful you will not obscure any details and the route will be much easier to see at speed in a rally car.
Top Tip:When you have marked the stage route on the map, check each junction in the roadbook. If the junction looks different in the roadbook than on the map, the roadbook will usually be correct. You can add this information and any other information provided by the organisers (e.g. crests, logs, mud etc.) to your map, but you must not add any additional information as this could be considered as "pace-notes" With practice, you can use these maps to give a lot of information about the road ahead to your driver, although you can never be confident that the maps are 100% accurate.
Top Tip:You can practice map reading sitting in an armchair. You should aim to be able to describe any section of road without having to think to hard about any particular corner. Remember that timely and consistent calling is more important than absolute accuracy.
Top Tip:Some co-drivers keep the map one way up (so that North is always at the top). Other co-drivers rotate the map so usually the direction of travel
Top Tip:On the stages, only use the map. Don’t try to follow the roadbook at the same time - it doesn’t work!